Classic Classified: 1980 Aston Martin V8 Volante
From: Hemmings Motor News
Date: March 1989
Price then: $68,000 ($130,200 adjusted for inflation, about the cost of a new 2016 Aston Martin Vantage today)
Price now: $105,000 – $215,000
Approximate dollar difference: $85,000 (assuming No. 1 condition)
Annual rate of return:1.8%
1980 Aston Martin Volante. Silver blue metallic with dark blue top, light gray leather with blue piping, manual transmission, 28,000 miles, $68,000.
The AM V8 series was the first flagship car for Aston Martin after the David Brown era, and its robust 5.3-liter V-8 gave Aston Martin the grunt it really needed to be a serious contender in the Grand Touring market. While the V8 is overshadowed by its older brothers like the DB5, the market has been picking up noticeably in recent years. While a return on investment has been modest since 1989, it can’t be all that bad once you reach the open road and put the top down. Many of these Volantes were also equipped with automatics, so this car’s ZF-sourced five-speed also makes it a standout.
