ASTON MARTIN Virage Volante 1992-1996 Photos, engines & full specs

Aston Martin convinced its new owner, Ford, to green-light the open-top version of its famous Virage GT, which was a key player in the GT market.

Ford's intentions were clear: to drive the small British car manufacturer into the profit zone. Financially, Aston Martin was in the red area and only with its new parent company managed to survive and develop new products, such as the 1992 Virage Volante.

The car was based on the 1988 Virage and featured the same front fascia with rectangular headlights carried over from Audi 200 and a flat front grille. It wasn't the most aerodynamic shape around, but as long as there was a big engine under the hood, it didn't really matter. The carmaker tried to make the vehicle stiffer and reinforced the chassis, but that added more weight. Last but not least, when retracted, the fabric roof couldn't completely hide behind the rear seats.

Inside, the Virage Volante offered four seats and some luggage for a short trip. The luxurious interior was carefully hand-crafted by Aston Martin's technicians and sported a mix of leather and wood, which covered most of the parts. In the back, the carmaker took care of building a high-quality bench upholstered in leather, even though there was hardly any room for someone there, let alone two people.

Under the hood, Aston Martin installed a new, 5.3-liter V-8 engine and paired it to a five-speed manual.