Aston Martin and Zagato are two distinct and very respected entities but when they join forces, they produce some of the most luxurious and best performing cars the world has ever seen. Both names are synonymous with quality but when they produce an Aston Martin Zagato, the end product is a range of amazing vehicles.

The history of Aston Martin is widely documented and the company itself was formed way back in 1913. Initially, they were a servicing company that also sold cars produced by Singer but they really made their mark when they began to manufacture their own vehicles in 1915.

Since then, the company has grown to the point where Aston Martin has become a globally recognised brand that is associated with producing supreme quality, luxury and executive sports cars.

Meanwhile, Zagato was formed in Milan, Italy in 1919 as a design and engineering company and it began to provide bespoke coachbuilding services, beginning with their styling of a Fiat 501 in 1922. From this point, they continued to work closely with Italian car producers and some of their most notable work between the two World Wars came with Lancia and Alfa Romeo.

The very first Aston Martin Zagato saw life in 1960 when the two companies worked together to produce a bespoke version of the DB4 GT. The vehicle was subsequently manufactured until 1963 and all the modifications that had made Zagato famous were an instant hit with the British buying public.

The key to the success of Zagato variants came in engine modifications that increased the performance alongside some aerodynamic touches with regards to the frame and bodywork. As far as the DB4 was concerned, steel components were replaced with much lighter aluminium while the bumpers were integrated and all other, non-essential items were removed from the car.

Naturally, the end product was a car with more speed and a better all-round performance and it seemed that Aston Martin and Zagato were a perfect match.

Zagato's streamlining was an ideal fit but it was to be another 26 years before the two parties worked together again. Arguably however, the Aston Martin V8 Zagato was their most memorable creation.

Based on the V8 – Aston Martin's grand tourer, the Zagato version was released in 1986 and it was to become a very exclusive model. Just 89 were made in total making it one of the most sought after classics in the market today.

The notion of a grand tourer getting the Zagato streamlining treatment is an interesting one but the concept really worked and it produced a stunning car with head turning looks and an impressive performance.

In the 2000's Aston Martin has worked with Zagato on three further models – the V12, the DB7 and the DB AR1. This isn't an exclusive arrangement in the way that Alpina work with BMW – Zagato have produced versions of Toyota's, Bentleys and more Fiats and Lancias in recent years - but for many car enthusiasts both in Italy and in the UK, the names of Aston Martin and Zagato were really made for each other.