1991 Aston Martin Virage

The vendor, who is just the car’s fourth owner, has had the car since February 2023.

We know from an original Aston Martin invoice that the car cost £105,000, which was a very large sum indeed in November 1991.

We also know, courtesy of a copy of a registration document, that the car was first registered in Jersey on 22.1.92.

The car’s V5C tells us that it was first registered in the UK on 1.4.03.

We believe that it has spent a considerable amount of time under SORN conditions throughout its life – primarily between 2014 and 2022-ish.

We further believe that the mileage is in the region of 55,000 miles (the digital display has downed tools, which is absolutely par for the course with a Virage). 

It starts, goes, handles and stops as you would hope and expect, but there is certainly room for cosmetic improvement, inside and out, which means that there is real scope for adding value.

From a few feet away, the car presents well from every angle and is a fine-looking example of both the model and the marque.

The bodywork is reassuring devoid of any dinks, dents or creases of consequence.

The panel gaps and shut-lines are a testament to the artisanal skills of chaps - often called Barry or Geoff - working their arcane magic in some sheds in Newport Pagnell.

Move a little closer and the paintwork starts to give up some of its secrets.

It is rather tired and possessed of swirly scratches and flat patches on the bonnet, roof and boot.

There are, variously, paint chips, scratches and scuffs on most panels, and there is some bubbling around the badge on the bonnet and on both ‘B’ pillars.

There is a spattering of what looks like paint spots on the n/s/f wing, a sizeable scuff on the n/s/r wing, a few signs of previous touch-up repairs, and the driver’s door mirror needs either fixing or replacing. 

While there are flaws and blemishes aplenty to be found, they are all relatively minor and easily within the scope of a decent bodyshop to successfully remedy without too much effort or expense.

The wheels seem to have survived the passage of time with commendable stoicism and have done well in avoiding kerbs or other roadside obstacles. 

The lights, lenses, badging and other exterior fixtures and fittings are all in reasonable order, as far as we can see. 

The interior is following the same script as its exterior counterpart, at least in the sense that it’s largely decent but not without flaws and signs of age-related wear and use.

The leather seats are in broadly good condition, the only exception being the outer bolster on the driver’s seat, where there are plenty of creases and scuffs, as well as some splits to the dark brown piping.

The rear seats look as if they’ve rarely seen much use.

The brown carpets and mats on the floor are not too bad but they are faded and a little threadbare inside the footwells and beneath the front doors, and the carpet is coming away from the base of the centre console.

The wood veneer inserts on the dashboard, door cappings and centre console have largely resisted the temptation to fade, crack or lift.

Some of the leather trim around the instrument binnacle is heavily scuffed and the section of trim between the top of the dashboard and the windscreen is detached, split and rather ragged.

The headlining is intact but could do with being cleaned, as could the rest of the interior.

The digital computer read-out has long since retired hurt, which we know to be a common occurrence with the Virage.

The space for the radio/ICE unit is currently empty, but there is a Blaupunkt Bremen DAB unit ready and waiting to be installed.

The steering wheel leather is a little faded in places and there are some marks on the leather at the top of the gear selector.

The boot is intact but the brown carpet is split at one end and, under the carpet, it’s all a bit scruffy. There is a space-saver spare wheel with the car.

The engine bay is a little dusty but everything appears to be in its right and proper place and there are no leaks in evidence anywhere that we can see.

The car’s undersides, while showing the odd spot of what looks like surface rust in places, appear to be possessed of a good amount of structural integrity.

This car comes with a service book containing Aston Martin main dealer stamps, mostly from the Jersey Five Oaks Garage up until the year 2000. After that there is a mix of main dealer and specialist stamps up until 2011, when a service by Chiltern Aston recorded the mileage as being 46,495. 

There is a hiatus in the car’s MoT record between 2014 and 2022, during which time we assume the car was in storage.

The car was last serviced in October 2024.

There are many bills and receipts for work done by renowned marque specialists Desmond Smail, Chiltern Aston and Excalibur Engineering from a decade or so on from 2001. 

It comes with a V5C and a recent HPI report. 

The car’s MoT certificate, which has no advisories whatsoever, is valid until 11.9.25.

They really don’t make cars like this any more.

One of the last of the genuinely hand-built Astons, this Virage is in very decent mechanical and dynamic order, as far as we can tell, but needs and deserves some cosmetic TLC to get it back into truly first-class condition.

We think this car is well worth the effort and should reward its next owner’s time and commitment with many years of pedigree British motoring pleasure.

We are happy to offer this car with a BUY IT NOW price of £19,950 which includes the buyers premium.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.