Hand built in Newport Pagnell Back in the mid 1990s, your garden-variety Ford Fiesta spent just eight hours on the production line. By contrast, Aston Martin’s flagship V8 Vantage V550 took a small band of artisan craftsmen around 1,200 hours to build. That’s a staggering 50 days of work. The astonishing fact is indicative of the coach-built nature of these luxurious and unctuously powerful British Grand Tourers – before the Vanquish and the DB9 dragged Aston Martin into the 21st Century kicking and screaming. We’re not fibbing. In 1996, these cars’ chassis were welded on jigs. Panels were beaten with hammers. Engines were assembled by hand. And interiors were saddled using age-old skills. The V550 nomenclature indicated, as you might have guessed, 550bhp and nigh on 550lb ft – up from 350bhp and 370lb ft in the lesser V8 Coupé and Volante. The considerable increase was achieved primarily by the addition of two whining Eaton superchargers to the legendary Tadek Marek-designed V8. The most powerful road-going Aston Martin ever, as its maker proudly billed it, travelled from a standstill to 60mph in 4.6 seconds – as quick as a Ferrari F355, which is amazing considering it weighed around 600kg more. That heft could be attributed in part to what is among the most luxurious interiors we’ve ever sat in. It’s a melee of supple Connolly leather, glossy walnut veneer and deep Wilton carpet. It’s got the grandeur of a drawing room in a grand country manor. And to be honest, the scent, too. The key difference is that a drawing room in a grand country manor can’t travel at 186mph. Probably more out of necessity than choice, the AP brakes were the largest ever seen on a production car when the V8 Vantage V550 was introduced. Shall we address the way this car looks? In a rare occurrence, the Girardo & Co. office was unanimous in its verdict: stunning. The V8 Vantage V550 treads a miraculous line between steroidal brute and understated Grand Tourer. It’s imposing yet elegant, muscular yet somehow feminine. It’s a broad-shouldered English thug dressed in a sharp tailored suit. It’s identity crisis in the most glorious sense of the term. Just 239 V550s were painstakingly hand-built by Aston Martin. For stark comparison, Ferrari built some 3,100 units of its similarly valued GT flagship, the 550 Maranello. Chassis number 70137 The exquisite specification of the right-hand-drive V8 Vantage V550 we’re offering is most likely down to the fact that Aston Martin Lagonda intended to keep it as a factory-registered demonstrator. Timeless British Racing Green was the chosen exterior hue, complemented by sumptuous Tan Connolly leather inside. Contrasting all that beige were Fir Green carpets and Spruce Green piping. Our favourite aesthetic feature? The beautifully trimmed Tan Alcantara roof lining. If anything trumps the specification of this Aston Martin, it’s the provenance. In August of 1986, with the mileage noted as just 1,467 miles, Aston Martin delivered chassis number 70137 to its official dealership HWM Ltd. in Surrey. And in turn, HWM Ltd. sold the car to its first and only owner. In the three decades since then, said owner has covered just 11,461 miles and had it maintained by a combination of official Aston Martin dealers and reputable specialists. Most recently, in May of 2026, chassis number 70137 underwent a service with Aston Martin Reading. From a condition perspective, this Aston Martin V8 Vantage V550 presents very well, with only a few small issues to note on the exterior. There is a small scuff to the front-left of the nose, a tiny patch of flaking on the front grille, and the paint has faded behind the sealed headlight lenses. Inside, the condition is virtually flawless with common weak spots such as the seat bolsters showing almost no signs of wear. Satisfyingly, chassis number 70137 retains its original tool kit, owner’s handbook, certificate of ownership, warranty card and spare keys. It’s also accompanied by a generous history file, copies of its original Aston Martin build sheet and its Aston Martin Heritage Trust Vehicle Certificate.