Likely to represent great value, a Virage Coupe imported to the UK in 2021
This left hand drive Virage is admirably original and presenting well for its age
Offering some minor room for improvement for the next lucky owner
The Appeal
The Virage was first shown to the public at the 1988 Birmingham Motor Show. The Virage was the long-awaited replacement for Aston Martin’s popular V8 models. The Virage offered buyers a distinctly more modern design than its predecessor, courtesy of John Heffernan and Ken Greenley. The Virage became the first new Aston Martin for nearly 20 years and represented a significant step forward in terms of refinement and continent crossing GT car credentials.
This car was imported to the UK in 2021 in its factory left hand drive configuration. As such it would suit being used in various geographies across the world. The Virage is in a highly original and complete condition with a sumptuous cabin finished in scarlet leather and burr walnut. Some roof for improvement remains in places, likely to make this a great value for money example of the Virage.
The History and Paperwork
This Virage left the Newport Pagnell factory in February 1991
Produced in left hand drive and in its current Cumberland Grey
The car was then supplied to the Far Eastern market
Little more is known about the car’s history until 2021
In March 2021 the car was MOT’d in the UK for the first time
In October 2021 the Virage was then registered in the UK
Just one UK owner has been documented since then
The paperwork accompanying the car is minimal
The current V5 in present
A Certificate of Origin from Aston Martin is also on-hand
A hard copy of the car’s March 2021 MOT is included
This is advisory free and expired in March 2022
The vendor is unable to confirm the mileage as the dashboard is not currently working
The Interior
The Virage’s cabin is finished in lovely scarlet leather with black piping
Accents of burr walnut veneer underscore the car’s luxurious ambiance
The car features the signature Alcantara pleated headlining
The interior of the Virage was a considerably better designed, fitted and finished than its V8 predecessor offered. This cabin really encourages you to get in and drive long distances in the car. With the arrival of the Virage, Aston Martin had taken positives steps into Rolls Royce and Bentley cabin territory.
The deeply bolstered front seats are stitched into vertical box pleats and the panels are delineated by black leather piping. Seat adjustment is electric with the 8-way controls mounted in the door cards. The front seats are also heated for additional comfort. The rear seats look immaculate and are arranged into two separate buckets separated by a storage locker and topped with low, wide headrests.
The quite intricately designed dashboard consists of scarlet leather stitched top, middle and bottom padded rolls. Ahead of the driver is a panel of burr walnut veneer. The white on black gauges are located in a hooded binnacle ahead of the driver. These are directly behind a four-spoke wood veneer and black perforated leather steering wheel. The original scarlet leather two spoke, Aston Martin steering wheel is also included. In the centre of the dashboard sits a very 1990’s looking digital trip computer unit. Below this is a panel of push / push switches, heating and ventilation controls and a modern stereo head unit.
The pleated headlining is finished in suede look Alcantara in a mid-tan hue. This looks to be in a great underlying condition if a little grubby in places. The door cards are finished in a combination of leather and burr walnut veneer panels. The carpets are finished in a complimentary red and are edge bound in leather. The cabin condition is generally very good and highly original. Some cracking and imperfections were noted to some of the walnut veneer panels. These have been photographed for your review.
The well-shaped boot is trimmed in its original carpet and is also home to the space saver spare wheel unit. The original jack and steering wheel are also stored here.
The Exterior
The Virage is finished in Cumberland Grey paintwork
Like the interior, the exterior appears to be highly original, and period correct
Inevitably there are some areas of imperfection and some scratches and scuffs
This Virage is finished in its original grey livery. It suits the car very well, further enhancing the sophistication and elegance of the design which was quite the departure from its predecessor. The Virage’s exterior is not without its faults, of course, and these have been captured for your review. The rear bumper cover seems to have suffered most with other chips and marks noted on the front spoiler and bonnet edges. It is thought and hoped that these are relatively minor surface imperfections, however.
The car sits on its original 16-inch, five-hole Aston Martin light alloy wheels. These look to be in very good condition overall, with their presentation no doubt aided by the high side profile of the 90’s tyres keeping the rims out of harm’s way. These are shod with a matching set of Nexen Roadian HTX tyres in a 255/65 configuration. Cabin glass and light lenses all appear clear, un-fogged and original. All the requisite marque and model badges seem to be present and correct.
The Mechanics
The Virage is fitted with the well-respected 5,340cc Aston Martin V8 engine
Power is fed to the rear wheels via a three-speed automatic gearbox
The underside of the car looks very clean and solid for its age
The vendor is unable to confirm the mileage as the dashboard is not currently working
The Virage had become quite a chunky car weighing in at close to 1,800kgs. Despite this, the power and torque produced by the 5.3L V8 was sufficient to endow the Virage with an impressive performance for the early 1990’s. The 4 OHC V8 originally produced around 330bhp and 350Ib-ft of torque. This was sufficient for a 6 second 0-60mph time and a limited 155mph top speed.
The under-bonnet presentation looks admirably original. All the expected data plates appear present and correct. These include the engine builder’s named plaque and a plate from the car’s Far Eastern past. A diligent clean and detailing would benefit this area, but no areas of concern were noted. The under-bonnet insulation has lost much of its vinyl covering so could be improved. The underside of the car looks very clean, straight and solid for a car of this age.
Summary
The Virage, like most Aston Martin’s of the period, started life as a rare car. Less than 500 were originally built in this configuration between 1989 and 2000, after all. Sadly quite a few have disappeared since, especially when values bottomed out around 10 years ago. Today only around a tenth of the original number are thought to remain in use. This helps makes the Virage an increasingly valuable and sought after luxury sports GT car today.
This example is surely an exciting and rare ownership prospect. It is likely to represent excellent value for money given its heritage and rarity. There are a few areas that would benefit from further improvement but nothing that would prevent the car from being used and enjoyed in the meantime.
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