As an Aston Martin enthusiast, this 1989 V8 Vantage Volante immediately caught my attention. When I realized what it is, it made me consider the timing of its sale with reference to recent developments in the UK and the British Commonwealth. Aston Martin created the “Prince of Wales” model as a faithful replica of a V8 Vantage Volante ordered by Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, in 1987. Counting the original vehicle, only twenty-seven cars rolled out of the factory. Making the sale of this Aston more poignant is the fact that Prince Charles ascended to the throne to become King Charles III just over a week ago following the passing of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who reigned for more than seventy years. This classic is set to cross the auction blocks at the Goodwood Revival auction in Chichester, West Sussex, England, on 17th September. The seller offers it in a No Reserve auction here at Bonhams Auctions. The estimate is £300,000 – £500,000.
Aston Martin released the Volante (Convertible) version of its V8 Vantage in 1986. It featured many cosmetic upgrades, including a deeper front spoiler, an integrated rear spoiler, and flared wheel arches. Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, has been a long-term Aston enthusiast, ordering a V8 Vantage Volante in 1987. However, he sought a more conservative appearance. The drivetrain configuration remained unchanged, but the company removed the aerodynamic additions at the Prince’s request. It then decided to produce a “Prince of Wales” model, with twenty-six cars built between 1987 and 1989. There’s a lot to unpack with this Aston because it has led quite a life. It initially rolled out of the factory wearing Cabernet Red paint, retaining that shade while in the care of its original owner. The Vantage passed into the hands of its second owner in 1993, and that’s where the funs starts! The new owner must not have been partial to the Red paint, so they returned it to the factory to be refinished in British Racing Green. As you will see, that is only one of the numerous changes that brought the car to its current specifications. The Volante left the UK in 2008, with its owner settling in Dubai. They used it sparingly before placing it back on the market in 2011. That’s when the current owner purchased the Aston and returned it to its native shores. It has sat in dry storage since and remains well-preserved. The paint shines nicely, although it has minor nicks and marks consistent with a driver-grade classic. The panels are straight, and the numerous high-resolution photos confirm it is rust-free. The soft-top looks nice and fits tightly, while the distinctive 16″ wheels only carry some minor dirty marks that might respond to careful cleaning. The trim and glass look excellent, meaning this Aston has no essential paint or panel needs.
Examining this classic’s interior reveals the other changes performed by a previous owner. The most notable is that this car was originally right-hand-drive, but they converted it to LHD ready for its new life in Dubai. As with the paint, the work was completed by the manufacturer. That means no nasty aftermarket steering components are hiding below the surface. The original owner ordered the vehicle trimmed in Slate Gray leather, but that wasn’t to the second owner’s taste. As with the rest of the Volante, they handed it back to Aston Martin for a retrim in its current Tan. The interior presents well for a driver-grade classic. There are a few slight imperfections on the leather, but no gaping rips or tears. I think a leather specialist could address those shortcomings without any problem. The rest of the trim is excellent, as is the carpet. The timber veneer exudes the rich glow you can only receive from genuine walnut, and the plastic components show no deterioration. The buyer gets air conditioning, power windows, power locks, a leather-wrapped tilt wheel, an AM/FM radio/CD player, and a vintage Nokia car phone.
Few production motors sound more glorious at full noise than an Aston Martin V8. When pushed to their limit, they emit a loud and menacing snarl that guarantees people will sit up and listen. The V8 under the hood of this classic is a 5.3-liter fuel-injected DOHC masterpiece producing 402hp. This car sent that power to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transmission, although buyers could select a three-speed automatic if they preferred a more relaxed driving experience. At 4,078lbs, this Aston is heavy for a vehicle of this type. However, its ability to storm the ¼ mile in 13.4 seconds before winding its way to 159mph is very impressive. This classic has been out of service since entering storage in 2011. The collection of cobwebs on the underside attests to its lack of activity, although it is said to be in good mechanical order. However, the seller advises the buyer to work through a thorough revival project, which seems sound advice when dealing with a classic of this caliber.
When matters turn to classic cars like this 1989 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante “Prince of Wales,” originality is crucial if the vehicle is to achieve its best at auction. Our feature car isn’t original, and while the previous owner elected to hand the change process to the vehicle’s manufacturer, they would still compromise its value under normal circumstances. However, recent events mean the circumstances are anything but ordinary. It is often said that timing is everything, which appears to be the case with this classic. When its owner chose to send it to auction, they would have had no idea that the man after whom it was named would become the country’s reigning monarch before the hammer could fall. The auctioneers set their estimate before those events transpired, which remains unchanged. Could that impact the final sale price? Only time will tell.
