Lot details
Registration No: G16 AML
Chassis No: SCFCAM1S9LBR50160
Mot Expiry: March 2011

PLEASE NOTE: We apologise but his lot has been withdrawn from the 21st April 2010 auction.

Expectations were running high when the Virage was unveiled at the 1988 Birmingham motorshow. Its predecessor, the V8, had remained in production longer than expected and Newport Pagnell's loyal customers were desperate for something new. Under the circumstances, despite a hefty price tag, orders for the new four-seater GT flowed thick and fast.

The chassis was designed in conjunction with the Cranfield Institute of Technology and was stiffer and lighter than that of the outgoing V8. it was clothed in hand-beaten aluminium to a design by John Heffernan and Ken Greenley. The front spoiler and aerodynamically shaped under tray were claimed to combine with the boot lid spoiler to achieve zero lift. The suspension was developed from the Lagonda and featured double wishbones at the front and an aluminium A-frame at the rear.

Power came from an uprated version of Tadek Marek's immortal all-alloy 5,340cc V8 unit, and featured new four-valve per cylinder heads designed by Callaway Engineering and a Weber-Marelli fuel injection system. The resulting 330bhp was sufficient to power the 3,946 lb Aston to a whisker under 160mph. Some 365 Virages were crafted between 1989 and 1995, at which point the car was reshaped with styling cues from the more powerful Vantage and redubbed 'V8 Coupe'.

Built in 1990, the righthand drive, manual Virage on sale is a relatively early example. It is finished in metallic blue and sports a cream leather interior piped in blue. Its comprehensive specification includes: electric memory seats, climate control and air conditioning. Based on facts from the service book, the vendor believes the mileage to be as little as 23,000, as just 13,758 are believed to have been driven since a new speedometer was added in 1995, at which point only around 8,900 had been covered.

The car comes complete with a file of bills and is MOT'd into March next year. The vendor describes the engine, transmission, bodywork and paintwork as 'very good', the chassis, wheels and tyres as 'good' and the interior trim as 'super'. These striking GT cars cost upwards of £120,000 new and represent amazing value in the current market. One in this condition with such a low mileage provides collectors with a rare opportunity.