2000 Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans

In March of 1999, Aston Martin announced a limited-edition Vantage – THE VANTAGE LE MANS to celebrate the factory's famous victory at the Le Mans 24-Hour Race in 1959 when Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby took the chequered flag in a DB1/2- car #5. To celebrate that just 40 cars would be made.

The very last of its kind, at the time, the AM V8 Vantage Le Mans was the fastest production car Aston had ever created.

Featuring a re-engineered 5.3 litre Twin-Supercharged V8 producing 550hp OR an optional extra £43,000 Aston Works Factory V600 enhancement package raising power to a whopping 600hp, in its 1999 test Autocar magazine clocked the Vantage Le Mans 0-100km/h sprint in what they called “a Ferrari 512 TR-destroying 3.9 seconds”.

The Le Mans also featured an optional short shift, close ratio 5 speed manual or standard 6 speed, unique five-spoke magnesium alloy wheels, extensive chassis, suspension and braking upgrades in the form of a 'Driving Dynamics' package required to cope with the massive increase in performance, bespoke hand beaten “wide-body” panels and twin nostril front grille, competition-style pedals, an oversized tachometer, aluminium gear shifter, “Push Button” starter and brushed aluminium interior paneling instead of traditional timber veneer, as well as Wilton carpeting with embossed winged ‘Aston Martin' emblems.

The car offered here was by invitation only to a select few and is the ONLY Australian delivered limited edition AM Vantage Le Mans. Ordered in stunning paint to sample Titanium Metallic over Claret Red Leather this rare car was optioned with the factory's monstrous V600 package installed together with the desirable five-speed close-ratio transmission, SuperSports exhaust, traction control and Premium Audio hi-fi system.

Particularly special, this car is Production Number “5”, the very same car number that famously won Le Mans in 1959. It’s also believed to be the very last Vantage Le Mans produced.

Fastidiously maintained by Aston Martin since delivery and boasting single ownership from new, this internationally collectable car has travelled just 6,600 original kilometres and presents as if brand new.

As commemorative models go, we don’t think they come much more universally collectable than this. Not just the swan song of the Marek engine and the Virage chassis, or the end of the “hand-made” era from Aston but the three dimensional representation of the marques racing success in ending Ferrari’s endurance racing domination.