Have You Ever Heard Of – The Aston Martin V8 Zagato?

We weren’t sure whether to feature this Aston Martin V8 Zagato in our Cult Classic series, as part of our Have You Ever Heard Of column, or as Classified of the Week. In all honesty it would be more than happy in any one of those camps. Classified of the Week because, well, just look at it. Cult Classic, Not Best Seller due to the fact that despite being popular upon release Aston Martin made less than 100 in total, with just over half being the coupé version, and finally, ask yourself the question: have you ever heard of the Aston Martin V8 Zagato?

The V8, sure. Most discerning petrolheads would claim to know about Aston Martin’s V8 grand tourer that debuted in ’69, as well as the V8 Vantage upon which the Zagato model was based, but the V8 Zagato? Not so much. It was produced in incredibly limited numbers after all so don’t beat yourself up. Of course, Zagato is common parlance in the classic car world. The Italian coachbuilder has been collaborating with automotive heavy hitters since the ’20s having produced bodies for the likes of Bentley, Ferrari, Maserati and Alfa Romeo, to name a few and Zagato’s relationship with Aston Martin dates back to 1960 when the now unicorn DB4 GT Zagato was unveiled at the London Motor Show.

The two would join forces again in the future on cars like the DB7 Zagato and V12 Zagato, among others, but it would be another 23 years since that first hook up with the DB4 until they would work together to produce their second effort, the V8 Vantage Zagato, as it is sometimes known. The pair had proven that they could produce a highly desirable, limited edition beauty that has since gone on to become arguably the most sought after Aston Martin model ever produced and so it was only a matter of time before lightning would strike once more.

Picture the scene: it’s 1984 and you’re wandering, wide-eyed, around the Geneva Motor Show. Ferrari is displaying the limited edition homologation special 288 GTO, Porsche is also showing off its pre-production, limited-edition 959 model and the Aston Martin stand just happens to be situated, serendipitously, within arm’s reach of the Zagato display. Whether it be pure coincidence or the organisers trying their hand at a little match making akin to seating your single friends together at your wedding in a bid to encourage sparks to fly is unknown, but whatever the case, Aston Martin’s stakeholders Peter Livanos and Victor Gauntlett got together with Elio and Gianni Zagato at the Swiss city’s Palexpo convention centre to discuss the prospect of another collaboration. If two of the biggest and most famous auto makers in the world could produce these limited run, highly desirable models for silly money then so could Aston Martin.

As mentioned earlier, the V8 Zagato was based on the V8 Vantage and wheels were immediately set in motion to get the project off the ground. The engineers at AM in Newport Pagnell had pretty much squeezed all the power they could out of Tadek Marek’s V8 and so the pressure was on Zagato to produce a body that was light enough and aerodynamically efficient enough to see the car from parked to 60mph in five-and-a-half seconds and on to a top speed of 186mph, figures that were deemed acceptable as performance targets. Targets that the car well and truly hit. With around 430bhp the V8 Zagato was one of the fastest cars in the world at the time.

Giuseppe Mittino was tasked with the actual design of the body and to say it was a little controversial would be a bit of an understatement but its aggressive, angular design was necessary for those all important aerodynamic characteristics mentioned above and a lot of aluminium was used to keep the car’s weight down. This was 1985 though, and such was the reputation of the two companies at the time, people didn’t need to see scale models, full size concepts or any marketing nonsense. All potential customers had to go on was an initial sketch by Mittino but that was enough and all 50 cars sold like the hottest of cakes.

Looking more than a little like the love child of a DeLorean DMC-12 and Lancia’s Montecarlo, the Aston Martin V8 Zagato was a definite departure from the company’s earlier efforts but there are certain design features, from both AM and Zagato that combine to make a truly spectacular, if somewhat divisive machine. From the “double bubble” roof (a Zagato design staple), to the squared off grille and bonnet bulge to clear the carbs, the car was both controversial and highly praised with many celebrities placing their orders.

Launched two year’s after its inception and in a bold move, three V8 Zagatos were presented at the Geneva Motor Show in ’86; one on the Aston Martin stand, one on Zagato’s and the third on the roof of the Hotel Beau Rivage overlooking the entrance. “We were trying to make a statement” said AM’s then sales manager Kingsley Riding-Felce. Bravo Aston Martin, Bravo. 37 convertible models followed but with distinctly less power they were not as well received as their coupé brethren.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, with your Aston Martin V8 Zagato knowledge now up to scratch isn’t it time you thought about buying one? This is Car & Classic after all and we just so happen to have a 1986 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato available via our classifieds at the time of writing. Presented in Lightning Silver coachwork with Burgundy Connolly leather trim (ooof) and Black Alcantara Headlining this very car featured in a glowing four-page review in Motorsport Magazine in September 1987.

This particular low mileage V8 Zagato sits on a brand new set of Aston Martin Ronal wheels complete with new Michelin Pilot Sport tyres. Exported to Hong Kong in 1995 it was later repatriated to the UK in 2004 and is currently viewable in Kent. A bill of almost £10,000 was racked up in 2017 care of Aston Martin specialists Nicholas Mee & Co who carried out an extensive service as well as some choice improvements, including the installation of a Harvey Bailey handling kit comprising a revised front anti-roll bar, front shock absorbers and new coil springs front and rear. In 2018, Aston Martin Works themselves replaced the front brake discs and performed additional maintenance at a cost of over £2,000

Completing the extensive history file is evidence of another comprehensive service carried out last month by marque specialists Quantum Works, as well as an advisory-free MOT from November. The car is now poised and ready for immediate enjoyment by its next lucky owner. The personalised reg plate is also included. Here’s your chance to own an incredibly rare and exclusive piece of Aston Martin’s rich history. A halo car that represents not only a shrewd investment but also an opportunity to have a lot of fun and turn a whole lot of heads in the process. What a thing.