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Following orders for
every on of the 99 cars, production of the Zagato began in the middle mid 2003.
The new car was based on a shortened
DB7 Vantage Volante platform (60mm shorter wheelbase, 24mm from the front overhang and 127mm
from the rear), the lightweight car (1740kg, 60kg lighter than standard
car), was estimated to be capable of around 190
mph and able to reach 60 mph in comfortably under 5 seconds. The engine is a modified
version of the familiar 6.0 litre V12 with a new exhaust system to produce an output
of around 435 bhp. The modified DB7 Vantage Volante chassis was built in the UK, then
shipped out to Milan for Zagato to hand fit the body panels, mostly of
aluminium. So, thankfully, even in 2003, Aston Martin were still offering a 'coachbuilt' car in the best
traditions of Newport Pagnell. With
the reduction in length, the rear seats were deleted and the boot was
rather small too - the Zagato is strictly a two seater. |
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Distinguishing features on the
Zagato car include a new deeper variation on the
classic AM grille design; the rear also mimicking the grille shape and a wonderfully
shaped rear screen which my daughter christened 'the sunglasses'.
Whilst both the headlights and front lights are straight from the standard car, the
rear lights are pure Italian. Of course, the trademark Zagato 'double bubble'
roof is a strong feature. The boot panel is an unusual drop down type. |
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These very rare photographs were taken at the new AM Gaydon
facility during the 2003 AMOC open day. Although the DB7 Zagato was supposed
to be being
built at the nearby Bloxham factory, these completed bodyshells were
photographed both in the new class leading paint shop and in the storage
facility prior to being taken to Bloxham for assembly. |
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Zagato in the centre was taken in the showrooms of Aston Martin Sales of
Mayfair in March 2004. The second car, chassis 007! (shown both left and
right) was pictured at the workshops of R S Williams in Cobham on the same
day. |
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Another solution to the number plate problem is to have a short
registration number with as few digits as possible. Above left is
chassis 81, a right hand driver example in Mercury Grey and on the
right, chassis 58, another right hand drive car in Ferrari Grigio
Titanium, photographed on a very wet day in May 2004 at Newport Pagnell. |
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This was something of a mystery car, the only DB7
Zagato road tested for a magazine - featured in the October 2003 issue of
Top Gear magazine.
The chassis number hides a secret - it's number 100
from a production run of 99. Although it has the highest
chassis number, my sources tell me that it was a pre-production
prototype built at the start of
production and one for AM keep as part
of the factory collection. Occasionally it may be seen, displayed at the Gaydon factory, BMHT museum also at Gaydon
or the with the AMHT collection at the Barn.. |
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