MY FEEDLY

The Rare Aston Martin V8 Volante Zagato – Just 37 Were Ever Made

The Aston Martin V8 Volante Zagato was the droptop version of the famous Aston Martin V8 Zagato, a coupe that had been introduced as an artist rendition drawing at the 1986 Geneva Motor Show but had sold out nonetheless.

The most famous V8 Zagato customer was almost certainly actor and comedian Rowan Atkinson, who bought one in 1998 and had it converted to racing specification. He competed extensively in this car before an unfortunate on-track accident, after which time he had the car restored and retired it from racing to preserve it.

The reason for the success of the tintop V8 Zagato was almost certainly down to three key factors – it was launched into the middle of the 1980s supercar boom, it featured styling that’s still winning it accolades today, and it was the follow on model for the much-loved Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato.

The Aston Martin V8 Volante Zagato

A year after the introduction of the V8 Zagato, Aston Martin introduced the Aston Martin V8 Volante Zagato, essentially the model’s convertible version. There was some grumbling from the buyers of the V8 Zagato as they had been promised exclusivity and just 52 cars had been sold.

Above Image: The flip-up headlight shields were a notable change from the earlier V8 Zagato.

Aston Martin placated these concerns to some degree by offering the V8 Volante Zagato with the 320 bhp fuel-injected V585 V8 engine that was less powerful than the 430 bhp V8 used in the hardtop. That said, 320 bhp is nothing to sniff at, and the droptop was capable of 160 mph and it had a 0 to 60 mph time of 6.0 seconds, these were heady figures back in the 1980s for a luxurious convertible.

The body of each Aston Martin V8 Volante Zagato was built in Italy using Aston Martin underpinnings. The original wheelbase was reduced by 17cm and an entirely new outer body was made in aluminum alloy. The car is powered by a 5,340cc alloy V8 with double chain driven overhead camshafts per bank, two valves per cylinder, and a Weber Marelli fuel injection system.

When ordering customers could choose from a slew of options including either a ZF five-speed manual or a Torqueflite three-speed automatic transmission, and power was sent to the rear wheels via a limited-slip differential.

Just 37 examples of the Aston Martin V8 Volante Zagato were built and it was clear from the outset that they were going to be highly collectible – people had seen what had already happened with the rare Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato.

Above Image: Power is provided by an Aston Martin V585 V8 engine producing 320 bhp.

Many Volante Zagatos found their way into private collections and some were sent to the Aston Martin factory to have various additional work completed to further increase performance.

The 1989 Aston Martin V8 Volante Zagato Shown Here

The car you see here is a 1989 Aston Martin V8 Volante Zagato, it’s almost certainly one of the lowest mileage examples extant, with just 341 miles on the odometer since it left the factory.

The car was carefully preserved in private collections for years until 2012 when it was sent back to the factory for a £240,000 restoration at Aston Martin Works. The restoration was comprehensive but rather than restore it back to exact original specifications the owner chose to have the car rebuilt in a similar manner to the “special request” Aston Martins of the 1990s.

It received a complete color change, a conversion from right-hand drive to left-hand drive, upgraded suspension and braking systems, and a new transmission was built by Aston Martin for the car, giving it six-speeds instead of the original three.

If you’d like to read more about this car or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing on Collecting Cars, at the time of writing there are two days left to bid.

Images courtesy of Collecting Cars

The post The Rare Aston Martin V8 Volante Zagato – Just 37 Were Ever Made appeared first on Silodrome.

from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/aston-martin-v8-volante-zagato/
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1961 Mercedes-Benz O321H Camper Bus – Vintage Vanlife Royalty

This is a surprisingly well-preserved 1961 Mercedes-Benz O321H bus that was previously owned by the Swiss hockey team EHC Biel in the 1960s and 1970s.

The bus proved to be a good luck charm for EHC Biel who had started out as a second-tier National League hockey team, within a few years they were promoted to first-tier status and not long after this they went on to win three National League championships.

The bus was later sold into private ownership, and it was then converted into an RV capable of comfortably carrying a family on extended trips. This camper configuration includes two beds, two couches, a kitchenette with a sink, a stove, refrigerator, closets, a sunroof, seating for six people and a small bathroom with a sink and a porta-potty.

Ideally for use in Switzerland the bus came from the factory with expansive Alpine windows in the roof, perfect for gazing up at mountain peaks.

The Mercedes-Benz O321H Bus

When it was first released in 1954 the Mercedes-Benz O321H Bus represented a major shift in design for busses, particularly when compared to trucks.

Rather than using traditional body-on-chassis construction like trucks, the O321H Bus used a semi-monocoque design that both increased body rigidity and reduced weight.

Above Image: The bus has an adjustable driver’s seat, a driver’s door, and visibility is excellent due the large windows.

The design proved remarkably popular and over 30,000 examples were built during the 1954 to 1970 production run. Another perk of the semi-monocoque design was that it allowed far more room for luggage under the floor, making the busses perfect for cross-country or even cross-continent journeys.

The most common engine was the 5.1 litre diesel Mercedes-Benz 6-cylinder OHV unit, this naturally-aspirated engine proved incredibly reliable and it produced 110 bhp and 220 lb ft of torque.

Power was sent to the rear wheels via a fully-synchronized 5-speed transmission, and depending on final gearing the bus could achieve fuel consumption figures of between 15.2 and 16 litres per 100 kilometers.

The Mercedes-Benz O321H Camper Bus Shown Here

The unusual camper conversion that’s been applied to this Mercedes-Benz O321H makes it perfect for use either for road trip holidays or as a full-time home for someone who likes the vanlife ethos but needs a little more personal space.

The bus was bought from Switzerland to the United States approximately eight years ago, upon arrival it was given a fresh servicing by Mercedes-Benz specialist Ed Owen’s European Auto Solutions in order to ensure it was ready for whatever journeys the new owner wished to undertake.

