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Aston Martin Vantage Volante - Open-Air-Gentlemen-Express

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Created on July 4, 2012

Reading time 6min

Written by:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Bruno von Rotz

Balz Schreier

Archiv

Bruno von Rotz

Balz Schreier

Archiv

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Aston Martin Vantage Volante (1981) - Volantes mit Vantage-Spezifikation sind sehr selten

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Aston Martin Vantage Volante (1981) - über 20 Jahre fast unverändert gebauter Sportwagen

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Aston Martin Vantage Volante (1981) - Wohlfühlpaket

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Aston Martin Vantage Volante (1981) - sportlich-elegantes Armaturenbrett

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Aston Martin DB 6 (1968) - der Vorgänger des DBS

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Aston Martin DBS (1969) - Vorgestellt wurde der DBS mit Sechszylindermotor

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Aston Martin DBS V8 (1970) - Präsentation auf dem Autosalon von Paris im Jahr 1970

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Aston Martin DBS V8 (1970) - optisch waren die Unterschiede zum DBS mit sechs Zylindern gering

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Aston Martin DBS V8 (1970) - Interieur und Armaturenbrett einer frühen Version - Illustration Verkaufsprospekt

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Aston Martin DBS V8 (1970) - der mächtige V8 füllt den Motorraum aus

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Aston Martin DBS V8 (1970) - der leichtgewichtigeAlluminium-V-8-Motorblock

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Aston Martin DBS V8 (1971) - 170 Meilen pro Stunde sagte der Hersteller an

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Aston Martin DBS V8 (1971) - viersitziges Coupé mit mächtigem V8-Motor

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Aston Martin DBS V8 (1972) - Aluminium-Karosserie auf stabiler Stahlstruktur

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Aston Martin DBS V8 (1972) - eine elegante Erscheinung, auch heute noch

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Aston Martin DBS V8 (1972) - klassische Silhouette

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Aston Martin V8 (1973) - die Front änderte nach wenigen Jahren die Gestalt, das DBS verschwand

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Aston Martin V8 (1974) - "Honey, wir sind da!"

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Aston Martin V8 (1974) - Armaturenbrett mit zeitgenössischer Beschallungsanlage

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Aston Martin V8 (1974) - auch hohe Geschwindigkeiten wollen in attraktivem Ambiente genossen werden - Interieur

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Aston Martin V8 (1974) - da hiess er bereits nur noch V8

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Aston Martin V8 (1974) - so holt man den Chef vom Flugzeug ab

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Aston Martin V8 (1975) - nur noch schlicht "V8" hiess der hübsche Sportwagen im Jahr 1975

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Aston Martin DBS V8 (1976) - Produktion - Zuschnitt der Karosseriebleche

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Aston Martin DBS V8 (1976) - Produktion - Verschweissen der Karosserie

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Aston Martin DBS V8 (1976) - Produktion - Zylinderköpfe warten auf Einbau

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Aston Martin V8 (1976) - unverändert attraktiv anzuschauen

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Aston Martin V8 (1976) - wirkt zierlicher als er ist

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage (1977) - mit Frontspoiler und deutlichem Buckel auf der Haube

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage (1978) - sah auch im Stand schnell aus

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Aston Martin V8 Volante (1978) - Präsentation am Autosalon von Birmingham im Jahr 1978 - endlich wieder ein offener Aston

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Aston Martin V8 (1978) - nach 10 Jahren war die Form immer noch attraktiv

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Aston Martin V8 Volante (1979) - elegantes und fast zierlich wirkendes Cabriolet

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Aston Martin V8 Volante (1979) - massiv wirkende Kaputze, Rundumsicht nicht optimal bei geschlossenem Dach

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Aston Martin V8 (1979) - allzuviele rote Astons dürfte es nicht gegeben haben

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage (1980) - lässt keine Zweifel an der üppigen Kraft aufkommen

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Aston Martin V8 Volante (1980) - auch der Volante war ein hübsches Automobil

