Some cars are most at home on race tracks or when being driven as though in competition. Pushing them to their limits is the only way the speed and handling they offer can be appreciated in full measure. Others do best in the congested centers of big cities; there, agility and isolation from the hostile world outside are most appreciated.
The Aston Martin Volante is at its best on a warm moonlit night, there's a long road ahead and plenty of time available to enjoy every luxurious mile of the experience. With the top lowered and a favorite companion in the passenger's seat, the Volante driver is free to revel in the countless sensual pleasures this Grand Touring car par excellence can provide.
Don't think for a minute that the Volante can't produce a good turn speed, or its somehow unsuited to the rigors of commuting. It does quite well on both counts. But the fast yet relaxed pace of a drive taken only for the absolute joy of driving is its real reason for being, and the primary reason it is thoroughly qualified to be an Ultra-Buy.
Any exotic car is a blend of intangibles; the Volante is no exception. It has a long and storied tradition behind it, of course, dating back to the early 1920's when the company was formed. From the time forward, through the glory days when David Brown's stewardship brought a Le Mans victory and a line of wonderful Grand Touring cars to the Feltham "works" right up to today's Ford-backed supercars, the cars of Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. ("by appointment to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, Motor Car Manufacturers and Repairers") have been, without exception, instant classics.
Beyond that, Aston Martins carry on another tradition, one fast disappearing in our injection-molded, computer-controlled world, and the Volante is a prime example. Each was as hand-built as a car can be: In a 16-week process, each Volante chassis was welded up from a stock of small steel stampings, each aluminum body was formed, finished and assembled by hand, every interior's burl-walnut dashboard was shaped, smoothed and lacquered by a craftsman, and every piece of leather and carpet was hand-cut and handsewn. And every engine was assembled from a bare block and heads by a single talented technician, who affixed a brass plaque to the right-hand cam cover to identify his work.
The result was, and still is, a masterpiece cloaked in 21 coats of lacquer. Hand-rubbed, naturally. One writer testing a Volante in 1989 said, "Quality of this caliber is rarely found on automobiles. It may be that mechanical paint sprayers and vinyl moldings sometimes look nearly as good, but it is that last indefinable effort made in search of perfection that sets the Aston apart."
When the first Volante appeared in 1978, it was an offshoot of a design that had already proven its worth. The V8 Saloon (coupe to Americans), itself an offshoot of the earlier DBS, had shown itself to be both a luxurious tourer and, when brought up to firebreathing 400-plus-bhp Vantage specification, a performer that could easily outrun almost anything then available. For the record, performance figures published in 1977 for a Vantage coupe showed a 0 to 60 mph time of 5.3 sec. and a top speed well beyond 160 mph.
Though a few Volantes were eventually built to Vantage specifications, none ever arrived in the U.S., at least legally. In fact, the North American Aston was a tame beast indeed by comparison; emissions controls and a lowered compression ratio (a mere 8.0:1) dropped power from 400 (Aston rarely published bhp numbers; this was a contemporary estimate) to 240.
That was still a decent output for a 5.3-liter engine in the 1980s, and what was lost in power was made up for by silky smoothness and a rich exhaust note. The four-cam V8 was good to look at, too, a traditional assembly of light-alloy castings topped by the fuel injection system's curved intake tubes.
The rest of the powertrain was generally conventional, with a choice of three-speed automatic (from Chrysler) or five-speed manual (ZF) transmissions available. The front suspension was a standard upper/lower A-arm setup, while the rear featured a de Dion tube and halfshafts with U-joints. Brakes were generously sized discs all around.
Long-ago impressions included mention of an extremely smooth ride, heavy but precise steering and plenty of low-speed understeer, the latter made worse by the original Avon tires which were specified more for comfort and speed. Today, on more suitable rubber, the Volante feels much the same, only better.
Never mind the power shortage; the V8 pulls strongly and gathers speed more quickly than expected in so weighty a car. Low-speed handling is as it was, with understeer predominating, but if road conditions allow, the big Aston can be coaxed into taking a more neutral cornering stance. Even a trace of oversteer is possible, if desired. The automatic transmission remains a major disappointment, but even its leisurely shifts and shortage of ratios can't spoil the pleasure.
At rest or at moderate speeds, there are other delights to savor. The body shape is surely one; few designs combine grace and muscularity so well. Granted, those Volantes kitted out with side sills and spoilers by the factory tend to look a little tacky, but the unadorned ("Prince of Wales"-spec) cars were and are very handsome.
