Aston Martin Virage
1989-1996 · Aston Martin Virage — Grand Tourer, V8, designed by John Heffernan & Ken Greenley.
The Story
The Virage was the last car developed by an independent Aston Martin before Ford took full control. Unveiled in 1988, its restrained shape came from a design competition won by outsiders John Heffernan and Ken Greenley, wrapping a 32-valve, Callaway-headed 5.3 V8 (330 bhp) in a thoroughly hand-built GT.
It was deliberately conservative – ‘it wasn’t sensational,’ Heffernan admitted – and was criticised at the time for being front-engined when rivals went mid-engined. It evolved into the 6.3, the V8 Coupe and the fearsome twin-supercharged Vantage. The end of the old Aston era.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Grand Tourer class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
John Heffernan & Ken Greenley
British partnership, both RCA-linked (Greenley headed its transport-design course). Won the Aston Virage commission (1988) and styled the Bentley Continental R and the Panther Solo. Source: Classic Driver / Wikipedia (IAD).
Studio Motors POV
The last truly independent Aston – hand-built, slightly underrated, and the bridge to the modern era. A characterful classic that’s bottomed out on value.
The Engine
Aston Martin Tadek Marek V8 (5.3)
Lineage
Where it sits in the bloodline
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About Virage
Worth Knowing About the Virage
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- 1. It was the LAST car developed by an independent Aston Martin before Ford took full control.
- 2. Its design was chosen via a competition won by outsiders John Heffernan and Ken Greenley.
- 3. The 5.3 V8 gained Callaway-designed 32-valve heads and fuel injection – a serious modernisation of the old engine.
5 Fast Facts
- 1. 1989-1996 (to 2000 incl. derivatives); ~600+ built.
- 2. 5.3 V8, 32-valve: 330 bhp.
- 3. Designed by John Heffernan & Ken Greenley (competition winners).
- 4. Spawned the 6.3, V8 Coupe and twin-supercharged Vantage.
- 5. The last hand-built 'old Aston.'
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
No individual celebrity owner verified.
Studio Buyer’s Brief
The twin-supercharged Vantage is the hot one (own page); among Virages, the 6.3 conversion and manual coupes are most desirable. Hand-built, so check the body and the complex 32-valve V8. Undervalued as the last old-school Aston – good value now.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Aston Martin Virage
- Class
- Grand Tourer
- Production years
- 1989-1996
- Units built
- ~644 (411 Coupe + 233 Volante)
- Variants
- Volante; Virage 6.3; Shooting Brake
- Engine layout
- Front
- Engine
- V8
- Engine family
- Aston Martin Tadek Marek V8 (5.3)
- Displacement
- 5,340 cc (5.3L) V8, 32-valve
- Power
- 330 hp
- Torque
- 364 lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- 6.5 s
- Top speed
- 158 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 184 hp/tonne · 12 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 5-speed ZF manual (~40%); 3-speed (later 4-speed) Chrysler auto
- Drivetrain
- RWD (front engine) · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 3946 lb
Questions
Virage FAQ
Was the Aston Martin Virage the last model of the old Newport Pagnell era?
Yes — within scope. The Virage (1989-1996) was the final all-new model developed before Ford took full control of Aston Martin in 1991, and a last hand-built ‘old Aston’ in the Newport Pagnell tradition. The DB7 (1994), designed by Ian Callum under Ford direction, marked the beginning of a new era — though some hand-built cars continued at Newport Pagnell beyond the Virage.
Who designed the Aston Martin Virage?
The Virage was designed by John Heffernan and Ken Greenley, outsiders who won a design competition organised by Aston Martin in 1984. Heffernan had come from Audi; both men later designed the Bentley Continental R. They worked with minimal resources — the Virage received just one day in a wind tunnel at the University of Southampton.
What engine does the Aston Martin Virage have?
The Virage uses the 5,340 cc (5.3-litre) V8 with newly designed 32-valve cylinder heads, producing 330 bhp with Weber-Marelli fuel injection. Torque is variously reported (Aston’s own past-model page lists 350 lb-ft; some period spec sources cite 364 lb-ft). The 32-valve head represented a major modernisation of the Tadek Marek-lineage engine that had powered Aston Martins since 1969.
What is an Aston Martin Virage worth today?
Aston Martin Virage examples (1989-1996) trade for approximately $60,000-$130,000 in 2025. The 6.3-litre conversion and manual-gearbox coupes command the highest values among Virages. As the last hand-built Newport Pagnell GT before the Ford era, the Virage is considered undervalued by many classic-Aston specialists.
Can you buy or finance an Aston Martin Virage?
Yes. The Virage trades as a hand-built classic GT and is well-served by specialist classic-car lenders.
The Aston Martin Lineup
Explore every Aston Martin
DB4 GT Zagato ’60DB5 ’63DB6 ’65DBS (1967) ’67V8 ’69
Lagonda ’76V8 Vantage (1977) ’77
V8 Zagato ’86Virage ’89
V8 Vantage (Supercharged) ’93DB7 ’94DB7 Vantage ’99
V12 Vanquish ’01DB9 ’04V8 Vantage (2005) ’05DBS (2007) ’07V12 Vantage (2009) ’09One-77 ’09
Rapide ’10Vanquish (2012) ’12V12 Zagato ’12V12 Vantage GT12 ’15DB11 ’16Vanquish Zagato ’16Vantage ’18DBS Superleggera ’18
DBX ’20Valkyrie ’21V12 Speedster ’21V12 Vantage (2022) ’22Valour ’23Vanquish (2024) ’24Valiant ’24Valhalla ’25
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