• Delivered new to the USA • Ultimate in soft-top luxury • Recently restored by Aston Martin • Fitted with an automatic transmission • Monaco registration document The Aston Martin V8 survived the changes of ownership and financial upheavals of the 1970s, appearing in countless variants, one of the more exclusive being the Volante convertible.

Introduced in response to customers' demands for such a car, the latter first appeared in June 1978.

Arguably the ultimate in soft-top luxury, the newcomer boasted a lined, power-operated hood which, when erected, endowed the walnut embellished interior with all the solidity and refinement associated with the saloon version.

Although its open-car aerodynamics meant that top speed suffered with the hood down, the Volante's 140mph maximum nevertheless ranked it among the world's fastest convertibles.

Mechanically the Volante followed the equivalent V8 or Vantage saloon of the period, and in 1986 benefited from the re-introduction of fuel inject...