Another plus is the interior. It looks absolutely right in a British-Sports-Car way, using wood, soft leather, tasteful bright trim accents and wool carpeting in a most appealing manner. Even the tiny rear seats are usable, if only for short runs. Wind noise and turbulence are minimal with the top lowered, and non-existent when it is raised.
In sum, the Volante is a car for the select few, as it was in the days when Aston Martin was shipping 50 to 60 examples to the U.S. each year. For those who want elegance without compromise and performance with no penalty in ride comfort and luxury appointments, it is well worth consideration. For those who want cars that exude individuality and romance, it is a winner. For those who want the ultimate in handbuilt class, a four-wheeled artwork and a substantial piece of automotive history that still is reasonably practical as a functional car, it may be the only choice.
The View from the Parts Counter
Any low-volume car will present some problems to owners looking for parts, and the Aston is no exception. In this case, the greatest difficulty comes from the necessity of getting pieces from England and not from basic availability.
The direct, and best, source is Aston Martin itself, which maintains an inventory that covers cars far older than the Volante. The company is set up to deal with direct inquiries from owners and lists parts department contact names and telephone numbers on its website (www.astonmartin.com). Other firms in the U.K. can be helpful with chassis components, exhaust systems and the like, though finding them will take some effort.
The general consensus among those consulted for this story is that today's Aston dealers--should you have access to one of the 14 in the U.S. or the three Canadian outlets--don't want to know about older cars, so don't expect much help there. Exceptions are possible, but none of our sources knew of any.
Parts Aston Martin bought from outside vendors--brake and electrical items, shock absorbers and the like--can be found in the U.S. Some will be equivalents and not exact original replacements, but that seldom presents problems. Parts and service for the Torqueflite automatic transmissions can be found anywhere Chrysler Corporation cars are catered to.
Obviously, replacement parts will be expensive, especially when compared to those used in mass-production cars. That's true of Ferraris, Lamborghinis and any other exotic. It's fortunate most Astons don't seem to need major repairs often; with luck and care, owners will find that the real bigticket pieces are once-in-a-lifetime buys.
The View from the Service Bay
Members of the Aston Martin Owners Club seem to have little problem finding competent service people to care for their cars. Qualified wrenches exist, and owners are generally more than willing to recommend the good ones and warn you away from the bad ones. Art Nisson of British Motor Service in Orange, Calif., (714/9971122) is, by all accounts, one of the good ones.
Nisson was somewhat surprised to be asked about the Volante's potential problem areas, mainly because he hasn't found any. They are, he says, "robust cars with beefy engines that can stand some owner abuse." They are also relatively simple cars that don't require some of the major operations such as regular engine removal for service--common to mid- and rear-engine exotics.
At worst, Nisson says, some problems can crop up with the air conditioning systems on later Volantes; they may freeze up (literally) when used in hot climates. The electrical systems defy the common mis-perceptions about English electrics and work reliably clutches on manual-gearbox examples are strong, and most other work needed will be a result of age and wear, not design flaws.
Like all cars, Volantes react badly to disuse: Rubber parts in brake systems begin to leak, seals fail, hoses crumble and shock absorbers stop working. Many Astons are occasional-use cars, and today's buyer needs to be prepared to spend money on replacement of these items. Nothing unusual about that.
Service intervals are long as well. Oil changes are most frequent, occurring at; 7,500-mile intervals, though it's good practice to do this more often. Major services are called for every 12,000 miles; Nisson recommends twice-yearly attention to cars driven fewer miles, as most Volantes seem to be.
The sole problem for service technicians is with the hand-assembled V8 powerplants. When taken apart, these need to be checked thoroughly, Nisson says, as each assembler had his own way of doing things. More than normal care must be taken to put pistons, connecting rods and other moving parts back precisely where they came from if re-used, for example, as they may have been massaged to work best in that place. In any event, some operations, such as setting valve timing which requires use of a dial indicator, are tricky.
How Much?
One of the certainties of life is that assigning values to low-volume cars is an uncertain process. On any given day, values for Volantes are subject to change depending on who is buying and who is selling. The seller's motivations play a big part in determining puce as well.
That's a fancy way of saying that Volante prices can vary considerably. Most experts seem to believe there are no "special" cars in terms of model year or equipment; certain basic assumptions, such as a preference for manual transmissions over automatics (with consequent effect on price), don't seem to apply here, either.
