Aston Martin V8 Vantage (1977–1989) History

Introduced in 1977 as a high-performance version of the Aston Martin V8, the V8 Vantage was widely dubbed 'Britain's first supercar'. With high-lift camshafts, larger valves and carburettors, and higher compression, it reached around 170 mph and ran 0–60 mph in about 5.3 seconds — quicker than the contemporary Ferrari Daytona.

An open Vantage Volante followed (1986–1989), and the styling reached its wildest expression in the limited-production Zagato-bodied V8 Vantage Zagato of the mid-1980s. The V8 Vantage anchored Aston Martin's performance image through the end of the Newport Pagnell V8 era.