Lot 251 - 1990 Aston Martin Virage ‘Works Special’ (6.3 litre)

• Last era of the ‘sheet metal’ hand built cars from Newport Pagnell
• Converted to ‘6.3’ specification by Aston Martin Works in 1993
• Rare six-speed manual upgrade and ‘Grapefruit’ Vantage tail end
• Overhauled and upgraded by AMW in 1998
• Only two private owners from new
• Complete and massive set of documented history folders

Ahead of the company’s forthcoming twin-supercharged Vantage, Aston Martin’s Service Department offered 6.3 litre conversions for the existing 5,340cc V8 engined Virage. Introduced in January 1992, this package increased power by around 40 per cent whilst offering a menu of modifications to the bodywork, suspension, and brakes - now featuring ABS for the first time - and it could be ordered new or retro-fitted to customers’ existing cars with almost all of these options having been carried out to a bespoke specification.

Chassis number ‘50084’ was manufactured as a standard coupé with automatic transmission and was originally finished in Lagonda Red with Slate Grey trim piped in dark red. Delivered complete with a Sony DJ CD audio system, at a cost of £127,155.24 in 1990. Its first owner was one M. Hendry of London W1, whose company, Cenargo International, purchased the car on 1st August 1990 via Aston Martin Sales, London SW7, a copy of the order placed at AM Sales in November 1988 can be found in the history file. The car was registered ‘H737 XUV’ which is supplied with the car today.

In 1993, the car underwent conversion to full ‘6.3’ specification (body/engine/six-speed gearbox) by Aston Martin Lagonda, as detailed by a specification listing and related bills for £78,000 on file. At the same time the car was repainted in British Racing Green and retrimmed in grey leather with green piping and matching carpets. The registration was changed to ‘11 XXX’ in 1994.

In May 1998, the car returned to AML for an engine and transmission rebuild, while at the same time the rear panel and boot lid were converted to Vantage specification, and a 1998 Vantage-specification dashboard and airbag installed (see bill for £35,000). It would appear that a new speedometer was also fitted, as the mileage in January 2000 is recorded as 4,064 (it had been 22,785 in June 1997). The current odometer reading is circa 11,000 miles, which is assumed to be the distance covered since the dashboard upgrade.

In 2000, the original owner bought the Aston from his company, and it continued to be looked after by Aston Martin Works up to 2001. Thereafter the car appears to have seen little use, the next service record being a bill for £7,700 from Trinity Engineering in 2009. The current (second) owner purchased the car in 2014 and has spent in excess of £13,000 in the period since. The car has been regularly maintained by Trinity Engineering during his ownership with a similar level of more recent expenditure.

Presented in very good condition, this unique 6.3 litre Virage ‘works special’ comes complete with handbook, V5C registration document, a current MoT test certificate, sundry old tax discs, and the service booklet recording its entire history with Aston Martin Works Service and subsequent specialists.