Condition, however, is a determinant. That implies more than just shiny paint and soft, crack-free leather upholstery, including service history as well. Here, as in the case of last month's Miura, mileage is less important that originality and good mechanical operation. Check for a full file of paperwork indicating regular maintenance, get an expert to check the car out, and don't worry that the chosen car is, for example, an'84 rather than an'89.
Paul Schnee of Heritage Classics in West Hollywood, Calif., (310/657-9699) sees three or four Volantes in an average year He reckons color has as much to do with a given example's desirability as anything else, and finds West Coast-and other urban-area-customers prefer automatics. An enthusiast searching out one of the rarer manual-gearbox cars may be able to make a better deal His price estimates seem to be in the midrange of those checked out for this story.
$35,000-$80,000: Most pre-'89 Volantes seem to fall into this range. At the bottom are the examples that may need cosmetic work or those with exceptionally high mileages showing. When looking at such cars, remember that replacement of Connolly leather and Wilton carpets isn't cheap and adjust your offer accordingly Schnee reported two recent sales--an '84 with 55,000 miles for $50,000 and an '88 that had been driven a mere 14,000 miles for $80,000-- that support these figures. Both cars were, he said, in excellent condition.
$85,000-100,000: This is big money, and should buy a better than average car. As a rule, these will be 1989 models, pristine and lovingly cared for. The potential drawback to such jewels is that they may need to have some work done on them to correct minor problems caused by years spent immobile in a garage. Balance that against perfect cosmetics and minimal internal wear.
The ideal car--if such a thing exists--will probably set you back something on the order of $60,000. That should be enough to get a Volante that looks, feels and even smells just right and is ready for some serious use.
Alternatives
The most obvious substitute for the Volante is its near-twin, the V8 coupe, referred to by the factory as a "Saloon." Mechanically it is identical to the convertible; visually it differs in having an elegant fastback roof. Performance figures will be near identical, with a slight edge perhaps going to the earlier Weber-carbureted cars. A big plus for the Saloon (if you're prepared to overlook the potential problems associated with older cars) is a substantially lower price: A very good example should cost between $17,000 and $35,000, depending on condition, source (dealers, naturally ask for more money than do realistic owners) and seller motivation.
Otherwise, those desiring Aston Martins will have to look farther back to the DB4, -5 and -6. These are all six-cylinder cars, more classic in appearance, and quite appealing in a somewhat more sporting way than the newer cars, if less refined when judged as long-distance cruisers. Don't expect any substantial savings here, as most if not all DB-series cars will have been restored-- expensively, needless to say--and enjoy an enthusiastic following among fans of British GT cars.
Anyone tempted by a shiny low-mileage Lagonda four-door sedan--identical to the Volante mechanically--should be exceptionally wary. The onboard electronic systems in these cars were extremely advanced for their day; too advanced, in fact, to be practical. What doesn't work (a category likely to include most if not all switches and gauges) will be almost unfixable. Even the Brits, who will pay top dollar for just about anything built on their island, don't give the Lagonda much in the way of resale value. In a word: Don't.
Two cars of the same general time period that are similar to the Volante in terms of performance, general feel and refinement are the Jaguar XJ-S and Mercedes-Benz 560 SL. The sums needed to acquire a good example of either are smaller and parts are more readily available. Dealers and independent service agents will be easier to find as well.
But neither Jaguar nor Mercedes offer quite the Volante's dashing style nor its hand-crafted exclusivity Nor--and this may come as a surprise--is either likely to be any more reliable.
The Numbers
Base price (1989): $182,500
Engine: dohc V8
Displacement: 5340cc
Horsepower @ rpm: 240 @ 5500
Torque (lb-ft) @ rpm: 288 @ 5500
Fuel injection: Weber-Marelli multipoint
Transmission: Five-speed manual, three-speed automatic
Wheelbase: 102.8 in.
Track, f/r: 61.1/62.4 in.
L/w/h: 183.9/75.4/53.9 in.
Curb weight: 4,010 lb
Fuel tank: 21.5 gal.
Suspension, f/r: Upper & lower A-arms, coil springs, tube shocks, antiroll bar/de Dion tube, radius arms, Watt linkage, coil springs, tube shocks Steering: rack & pinion, power assist
Wheels: cast alloy, 15x8.0 in.
Tires: 235/70R-15
Brakes, f/r: disc/disc
Performance (manufacturer's data for Volante w/ auto trans): 0-60 mph in 7.8 sec.
Maximum speed: 135 mph
Fuel economy: 12-15 mpg