The 1998 Aston Martin V8 Volante Long Wheelbase sits at a fascinating crossroads in Aston Martin history part old-world craftsmanship, part modernised grand tourer, and effectively the last of a lineage that stretched back decades.Origins: The end of the old Aston Martin By the mid-1990s, Aston Martin was undergoing a major transition.The long-running Virage/V8 family (dating back to the late 1980s) was ageingThe new, more modern DB7 was beginning to reshape the brand s futureProduction was still based at Newport Pagnell, where cars were largely hand-builtThe V8 Coupe (1996) modernised the Virage platform, and from it came the Long Wheelbase (LWB) Volante, introduced at the 1997 London Motor ShowThis made the LWB Volante one of the last traditional, coachbuilt Aston Martins before the company fully transitioned into the 21st century.Why the Long Wheelbase existedEarlier Volantes (convertibles) had a reputation for being:Beautiful, butCramped in the rear, and not truly usable as 4-seate...