“It was Victor Gauntlett looking for something special to revitalise his best seller, the aged V8. It was 1985 and the agreement with Zagato was quickly sorted out because it was a win-win situation. In the end, the agreement was not only for the designing and making of a small series of cars, but for Aston Martin shareholders to buy a stake in Zagato, providing the Milanese company with much-needed cash and the Newport Pagnell firm with a wonderful open window on Italian style. 

“The target was to have the new car, named ‘V8 Vantage Zagato’, selling well, bringing a modern look and a 300km/h maximum speed to Aston Martin, while breathing fresh life into both companies.” Andrea Zagato speaking to ASTON – the journal of the Aston Martin Heritage Trust – in 2019