The Aston Martin Virage arrived in the final years of the 1980s and at the time was actually a very forward-thinking car for this manufacturer.

This is because it arrived almost 20 years after the introduction of the Aston Martin V8, the vehicle which it was intended to replace.

Making its first appearance at the 1988 Birmingham Motor Show and going on sale a year later, the Virage featured a V8 engine and borrowed several elements from the Aston Martin Lagonda, most of which were of course heavily reworked in order to operate smoothly as a fresh platform.

While Aston Martin is usually thought of as a prestige, money-no-object manufacturer, it did take some steps to reduce the costs associated with building the Virage. This is evidenced by its use of taillights from the Audio 200 and VW Scirocco models of the time.

On the inside a number of the dashboard elements and even the air con controls were pulled from various other manufacturers, with Ford components playing a major part because this firm had recently taken ownership of Aston Martin.

Upon its launch it was Aston Martin's fastest model, with 330hp at its disposal and a top speed of 158 miles per hour.

A three speed automatic gearbox was the most common option in the Virage, although a little over 50 examples were equipped with a manual alternative, making this the rarest type.

Three years into its lifespan the Virage was made available with a 6.3 litre engine which had 500bhp and a top speed of 175mph. It even offered to convert existing owners' vehicles into this faster model if they wished.

In 1990 the Virage was used as the basis for the Volante model, which was a convertible iteration with four seats, produced in relatively small numbers.

The Virage would only retain its name until 1996, at which point it was designated as the Aston Martin V8. However, the car would remain unchanged in its basic form until production ended in 2000, by which time its performance crown had been taken by the DB7 and its position as a classic had been sealed.