For most of the postwar era, Aston Martin kept their range to a rather small number of models. Usually, there were two – a two-door coupé (usually called “saloon”) and a convertible, usually called “drophead coupé”. On occasion, a Lagonda four-door might be added, or sportier/coachbuilt specials, like the Zagato DB4 or the Harold Radford shooting brakes. The turbulent ‘70s changed all that, paring the offering down to a single car.
David Brown, who had rescued the marque from oblivion after the war, decided to sell the whole affair, which was reputed to be losing £1m per year, in early 1972. Production of the DB6 had just ended; the V8 Saloon was the last model regularly being made in Newport Pagnell.
The new management tried to resuscitate the Lagonda concept with a 4-door V8 in 1974, of which a literal handful (well, seven) were made. Aston went into receivership soon after and, for about a year, did not actually produce any cars. But the marque was not dead yet. A completely different Lagonda, with whacky styling and a futuristic digital display, was displayed at the 1976 Earl’s Court Motor Show. But in the meantime, the sole car one could actually buy, for a cool £14,000, was still the two-door V8 Saloon.
It would take about three years for Aston to actually start manufacturing the wedgy and complex Lagonda, which would end up retailing at a whopping £40k by 1979. But there were a couple of immediate stopgap measures that could be taken to add a little glamour to the range. One was to launch a sporty Vantage version (which was done in the spring of 1977) and the other was to offer a V8 drop-top or, in Aston-speak, the V8 Volante.
The new Volante was launched in June 1978, and it immediately found its (extremely well-heeled) clientele. After a failed attempt at fuel injection in the early ‘70s, Aston Martin had gone back to a quadruple Weber setup, giving the 5340cc DOHC V8 somewhere in the region of 300hp. Like Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin preferred not to disclose their engine power data.
Said V8 was mated to a Torqueflite 3-speed auto by default, though a 5-speed ZF manual was optional. The late ‘70s saw the return of wood veneer in the Aston interiors – quite appropriate, given the nature of the car.
For MY 1980, cars bound for North America were sadly given massive rubber bumpers. In 1985, the carbs were finally replaced by a new EFI system, lasting until the V8 was replaced by the Virage in 1989.
All told, Aston Martin sold 822 V8 Volantes (or 901, according to other sources), including 167 super-spicy Volante Vantages, in 11 years. Looks-wise, earlier carburated cars like this one are the most satisfying by a mile, but just finding one would be a CC-worthy event.
Volante or not, the Aston V8 was the pinnacle of hand-built luxury, along with Bristol and Bentley. It’s just a pity that they decided to redesign the front in 1972: the quad headlight and chrome grille of the DBS looked much better, in my opinion. After the facelift, the Aston V8 looked like an English Mustang. I love Mustangs as much as the next guy, but they’re almost the opposite of what an Aston should be.
The rest of the car remained pretty stable through to the late ‘80s, except for the front spoiler and rear valence panels. On a darker car like this one, this is not too noticeable, but it’s just another reason to favour the DBS. However, the V8 did manage to keep Aston alive despite the extremely challenging times the business was going through, so it has a special place in the AM-L pantheon. Hats off to the drophead, then.
Related posts:
Curbside Classic: 1989 Aston Martin V8 Zagato Volante – The Car In The Iron Mask, by T87
Curbside Classic: 1986 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Coupé by Zagato – Lightweight Unobtainium Brick, by T87
Am I the only one who saw this car, especially in the front end, as highly derivative of the 2nd and 3rd generations of Ford Mustang/Shelby?
No. The author refers directly to Mustangs in the article.
I agree.
I have often wondered, if you took a late 60’s or 70’s Mustang, and upgraded the suspension and engine a bit, but with $$ well below the cost of an Aston, how would they compare? If you saw one of these Aston’s on the street from far away, you sure would think it’s a Mustang. Weird how the Avanti was the American Bristol, and the Aston is kind of the British Mustang.
That’s related to a thought I often have… how might someone take a current V8 Mustang and modify it as a GT, ala an Aston Martin?
Power is already available as is, and a manual transmission is also currently available. A serious interior upgrade of course, and improved NVH. It seems to me that a lot of suspension work would also be in order to produce good handling but a compliant ride for long highway and byway long trips for two. Add the removal of the rear seat for improved luggage space and the essence of a true grand tourer could be created.
OK, I may be crazy, but the bones seem to be there.
The DBS was much nicer. These looked generic and Mustangy, and that roof is plain awful.
Must say, I didn’t know Volantes were so rare. They seemed to make them forever, with optional but real tackiness added on in the ’80’s (I’m thinking white, with blue-piped cream leather and colour-co-ordinated bumpers and these wheels but in gold, probably called the Mutton-as-Lamb Roger Moore Pack).
Ditto. When I was a kid I did love the Bond movie the Living Daylights with the V8 Vantage but the DBS I learned about after and I like the front end of it so much better.
Ironically I seem to remember reading the DBS in its original design was styled after the original Camaro, not the Mustang, and if you look at the bodylines it really does show