Factory three-door ‘hot hatch’ with a 5.3-liter V8 and five-speed manual could be a bargain.
Aston Martin may not be known for its station wagons, but every once in a while the bespoke British automaker could be persuaded to build a longroof or two. The company builds all of its cars by hand, after all, so a departure from the usual design was not that uncommon in the recent past, with each commission already consuming quite a bit of time.
In a couple of weeks one such rare longroof will head to auction, when Bonhams offers a 1992 Aston Martin Virage Shooting Brake at its Les Grandes Marques a Monaco sale.
The Virage arrived on the scene in 1988 to pick up the baton from the long-serving V8 model, which at its core was a 1960s design, one that had gotten the company through two decades but was in dire need of a redesign even before the decade of excess arrived. Work on the Virage started long before its debut in Birmingham in 1988, with the new coupe borrowing quite a few parts from the outgoing V8 model as well as a slew of parts bin items from assorted automakers.
The V8 engine received a thorough reworking from Callaway, with the Virage offering a choice of a five-speed ZF manual or a Chrysler three-speed Torqueflite automatic at launch. The coupe was a bit larger than it looks in photos, and also quite a bit heavier, with a curb weight of 3946 lbs, putting it alongside some German sedans of the day. The generous overhangs and the relatively short wheelbase made it a capable handler, while the interior was roomy enough for two passengers to travel in comfort, but certainly not extravagant when it came to cubic footage.
Aston Martin kept the wheelbase of the Virage coupe, without lengthening it.
Bonhams
As with many exotic cars of the 1990s, work on the Virage began in one economic climate but arrived on sale in a markedly different one, with annual production remaining merely in the dozens of units throughout the model’s production run. The 5.3-liter V8 was soon joined by a 6.3-liter unit to spice things up further, with Aston Martin offering conversions for existing owners as part of its factory Works program, but sales were still incredibly modest by today’s standards.
In addition to the coupe and convertible versions of the Virage, Aston Martin built a number of three- and five-door examples, with this particular one believed to have been shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 1992. This car, finished in Aston green over a parchment leather interior, kept the wheelbase of the original model, and featured a hatchback greenhouse with C and D pillars, as well as a restyled rear fascia. Instead of single side windows for the cargo compartment, Aston Martin opted for two-piece windows leading to a curved pillar transitioning into a squared-off tail.
While the Virage coupes had featured taillights from the Volkswagen Scirocco (yes, really), the shooting brake apparently featured taillights from the European-market VW Vento (which we know stateside as the Jetta), albeit flipped upside down and featuring the same liberal panel fit. This particular example originally received an automatic transmission, which at some point was swapped out for a five-speed manual.
The Virage still has room for four and some of their luggage, if not an abundance of space out back.
Bonhams
Bonhams indicates the current consignor bought the car in Germany in 2005 and sent it to Aston Martin Works Service for some recommissioning work, as well as a few changes to interior equipment, including an update of the stereo.
“Tasks carried out included converting the car to Swiss specification; upgrading the cooling system; installing the latest Alpine DVD navigation system with 6 CD auto-changer; and fitting new color-matched seat belts,” Bonhams notes.
Curiously, Bonhams does not mention the current kilometrage, only noting that in 2005 the car displayed 33,795 kilometers, or 54,388 miles.
The auction house expects this Virage Shooting Brake to bring between €100,000 and €200,000 at its Monaco sale, which translates to a range between $106,000 and $213,000.
A few readers may recall that just weeks ago yet another Virage wagon was offered at auction, a five-door model built for a German customer. That model featured a stretched wheelbase to accommodate the two extra doors and had a very different rear fascia design featuring Scirocco taillights. Bonhams sold that example for $159,576 at its Paris auction, achieving a rather modest result for something quite unique—the price of a new Range Rover, in effect.
The two-door Virage received a conversion from a three-speed automatic to a five-speed manual early in its life as well.
Bonhams
The estimate range of the three-door shooting brake fully reflects the result seen at Bonhams in January, and also reflects the rather narrow audience of collectors who could be interested in such an example. The three-door model certainly avoids some of the visually busy lines of the five-door, but still features a curiously flat roof. The D-pillar, meanwhile, features a gentle curvature not seen elsewhere in the otherwise angular design.
Curiously, Virage wagon values appear to have enjoyed only modest premiums over Virage coupe or convertible prices, while remaining well south of the values generated by the top examples of this model, including the Vantage Le Mans.
So when it comes to the overall spectrum of Virage/Vantage values, the shooting brakes have been surprising bargains. It also goes without saying that if you went to Aston Martin for a one-off station wagon today, or some other custom bodystyle, you’d need a lot more than, say, €200,000.
Visit the auction website to view the full list of lots for the upcoming Monaco sale.
Keyword: Aston Martin Virage Shooting Brake up for Grabs