Aston Martin V8 Volante 5.3 V8 Automatic

1985 Aston Martin V8 Volante 5.3 V8 (Weber carb) Automatic, 320hp. Finished in Kensington Silver with tan interior. Showing 51,337km, it was imported to Sweden from the USA in 2018 by renowned Aston Martin specialists Aston Hill, where it has undergone inspection and maintenance work in their ownership. One of just 202 original LHD Automatic carburettor Volante’s produced, chassis number SCFCV81C6FTL15397. The was serviced prior to arriving at our showroom and also benefits from a new quicksilver exhaust system, new deep pile carpets (€1000) and new tyres.

Soft-top luxury at its finest, the V8 Volante exudes elegance and sophistication from almost any angle you approach it. Aptly describable as a ‘Riviera car’, the ease at which your mind conjures images of it on sunny coastline cruises or parked afront sun-bleached restaurant façades says enough. Even with that lined, power operated hood erected, the V8 Volante still makes for an extremely handsome car. The bodywork on this particular vehicle has been switched to the more desirable and aesthetically pleasing European specification, with the ghastly thick black bumpers replaced by slender chrome forms.

The craft and workmanship that goes into these cars is the justification for the premium paid - it is a process taking a total of 16 weeks from start to finish. Constructed from aluminium panels over a square section tube frame, each body was formed, finished and assembled by hand. The interior's burl-walnut dashboard was shaped, smoothed and lacquered by a craftsman. The full Connolly leather interior including roof lining and the leather was hand-cut and handsewn. Inside occupants will also find a Coolaire air-conditioning system, wool pile carpets and pioneer stereo radio cassette player with four speakers.

Every engine was assembled from a bare block and heads by a single technician, who as you can see in the photos affixed a brass plaque to the right-hand cam cover to identify his work. This hand assembled 5.3L V8 delivers 306 bhp at 5,000rpm and a punchy 350 lb.ft coming at 3,000 rpm, via Four Weber 42 DCNF twin choke downdraught carburettors as opposed to the later EFI system installed from 1986 onwards. Gear changes come courtesy of a Chrysler sourced Torqueflite 3 speed automatic. Soft-top aerodynamics slightly hamper top speed but it will reach 142mph which at the time ranked it among the world’s fastest convertibles, and it was quoted to reach 60 mph in 6.6 seconds. Keeping this swift progress settled through the twisties is a double wishbone setup up front with coil springs over Koni shock absorbers, and coil springs, de Dion axle, and Watts linkage at the rear.