1979 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Series II
- Engine
- 5.3L DOHC alloy V8, four Weber downdraft carburetors, 425 bhp
A 1979 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Series II ('Oscar India') in first-generation specification, one of approximately 172 genuine 425 bhp examples produced between 1978 and 1985, and among the first dozen built that year. Originally delivered to a private owner in England, the car subsequently passed through notable French custodians before reaching Switzerland, accumulating a well-documented ownership history across four decades. A comprehensive restoration by Steel Wings of Pennsylvania brought the car to concours-quality condition, including bare-metal repaint, chassis renovation, engine resealing, and interior reupholstery.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$308,000
- 1979 → 1987Factory deliveryDoctor in Halesowen, Englandpartial documentation
Original recipient of the car when new, based in Halesowen, England.
- 1987 →Private saleViscount de Farcypartial documentation
French owner who had the car professionally converted from right-hand to left-hand drive by a well-regarded Aston Martin specialist in France.
- → 1998Private saleCount Audion de Dampierrepartial documentation
Prominent Champagne producer and former head of the French Aston Martin Owners Club; drove the car approximately 30,000 miles during his ownership.
- 1998 → 2001Private saleFrench custodianpartial documentation
Identity not specified; fourth owner in the French ownership sequence.
- 2001 →Private saleSwiss Aston Martin enthusiastpartial documentation
Added roughly 12,000 km over approximately twelve years of ownership; commissioned comprehensive restoration work including bare-metal repaint, chassis renovation, and interior reupholstery through Steel Wings of Pennsylvania.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2015RestorationSteel Wings
Comprehensive chassis overhaul, full bare-metal repaint to concours standard, complete mechanical servicing including upgraded suspension components, revised shock absorbers, anti-roll bar, and updated Ronal-type factory wheels. All brightwork reconditioned.
Work performed in Pennsylvania in spring 2015.
- 2015Engine rebuildSteel Wings
Engine resealed and fitted with a replacement water pump, new oil lines, and oil coolers; engine bay fully detailed.
Completed in spring 2015 as part of the broader restoration programme.
- —Modification
Conversion from right-hand drive to left-hand drive configuration, carried out by a well-known Aston Martin specialist in France.
Undertaken during or shortly after Viscount de Farcy's acquisition in 1987.
- —BodyworkSteel Wings
Interior reupholstered in red leather, including a factory-option leather headliner and correct trunk liner, all finished to as-new condition.
Described as carried out more recently than the 2015 mechanical work, suggesting a later date though still undetermined.
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