A chance encounter spotted the Classic Oils stand at a Bicester Heritage scramble meet. Those of a certain age would instantly recognise it, despite it being a one-off. Keen to move into the supercar market, Aston Martin developed the William Towns-styled gull-winged 600bhp Twin V8 Turbo with the intent of putting it into production.
The prototype was unveiled in 1979 and tested at 191 mph, well short of the projected 237 mph, but in the grand scheme of things quite acceptable. Financial setbacks meant the project was shelved and sold to private owners. Treated to a comprehensive restoration last year, the car is fully operational. It is regularly seen at showcase classic car events, so to be able to get close and personal with such an iconic car was indeed a privilege.
Currently owned by Philip Sarofim, he used the services of Shropshire-based restorers Classic Motor Cars who took two years to bring it up to a standard making it arguably better than new. The engine has been rebored from 5.3 litres to 5.7, with the original fuel injection system replaced by carbs. Now punching 650 bhp with the potential to increase this by another 40%, the opportunity to beat the magic 200 mph is there for the taking.
