The car offered here is one of a pair ordered from the factory by two Swiss brothers in 1996, the other being '79008'.

There had been 'estate' or 'shooting brake' conversions of Aston Martins in the past, most notably the seven DB6s built by coachbuilder Harold Radford and the three Virages converted at the factory in the early 1990s.

This car however, is based on the Virage's successor – the V8 Coupé.

Launched at the International Motor Show, Birmingham, in October 1988, the Virage had restated its Aston Martin V8 forerunner's brawny looks in the modern idiom, contriving to be slightly narrower yet providing increased interior space.

The car was still no lightweight, but with 330bhp on tap courtesy of the trusty V8 engine's new 32-valve top end, was good enough for a top speed approaching 160mph and a 0-60mph time of under seven seconds.

After spearheading the Aston Martin V8's transformation for the 1990s, the Virage name was dropped during 1994, its place as the 'standard' mode...