1979 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

This stunning 'Oscar India' model 1979 V8 Vantage presents exceptionally well and has been restored, through various phases, to the highest standards throughout its well-documented life.

It is an original, manual gearbox V8 Vantage and benefits from having had some 'X-Pack' specification engine upgrades at some point in the 1990s.

More on that later.

The original colour combination of Raven Black paintwork with a red leather interior is undeniably bold, striking and dramatic.

We have driven the car and came back from our trip thoroughly impressed. It starts, goes and stops with the pedigree feel of a hand-built supercar.

Yes, you’re aware that this is a car that tips the scales at around 1800 kgs, but there’s more than enough brute force to propel it along at a grin-inducing rate.

Together, the engine, exhaust system and four Weber carbs conspire to create a very special cacophony of snorts, barks, rips and pops – particularly while the car is getting up to optimal operating temperature.

Once warmed up, the acceleration through the power band is impressive, even by modern standards, and the V8’s thunderous roar leaves you in no doubt that you’re at the helm of a powerful machine.

If the car’s fabulous lines don’t turn heads, the soundtrack certainly will.

We’ve searched high and low, long and hard to find fault with this glorious car and we have to report that, bar a couple of minor points, we’ve failed in that mission.

In our opinion, it’s every bit as good as it looks.

And it looks sublime.

The Raven black paintwork (the original colour) is in excellent condition and has a real depth of shine and lustre to it.

The black paint accentuates the car’s lines and shows off the flared and rolled rear wheel arches, which were retrofitted to the then current Vantage spec by Aston Martin in 1984.

The panels are free of any ripples, creases, dinks, dents, folds, lumps, bumps or dimples to speak of. The doors slam shut with a deeply satisfying metallic clunk that unmistakably says, ‘handbuilt’.

The beautiful Ronal alloys are free of any significant marks or blemishes. The replacement cost of these alone would bring a tear to most eyes. The tyres have plenty of life left in them.

The chrome work and trim are in excellent condition. We’ve seen no signs of rust anywhere.

The only issues we’ve encountered are on the bonnet. There are some buffing or rubbing marks on the o/s that might indicate either some rather over-zealous polishing or, perhaps, a bag being dragged rather than lifted from the surface. Who knows?

The other tiny consideration is that the Aston Martin badge is very, very slightly not quite straight.

In fairness, it took one of our more OCD colleagues to identify this and, even then, quite a few of the rest of us weren’t entirely convinced.

The condition inside is nothing short of remarkable, particularly when you consider that this is a car that first put its rubber on the road in 1979, when The Police, Blondie and The Boomtown rats were in the charts, Apocalypse Now and Moonraker were in the cinema and Jeremy Thorpe was in the Old Bailey.

The interior of this V8 Vantage is a fine place to be. The red leather (the original colour) upholstery has a real vibrancy to it and, this being a handcrafted Aston Martin, everything that falls to hand is superbly constructed from the finest materials.

The seats, front and back, are comfortable, supportive and show no signs of wear to speak of.

The carpets, mats and headlining are all very good. So, too, is the wood veneer dashboard, which has enough gloss and shine to put a Sheraton sideboard to shame.

The Nardi steering wheel was fitted by a previous owner and looks very fine indeed.

The window switches have been recently replaced with genuine Aston Martin parts. The AC was last re-gassed, serviced and checked in 2017.

As far as we’re aware, all switches, levers, toggles, buttons, dials and gauges do exactly what they’re supposed to do.

The boot is in excellent condition, too. Lifting up the carpets here or elsewhere on this car reveals nothing more than the odd superficial bloom of rust dust here and there.

The undersides seem to be very well preserved, with nothing more than a few spots of superficial rust to speak off. Everything is straight, clean and wears a good coating of wax/bitumen. There are plenty of shiny new bits and pieces visible and the overall impression is one of integrity and strength.

The engine bay follows the colour palette for the rest of the car, with bright red, crackle-finish cam covers. All appears to be present and correct, with just the odd bit of superficial rust dust visible in places.

We think Bert Nash, the engine builder whose name adorns a plate affixed to a cam cover, would be rightly proud.

This car has got more history than the British Museum. It took two of us and a builder’s wheelbarrow to get the files up the stairs.

It’s got letters, bills, invoices, receipts and estimates covering every owner and documenting pretty much every penny it’s ever had spent on it.

And it’s had lots and lots of pennies spent on it.

There are photographs of it being restored in 1989, 1995, 1998 and 2010.

There are major bills covering a re-trim costing in excess of £16,000, bodywork restoration totalling more £25,000, and recent mechanical bills of over £15,000.

Now then.

About the X-Pack upgrades.

Being a 1979 car, it didn’t leave the factory as an X-Pack V8 Vantage (the X-Pack option didn’t exist until 1986).

In 1992 Lancaster Aston Martin provided an estimate for converting the heads to lead-free fuel and increasing power with a few R.S. Williams tweaks and nudges. It seems that the then owner decided not to take up their offer.

In 1999, Aston Martin restoration and performance conversion specialists Fourways Engineering carried out the necessary cylinder head conversion and opened up the ports and valves to X-Pack specification – at a cost of over £3,800.00. You’ll find the invoice in the photographed history section.

So, while it isn’t a factory X-Pack V8 Vantage, it does have some of the performance upgrades that would have come with the X-Pack.

The car comes with 3 service books (the original plus two continuation books), which together contain more stamps than the average sub-Post Office.

It was last serviced around 2 years ago and has done very few miles since. In the meantime, it’s had new plugs fitted and all levels checked.

This car has an MoT certificate, with no advisories, valid until 5.7.22.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

This very special car is now fully fettled, raring to go, and looking for a new owner to enjoy its uniquely alluring combination of power, refinement, class and pedigree.

Other people with deep pockets have done a great deal of heavy lifting to keep this vehicle in such fabulous condition.

Between them they have replaced, restored or refurbished anything and everything that needed attention, inside and out, mechanically and aesthetically.

The result is a truly stunning example of a deservedly iconic car.

It really is very special indeed.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of £200,000 - £250,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon.  Our offices are open Mon-Fri 9.00 am to 5.00 pm.  To arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.