Above Image: Inside the bus there’s seating for seven including the driver, and there is a double bed as well as two singles that can convert into a double bed.

After this it was displayed at the German Car Day at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum where it proved a surprise favorite, gathering crowds of curious onlookers and winning the coveted People’s Choice award.

The bus is now for sale via Fox Motorsports based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In recent years its received some additional servicing including an oil/filter change, new diesel primer pump, fuel filter, six new tires, two new batteries, and a new ignition switch.

The bus also benefits from a recent full brake inspection including the reconditioning of the rear brake shoes, differential fluid change, brake fluid change, and front brake adjustment.

The current asking price is $94,900 USD, if you’d like to read more about it you can click here to visit the listing.

Images courtesy of Fox Motorsports

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from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/mercedes-benz-o321h-bus/
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Limited100 Automotive Prints – 100% Made In Britain

Limited100 was founded in 2020 by Simon Wright with a single purpose in mind, to create an entirely unique series of automotive prints that are 100% made in Britain – from the initial photography through to post-production, printing, packaging, and shipping.

Simon started the company after trying and failing to find automotive wall prints he wanted on his own walls, so he set to work finding photographers and printing companies who are based in Britain.

Each series of prints is limited to 100 units – hence the company’s name. Each is individually numbered and signed by hand, and the production of each print typically begins the day it is ordered.

When ordering you can choose between A1, A2, and A3 sizing. Unusually you can also choose to have your print on fine art paper, canvas, or on aluminum composite. Pricing starts at £119 and climbs from there to £189 and £269 for the larger sizes.

Above Image: Each print is limited to 100 units and they can be ordered in three sizes on a choice of fine art paper, canvas, or aluminum composite.

Limited100 uses only environmentally friendly water-based paints, and they explain that they finely tune the printing equipment to get the best most vibrant and accurate colour depiction.

Prints can be ordered already framed to save time, with either a natural wood frame, or your choice of either a black or white wood frame.

At the time of writing Limited100 has created collections with four highly-regarded automotive photographers including Paul Ward, Rick Noël, João Meneses, and Niall Julian with each collection including between eight and 30+ unique prints.

We’ve included a small collection of prints currently being offered by Limited100 here in this article, however there are dozens more on their website available for order.

The store page for each print includes a bio on the photographer as well as a detailed specification sheet for the car that was photographed.

Visit The Store

Images courtesy of Limited100. Photography by Paul Ward, Rick Noël, João Meneses, and Niall Julian.

The post Limited100 Automotive Prints – 100% Made In Britain appeared first on Silodrome.

from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/limited100-automotive-prints/
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The Brütsch Rollera Microcar – A Rare Little Speed Demon Allegedly Capable Of 105 KM/H

Believe it or not, the Brütsch Rollera microcar was the large choice in its model family, it was based on the smaller Brütsch Mopetta. Both shared similar styling but the Rollera offered notably more space, and it had a more powerful motor.

Brütsch was a German car designer and automaker based in Stuttgart, the company had been founded by Egon Brütsch to design and build microcars, which in the post-WW2 period were exceedingly popular across Europe.

Perhaps the main reason for the popularity of microcars was the fact that they were cheap to build, cheap to buy, cheap to maintain, and miserly on gasoline. Europe was in a period of stringent austerity, but people still needed transportation.

The most famous microcar is probably the Iso Isetta, also produced under license by a number of other manufacturers including BMW. It would be this practice of having other people license his designs that would most appeal to Egon Brütsch. Although his company was an automaker he always seemed largely focused on the engineering and design of the cars, which he then hoped to license to other manufacturers for the more dreary job of actually mass-producing and selling them.

Above Image: This Rollera is fitted with an Isard 124cc two-stroke single-cylinder engine producing 6 hp.

The Brütsch Mopetta and the Brütsch Rollera

The Brütsch Rollera and Brütsch Mopetta both first appeared in 1956, the Mopetta was the “moped” version as it was fitted with a single-cylinder 49cc moped engine mated to a three-speed gearbox.

The Rollera was fitted with a larger 98cc Fichtel & Sachs engine with a similar three-speed gearbox, the body of the Rollera was slightly larger and there was more room internally.

The top speed of the Brütsch Rollera is said to be 105 km/h (65 mph) making it a bit of a speed demon in comparison to other microcars of the era – although it would be somewhat of an invigorating experience to travel at that sort of speed in such a small vehicle.

The Rollera was fitted with a perspex windscreen and a simple folding top to keep the rain off, however there were no side windows. The two models were offered until 1958 and although they were both licensed it’s believed that only the Rollera was actually built and sold, and even then it was in very low numbers.

Above Image: The cockpit of the Rollera was cozy and relatively simple. Steering was accomplished with handlebars and there was just a single gauge – a speedometer.

It’s typically very difficult to find Rolleras or Mopettas nowadays, so much so that a number of replica Mopettas have been built over the years. When they do come up for sale they typically attract plenty of attention and prices you may not expect, with some fetching over $60,000 USD.

The Brütsch Rollera Shown Here

The car you see here is a Brütsch Rollera from 1958, it was found in parts by its current owner who restored it carefully back to original specification – a demanding task given the extreme scarcity of spare parts.

This is one of the Rolleras that was built under license in France, so it’s fitted with a larger Isard 124cc two-stroke single-cylinder engine producing 6 hp. During the restoration no stone was left unturned, the chassis was restored, followed by the fiberglass body, and the engine was inspected and reassembled.

The vehicle is now likely one of the nicest Rolleras extant and it’s due to roll across the auction block with Artcurial on the 5th of February.

The price estimate is €30,000 to €50,000 and you can click here if you’d like to read more about it or register to bid.