Absolute rolling eye (and ear) candy…
Beautiful, yes, but every Aston model looks vastly sexier with a roof. Ever see James Bond in an Aston convertible?
No but in You Only Live Twice he sat as passenger in a specially modified Toyota 2000GT convertible as he was too tall to fit in the Coupe. I presume he was too tall to drive it also. My reading indicates only two convertibles were made but there are now more being converted convertibles.
Did the Aston have a roof that could be stowed somewhere?
I Sure Have. “The Living Daylights” 1987. The convertible Aston Martin that Timothy Dalton drove was almost Exactly like this one.
I stand corrected! Leave it to Dalton ….
The front of this series always reminded me of a European Mustang. A beautiful Aston. I saw my first one in person back in the 90’s and it’s just as beautiful in motion as it is while standing still.
I wouldn’t buy simply because of the name alone. The royal family is the worst kind of nepotism. I will never understand people spending 20 hours in line to walk past the casket of someone who had all, simply because of birth. Did she do okay? Maybe, but could someone from South London plucked from obscurity do the same? Absolutely. Those people, hundreds already fainting from standing for hours, didn’t sit too highly in her mind. Charlie wasn’t allowed to marry Cammie in 1970 because Mommy Dearest thought she wasn’t enough of an aristocrat. The class system just like what this car, tells most people, “You a’int good enough. Now be wowed by my majesty” I know this from personal experience as of having lived there many a year. Charlie and I are the same age, but in 1970 I left the country, same thing he should have done. That way he could have the woman he loved, but didn’t want to be cut off and have to actually get a real job now, would he? Instead he had a Mommy approved “lady” (read, properly inbred) who he believed to be boring, uneducated, and having non of his interests. He could have been a man and stood up for himself, but then again, without that cash, what is he really? Just an awkward looking fellow with some peculiar habits, pretty hard to snag a woman on just those merits. Money, after all, is the worlds most potent and reliable aphrodisiac.
Thank you for your call
Get off your soapbox..this is a car site not a political , anti Royals, blog.
True, but some things require a response, rules be damned. Won’t happen again.
perfect **** TY to Mal
Your Marxist outburst and attack on the monarchy contravenes the “No politics/No personal attacks” policy.
We all look up to something that gives us hope and/or encouragement being it a person or a piece of metal. I look up to this Aston as being something great even though I could never afford to own one. Just because I will never own an Aston doesn’t mean I should have some adverse feeling about the company that made it.
As someone once said, its often better to say nothing even if many may think one is shall we say thick, than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.
A drivers car.
A beautiful car no doubt, but why is this on Barn Finds? I doubt that there is a single member or regular reader who could afford this car and it’s anything but a barn find. I don’t mean to be a scrooge or troll, but really why?
Even castles have barns, Eric.
The author says that the fact that the “repaint, interior replacement, and switch from right-to-left-hand drive”, while having been performed at the factory, “aren’t original” would affect the price, I wonder a couple of things – first, how many of this model were produced with original left-hand drive to which this vehicle was converted, and secondly, is the tan interior standard with the British racing green interior, because, if so, then the primary “modification” would be the steering-side switch, which could make this vehicle either a one-of-a-kind or a very low production volume (“rare”) edition which could both positively affect the price on that basis, as well as on the much wider field of bidding competition by virtue of the number of areas of the world with left-hand drive as home track.
even an AM I’d not buy to DD w/o LHD. A car like this seems
odd with a ‘rag top’. To me that’s for lower cost 2 seaters (not
2+2, GT, hi preformance, luxury). Glad to see it here tho. Thnx
SOLD $460,000 (400 pounds)
Oops, 400,000 pounds
According to the photos this is a carbureted engine.
That “boot” covering the top looks like its holding back something much larger – like collapsed hot-air balloon.
Bonham’s. Okay, i pass.
I remember as this V8 go for 50’000 the convertible and 30’000 the
coupe. They look superb but how’s about the underside and in
general?
Are Aston M. also as crappily designed as Rolls/Bentley, until the Germans took over, then the producers can limit themselves less to sufficient intelligence than to more exaggerated snobbery. Until VW and BMW took over, where the ease of maintenance increased, but the quality decreased at the same time. Perhaps these cars are simply not good enough for us so that few want to afford overpriced new junk. Wealth does not automatically mean intelligence. I have noticed that several times.
Don’t be angry with me but in relation to the British 2% past where they invaded 183 countries (according to a good article in the Guardian), only the Americans have been more diligent to date.
Americans have been more industrious, with 200.
“The pen is mightier than the sword”. as Edward Bulwer-Lytton said in 1839.