Unveiled to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Aston Martin’s most legendary high-performance road car, the DB4GT Zagato, the V12 Zagato was first shown to the public in 2011 at the Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza, where it was heralded with the competition’s Design Award for Concept Cars and Prototypes, and would enter limited production in 2012. Like the previous collaborations between Zagato and Aston Martin, the V12 Zagato instantly became the most desirable car in the Aston Martin lineup at the time, complete with an intended racing series. In the end, however, fewer were built and sold than intended due to the car’s extravagant price tag, reflecting the bilateral vision of two storied makers and the resulting style and precision of the work within. Despite selling fewer than expected, the V12 Zagato is looked back on as a truly memorable moment in the marque’s history, a stunning combination of Zagato styling with the ultimate grand tourer performance.

It is at this point where the story changes. A VIP Aston Martin collector ordered four cars to be equipped with a 4.7-litre V-8 engine mated to a semi-automatic gearbox. The result was a more focused tourer, even better equipped for long-range driving, and for the lucky collector who commissioned these, it provided the opportunity to own the rarest of the modern Zagato-bodied Aston Martins.

Having covered just 90 km from new, this car is ready to turn heads at Villa d’Este and other events worldwide. Finished in the beautifully understated British Racing Green, the elegant design and rarity of this car places it amongst the most desirable models to leave Gaydon. Amongst the most desirable 21st-century Aston Martins to become available, this is an opportunity not to be missed.