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage (1981) - wenn man schnell nach Hause muss, die richtige Wahl

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Aston Martin V8 Volante (1981) - wer könnte da widerstehen

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Aston Martin V8 (1981) - Eleganz vor eindrucksvoller Kulisse

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage (1982) - mehr Anpressdruck dank Frontspoiler, fette Pirelli P7 Reifen

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Aston Martin V8 Volante (1982) - Cabriolet mit Seeanstoss

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Aston Martin V8 (1982) - Neu für die USA; AM Sport Corps

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage (1983) - helle Farben waren eher die Ausnahme

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage (1983) - über 200'000 Franken teuer

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Aston Martin V8 Volante (1983) - mit normaler Motorisierung und ohne Vantage-Ausstattung

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Aston Martin V8 Volante (1983) - passt perfekt in die Schlosseinfahrt

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Aston Martin V8 (1983) - die Änderungen an der Karosserie über die Zeit waren minimal

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage (1984) - noch war kein Ende der Produktion in Sicht

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Aston Martin V8 Volante (1984) - nicht nur, aber auch für Gutsherren

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Aston Martin V8 (1984) - Lenkrad und Armaturenbrett des 84-er-Modelles

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage (1985) - die Reifen wurden breiter und die Flanken niedriger

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Aston Martin V8 Volante (1985) - alles bereit für die grosse Reise

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Aston Martin V8 (1985) - 20 Jahre Bauzeit konnten seiner Eleganz nichts anhaben

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Aston Martin V8 (1985) - andere Felgen bei späteren Modellen

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Aston Martin V8 (1985) - etwas breiter war der Vantage, sonst sind die Dimensionen der verschiedenen Modelle identisch

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Aston Martin V8 Volante (1986) - Modell mit Linkslenkung

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Aston Martin V8 (1986) - elegante Erscheinung

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Aston Martin V8 (1986) - Interieur, Lenkrad und Armaturenbrett aus den 80-er-Jahren - man beachte das Pioneer-RTB

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Aston Martin V8 Volante (1987) - späteres Modell - optisch von Vorgängern kaum zu unterscheiden

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Aston Martin Vantage Zagato (1986) - eine der kantigeren Zagato-Schöpfungen

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Aston Martin Vantage Zagato (1986) - Skizze des Zagato-Modelles

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Aston Martin Volante Junior (1987) - auch für den Nachwuchs gab es das passende miniaturisierte Modell

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Summary

Between 1969 and 1972, Aston Martin produced a luxury sports car based on the DBS, which was originally launched with a six-cylinder engine and was able to compete with the fastest and best cars of the time. Eight years after its market launch, the more powerful Vantage version was added, and in 1978 a Volante appeared again, eight years after the discontinuation of the open-top DB6. The more discerning could also purchase the Volante with Vantage specification. This report describes the history of the DBS V8 and its successors and shows a vehicle from 1981 in detail, supplemented by many archive photos and seven sales brochures, as well as price lists and a sound sample.

This article contains the following chapters

It all started with the Aston Martin DBS
Powerful, elaborately built engine
The supercharged Vantage
A convertible again after eight years
More power for the Volante
Luxury, style and endless power
Not for penny-pinchers
Further information

Estimated reading time: 6min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Prince Charles was never officially a product developer at Aston Martin, but when he ordered an Aston Martin Volante with Vantage technology but without the corresponding body attributes in the 1980s, he created a new product that was henceforth called the "Prince of Wales Specification" and was delivered to customers 27 times. It speaks for the Prince's taste to package the lavish technology in the slimmer dress of the "normal" Volante variant. In the late 1960s, Aston Martin realized that it needed a powerful V8 engine to keep up with the competition. This new engine was to be introduced with the Aston Martin DBS, but in 1967 the completely redesigned DBS still had to be presented with the old six-cylinder engine because the new engine was not yet ready. The DBS had a smooth design and was massively wider than its predecessor, the DB6.

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