Photo: Bonhams
Back in 1986 when it was made, it was not only the fastest-ever street-legal Aston Martin, but faster even than the Ferrari 288 GTO: this is the Aston Martin V8 Zagato we have here in prototype form.
The car in the gallery above is one of three pre-production prototypes that would later turn into a limited production version of under 100 units that were made between 1986 and 1990, and one of just two to have been made in a right-hand drive configuration.
Because it is powered by a very rare 5.3-liter V8 engine tuned into delivering 432 bhp, it is even more collectible, as only four of the entire run had this engine from new. The engine is special because it had been designed by Polish engineer Tadek Marek, one of Aston’s greatest engineering minds, and it allowed the V8 to reach the coveted 60 mph speed limit from a standstill in under five seconds, while the top speed was rated at 186 mph/300 kph.
Equipped with integral roll-over bar (one of two Aston Martin Zagatos to have this feature), leather seats, dashboard, and steering wheel, this particular car (chassis number 20011) is on the list of vehicles that would go under the hammer in July as part of the Bonhams' Live Behind-Closed-Doors auction.
The auction house estimated the price of the car to be anywhere between £300,000 and £340,000, which means as much as $423,000.
"The mid-1980s was an extraordinary time in motor manufacturing and development and echoed the hedonistic socio-economic climate at the time,” said in a statement Bonhams Group Motoring Chairman James Knight.
“Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche and Aston Martin were competing furiously to create the most powerful and outrageous high-performance car. The V8 Zagato is right up there in collecting terms, but to own one of the prototypes takes it to a whole new level."
Because it is powered by a very rare 5.3-liter V8 engine tuned into delivering 432 bhp, it is even more collectible, as only four of the entire run had this engine from new. The engine is special because it had been designed by Polish engineer Tadek Marek, one of Aston’s greatest engineering minds, and it allowed the V8 to reach the coveted 60 mph speed limit from a standstill in under five seconds, while the top speed was rated at 186 mph/300 kph.
Equipped with integral roll-over bar (one of two Aston Martin Zagatos to have this feature), leather seats, dashboard, and steering wheel, this particular car (chassis number 20011) is on the list of vehicles that would go under the hammer in July as part of the Bonhams' Live Behind-Closed-Doors auction.
The auction house estimated the price of the car to be anywhere between £300,000 and £340,000, which means as much as $423,000.
"The mid-1980s was an extraordinary time in motor manufacturing and development and echoed the hedonistic socio-economic climate at the time,” said in a statement Bonhams Group Motoring Chairman James Knight.
“Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche and Aston Martin were competing furiously to create the most powerful and outrageous high-performance car. The V8 Zagato is right up there in collecting terms, but to own one of the prototypes takes it to a whole new level."
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