1990 ASTON MARTIN VIRAGE

KEY FACTS

• A rare hand-built British grand tourer, with a rare colour scheme, and now in need of some cosmetic refurbishment.
• Under the bonnet sits the 5.3-litre V8, producing up to 330bhp and 364lb-ft of torque, coupled with the four-speed Torqueflite automatic transmission.
• There is a very good service history record up to 2003, and there are invoices on file for refurbishment in 2014 totalling around £12,000 from Cotswold Classic Car Restorations.
• This original right-hand-drive Virage is understood to be one of only 411 coupes built.

EQUIPMENT AND FEATURES

• This Virage features Salisbury Blue paintwork, Ivory leather upholstery, blue piping and elegant walnut burr inlays.
• Factory-fitted equipment includes air conditioning, electrically adjustable and heated memory front seats, and an in-car telephone. It is also equipped with an Alpine radio cassette head unit with CD changer compatibility.
• Its original owner’s manuals and service book will be included, along with a raft of maintenance invoices.

CONDITION

• As is evident in the photo gallery, there are patches of corrosion around the body, with bubbling in the paint around the window frames, the boot lid badge, and at the top of the A-pillars in particular. There is also cracked and flaking paint on the bumpers.
• There is visible rust around the driver’s footwell that will require attention as part of a broader refurbishment.
• Inside, its Ivory leather has some creasing and discoloration to the seat bases, and some more noticeable wear to the driver’s side, but it remains entirely original.
• The black tread plate of the driver’s side sill cover is missing.
• Some wear can be seen on the switchgear controls, and the vendor indicates that the walnut dashboard’s lacquer has lifted in places, so would benefit from being stripped and re-coated.
• The odometer is inoperative and there are mileage discrepancies in the MOT history that indicate it has been faulty for some time. However, the early service history documents the first 13 years of mileage accrual very well, showing it had reached just 21,910 miles by December 2003.
• The most recent MOT test was on 3 December 2020, which was a pass with one advisory to monitor a worn offside front tyre, which was close to the legal limit on the inside edge.

SERVICE HISTORY

• Invoices on file from Cotswold Classic Car Restorations from 2014 indicate that the car has had a rebuild of the engine inlet system, including the trumpets and inlet plenum, and recalibration of the throttle position sensor. The vacuum system was also stripped and re-plumbed.
• At the same time, the fuel injectors and rails were cleaned out and refitted, new cooling system hoses were installed, the water temperature sensors were replaced, and a new set of brake pads was fitted.
• The invoices also state that some corroded areas around the rear panel and B-pillar door shut posts were rectified, and that the air conditioning was serviced and re-gassed.

SUMMARY

While this Aston Martin Virage requires some obvious body and paint restoration, and likely some mechanical recommissioning, it presents as a fundamentally solid example of a very rare flagship GT car. For someone with the time and resources, it should prove to be a rewarding refurbishment project; bringing this powerful and coach-built British modern classic back to a very good standard.

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