Description
Kelham Hall | Newark, Nottinghamshire
Viewing: Tues 17th March 2026 from 12pm
Auction: Weds 18th March 2026
Location: Kelham Hall Main Street, Newark, Nottinghamshire NG23 5QX
1983 Aston Martin V8 Vantage 'V580'
1 of just 27 RHD, pre-'BBS' facelift examples made
Estimate
£160, 000 - £190, 000
Registration No: T. B. A.
Chassis No: V8/ VOR/ 12354
MOT: June 2026
Unusually well documented maintenance history dating back to the original factory warranty and service book
Treated to some £30, 000 worth of fettling by marque specialist Oselli during the current ownership plus a full respray
Factory fitted air-conditioning complimented by the rare option of an electric sunroof
Past structural and engine work carried out by Goldsmith & Young and Stratton Motor Company respectively
Pleasingly retains its original leather upholstery not to mention 'matching' chassis and engine numbers
“Here is a car with the performance and handling of a racing car and the luxurious appointments of a limousine, with none of the accommodation or visibility drawbacks of mid-engined supercars” (Motor Sport, April 1978).
Like one of those massively built rugby players who can despatch the 100 metre sprint in a smidge over ten seconds, there was something wonderfully incongruous about Aston Martin’s original V8 Vantage. Introduced on February 18th 1977, it remains notable as Great Britain’s first true supercar. Capable of rocketing from 0-60mph in 5. 2 seconds and onto 170mph plus, the sumptuously appointed 2+2-seater impressed contemporary road testers by proving more accelerative than a Ferrari BB512i, Lamborghini Countach LP5000 or Porsche 930 Turbo. Mr Hyde to the standard V8’s Dr Jekyll, the Vantage was masterminded by Aston Martin’s Chief Engineer, Mike Loasby (whose CV encompassed previous stints at Alvis, Coventry Climax and British Leyland). Developed on a shoestring budget and with the plenty of ‘hands on’ input from Loasby (including his circuit racing a ‘mule’), the newcomer boasted uprated brakes, suspension, steering and tyres. Time spent in the MIRA wind tunnel alongside Robin Hamilton’s Aston Martin V8-based Le Mans 24-hours contender (a. k. a. The Muncher) saw the Vantage emerge with its radiator grille and bonnet air scoop blanked off not to mention a deep front air dam and rear spoiler. Evolving through ‘V540’, ‘V580’ and ‘V580X’ guises, its 5340cc DOHC V8 engine utilised a higher compression ratio, improved induction, freer flowing exhaust, higher lift camshafts, bigger valves and larger 48mm Weber carburettors etc to boost horsepower and torque by forty and ten percent respectively. The earliest ‘V540’ units featured hand-fettled cylinder heads and were thought to produce 375bhp / 379lbft. The ‘V580’ powerplants benefited from improved mid-range response as well as greater outputs 390bhp / 405lbft, while the ‘V580X’ versions were more potent still albeit at the expense of low down ‘grunt’. Taking over 1, 200 hours to complete, each Aston Martin V8 Vantage was handbuilt. Prodigiously expensive, a mere 367 Two-Door Saloon versions were sold between 1977 and 1989; the vast majority of which were equipped with ZF five-speed manual transmission.
One of just twenty-seven, right-hand drive, pre-‘BBS’ facelift V580 Saloons to emerge from Newport Pagnell, chassis V8/ VOR/ 12354 was supplied new to S. B. Offshore Marine (Edinburgh) Ltd via local concessionaire Victor Wilson Ltd on January 12th 1983. Finished in Green with a similarly hued dashtop and seat piping to complement its Tan leather upholstery, the Aston Martin boasts an unusually detailed maintenance history (dating back to the original factory warranty and service book). Specified with the rare and desirable option of an electric sunroof as well as air-conditioning, the V8 Vantage acquired its current 16-inch Ronal alloy wheels in 1991 at a cost of some £6, 000. Treated to much structural renovation by marque specialist Goldsmith & Young during the early 2000s plus a subsequent top-end engine overhaul at the hands of Aston Martin Heritage dealer, Stratton Motor Company, chassis 12354 belonged to a father and son for almost three decades before entering the current ownership in 2024. Since entrusted to marque specialist Oselli for approximately £30, 000 worth of fettling comprising a new clutch, myriad mechanical improvements and fresh carpets etc, the V580 Saloon has not long emerged from a minor bodywork restoration and full respray. Resplendent in Balmoral Green metallic, the 2+2-seater pleasingly retaining its original leather upholstery and is warranted to have covered a modest 93, 000 miles from new (averaging less than 2, 200 miles per annum). Starting readily and running well during our recent photography session, the seller considers the Aston Martin to be ‘very much on the button and ready to go’. He also deems it to feel as rapid as the various ‘X-Pack’ V8 Vantages he has previously stabled. Only coming to market to help fund the refurbishment of an overseas property, this highly presentable and ‘matching numbers’ V8 Vantage is worthy of close inspection. Offered for sale with original owner’s wallet and substantial history file, the latter serendipitously shows that Oselli founder David Eales signed the car’s second service stamp for his then employer, Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd, on July 8th 1983 at 4, 535 miles.
** Bidding will take place live at the venue, online via our H&H website, by telephone and commission - T&Cs apply**
Parking and entry into the auction is free for auction attendees with a catalogue, available at the door.
Catalogues can be purchased for £20 (admits 2 people).
