Back in the 1984, Aston martin needed a new model. The same shape had been in the production since 1967 when it was launched with the 6 cylinder engine, but a completely new model was too expensive. A new suit of clothes would be more affordable.

It was to be the renewal of an old association which brought Aston Martin back, once again, among the world’s fastest cars. Back in 1959, the company wanted to produce a special lightweight version of the DB4GT; they went to the Italian styling house of Zagaton in Milan and 19 models were built form 1962-4. twenty five years on, the new owners were looking for a similar extension to the Vantage range at the time of 1984 Geneva Motor Show; they visited the Zagaton stand founder Ugo Zagaton had died, but the company was being run by his sons, Dr. Elio and Ing. Gianni.

During the earlier Aston Zagato production, the Italian company was building a number of niche models for the various separate Italian manufactures. By the 1984, the major part of the Italian industry was controlled by Fiat and Zagato needed to find outside Italy. The arrival of the Aston principals, Victor Gauntlett and Peter Livanos, was manna form heaven.

Shortly after that motor show meeting, the general specification for a new Zagato-bodied Aston Martin was agreed light enough to reach 60mph in under 5seconds and aerodynamic enough to achieve 300km/h with 435bhp, with just two seats and a probable production of 50 cars.

The engine to be used was the trusty V-8 which had been the company’s mainstay form which had been the company’s mainstay form 1969. An aluminum 5.3 liter unit, it had twin overhead camshafts for each bank with four down draught weber carburetters sitting in the vee.

As used in the V-8 saloon and Lagonda it developed around 300bhp, and 375 bhp for the Vantage a more powerful 435bhp version was developed for the entire market with bigger carbureeters, new camshafts, higher compression and larger exhaust manifolds and this was the one fitted to the Vantage Zagato

The Zagato set to work and would probably have had a prototype ready for the following Geneva show had Aston Martin not imposed a 6 month delay in the middle. As it was, there was only a sketch for show visitors, but this and the Aston Martin and Zagato reputations were enough to persuade 50 buyers to place deposits over the next six months.

Finally, three prototypes were at the 1986 Geneva show, and production of the 50 cars began shortly. Aston Martin sent a rolling chassis out to Italy, a working platform which had already been tested on the road. Zagato built a new superstructure, fitted the aluminum panels, trimmed the interior, painted the car and then sent it back to Newport Pagnell. Despite mixed feelings about the styling, there was no doubt about its appeal or its performance.

The car that was offered to the press was one of the prototype and the French magazine ‘’sport Auto’’ was the only one to record a true maximum speed. Using a piece of unopened motorway, they achieved 299km/h, only 1km.h short of the target. The 0-60mph figure came to 4.8 seconds-on target.

The prototype had a somewhat unsightly power bulge on its bonnet to clear the downdraught carburetion. Originally, it had been intended to fit fuel injection to the Vantage engine, as had been developed for the less powerful V-8, but this was never completed on the two-value, engine; however Zagato designed the bonnet around the lower profile of an injection system and had to change this after the overall shape was finalized.

The prototype’s bulge was roughly shaped at the factory; although Zagato designed a much less obstrusive bulge for the production cars, the press never forgets and always drew attention to that bulge. How it should have looked was seen on the subsequent Volante Zagato convertibles, a limited run of 35 cars fitted with the less powerful injection engine. Awesome in its noise and performance, the Vantage Zagato served its purpose and put Aston Martin back into the super league.