10.01.2024

A New Life for a 1986 Aston Martin V8 EFI



Having sold these cars new, the 1970s and ’80s V8 Saloon has a special place in Nick’s heart. In a good year, the factory might have found buyers for 250 – a tiny figure today, but it was an incredibly expensive, handbuilt gentleman’s express.

As fine-driving, usable classic Aston Martins they make a lot of sense and we have sold many of them over the years. The later cars are over 35 years old now, so even though the model rarely needs a body-off, engine-out total restoration, some can do with a degree of recommissioning or what we prefer to call ‘refurbishment’ to freshen them up for the future.


1968 Aston Martin V8 EFI Case Study
V8 EFI Royal Cherry
Royal Cherry V8 Refurbishment Case Study interior of car

Refurbishment Case Study on a V8 EFI


One is the subject of this video, an automatic 1986 V8 Efi Saloon – the first one built.

On inspection by the team led by Peter Rugman, Workshop Supervisor at NM&Co, it was found to be a good car, in basically good mechanical condition but let down by poor bodywork.

Peter explains on camera how the workshop team went about to correct this and what was needed to bring this lovely Royal Cherry V8 Efi, up to scratch. After a glass-out respray and all undersides stripped and repainted in period-correct black underbody guard, it looks fantastic. The original BBS wheels were sent away to a specialist for refinishing, and, with a new set of Avon tyres, the car was finished.

The V8 Saloon was a classic ’poster car’ from the 1980s. It’s still a beautiful one today and, by repainting and refurbishing this one, the first-ever Efi now has a new life 37 years after it was first delivered. Now that’s what we call sustainability.

1986 Aston Martin V8 EFI
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