The last Aston Martin built entirely by hand at Newport Pagnell — twin-supercharged V8, 550 bhp as V550, 600 bhp as the V600 conversion.
Unveiled at the 1992 British Motor Show and delivered from late 1993, the supercharged V8 Vantage was the last Aston Martin built entirely by hand at Newport Pagnell before the factory was remodelled for the Vanquish. Twin intercooled Eaton superchargers on the 5.3-litre quad-cam V8, a ZF six-speed manual and the largest brakes then fitted to any production car put it alongside the XJ220, EB110 and McLaren F1 for outright period pace.
From 1998 a £43,000 Works Service V600 conversion took the car to 600 bhp / 600 lb ft, culminating in the 40-car V600 Le Mans of 1999–2000 and a nine-car Volante Special Edition. Production ended late 2000.
The final hand-built Newport Pagnell Aston and the fastest series Aston of the 1990s — a distinct chapter that closes with the V600 Le Mans.
| Variant | Years | Production | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| V8 Vantage (V550) | 1993–1999 | 239 | 550 bhp @ 6,500 rpm, 550 lb ft @ 4,000 rpm, ZF six-speed manual only. £177,000 at launch. 'V550' is a retrospective designation that came into use once the V600 conversion existed; the car was sold simply as the V8 Vantage, and sources also use 'V590' (the engine prefix) or 'Vantage S/C'. 239 standard V550 examples built 1993–1999; a further 40 Vantage Le Mans special editions built 1999–2000 marked the 40th anniversary of the DBR1's Le Mans victory, giving 279 supercharged Vantage coupés in total. Approximately 80 of the 239 were later converted to V600 specification by Works Service (a post-registration upgrade from 1998, not a separate production run); most, but not all, of the 40 Le Mans cars carried the V600 engine. |
| V600 conversion | 1998–2000 | Not separately recorded | 600 bhp, 600 lb ft. £43,000 Works Service conversion applied to customer cars post-registration, not a separate factory model; full designation 'Works Prepared Aston Martin Driving Dynamics V600 Vantage'. The V600 package was announced at the British Motor Show, NEC Birmingham, in 1998 and added £43,000 to the price of a standard Vantage. Twin mechanically driven Eaton superchargers were retained (rather than switching to turbocharging) for superior throttle response. Larger vented AP Racing brakes, stiffer suspension with adjustable dampers, revised aero, V600 badging. £233,682 all-in with modifications. Claimed 200 mph. One source states 84 cars received the upgrade — SINGLE SOURCE, and it is unclear whether these are drawn from the 239 V550s or counted separately is unresolved. Power peak variously quoted at 6,200 rpm and 6,500 rpm — sources differ. |
| V600 Le Mans | 1999–2000 | 40 | Coupes only, marking Aston Martin's 1959 Le Mans win. Of the 40 cars, 30 were built to full V600 (600 bhp) specification; the remaining 10 were not. Drive-hand split: 15 right-hand drive, 22 left-hand drive, 3 later converted from right- to left-hand drive. Le Mans badging, revised wheels, side strakes, interior plaque; each car supplied with a route map from Newport Pagnell to Le Mans and a Maglite in the glovebox. Traction control standard. Interior specification: perforated competition-style pedals, oversize tachometer, aluminium gear-lever knob, button starter, brushed metal panelling in place of wood veneer, Wilton carpeting with embossed Aston Martin emblems. Performance: 0–62 mph in 3.9 s, top speed in excess of 200 mph. At least one Le Mans was delivered new in full V600 specification with the close-ratio six-speed manual — a combination fitted to only four of the 40. Auction evidence for the band: a 2,637-mile Le Mans, chassis number 9 of 40, sold for £449,500 including premium — date of sale unconfirmed, so not carried as a dated row. |
| Volante Special Edition | 2000 | 9 | Nine supercharged convertibles commissioned by Works against VIP customer orders, reviving the Special Edition name first used on the DB6 Volante. One built on the long-wheelbase V8 Volante chassis, the rest on the shorter coupé chassis; each to individual customer specification. These are NOT Le Mans cars. Production quoted as nine per one source and eight per another — sources differ. |
| Coachbuilt four-door saloons (Type 1 / Type 2) | 1990s | 6 | Three Type 1 V550 saloons and three Type 2 V600 saloons with slightly different styling, all right-hand-drive automatics, built for a single Far Eastern collection. Single-source figure, unconfirmed. |
Start with identity, paperwork and originality. For the Aston Martin V8 Vantage (V550 / V600), the strongest cars have continuous ownership history, matching numbers where applicable, original books and tools, factory build documentation and evidence of work by manufacturer-approved specialists. Factory V600 from new over post-registration conversion; Le Mans and Volante Special Edition sit above standard V550/V600.
Twin-supercharged V8 requires specialist service; supercharger drive belts, intercoolers and bespoke ECU are watch items. A proper pre-purchase inspection includes cold-start behaviour, ECU diagnostics and fault-code history (where applicable), leak-down or compression testing, underbody photography, suspension and chassis inspection, brake condition and a long enough road test to expose heat-related faults. Deferred maintenance on a car of this class is almost always more expensive than buying a better-sorted example.
Use a paint-depth gauge, lift access and a specialist familiar with the model's factory panel gaps and finish standards. Collector value is dramatically affected by structural repairs, refinished panels, poor paintwork and missing factory trim or option content. Documented cosmetic refresh is acceptable; concealed accident or fire damage must be priced severely.
Factory V600 specification from new rather than later conversion; Works Service paperwork; original colour combinations. Specification, colour, options and limited-build variants move values significantly. Buy the best-documented example in the most desirable specification you can justify, rather than a tired example of a rarer derivative that will need years of corrective work.
| Date | Auction | Car | Mileage | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-02-01 | Bonhams Les Grandes Marques du Monde à Paris, Lot 128 | 1995 Aston Martin Vantage V600 | — | €138,000 Sold |
The supercharged Vantage was the last Aston Martin built entirely by hand at Newport Pagnell, and the V600 Le Mans is its final and most extreme expression. Factory V600 specification from new, rather than later conversion, is the distinction that matters most; Works Service history and original colour combinations follow.
Our view, not advice. This section is Car Collector International's editorial judgement on where this model sits in the collector market, based on the production, specification and market data set out in this guide. It is not a recommendation to buy or sell and it is not investment advice. Values can fall as well as rise.
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The valuation figures in this guide are for research purposes only and do not constitute financial or investment advice. See our full disclaimer.
