DB7 i6 Volante prototype
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DB7 i6 Volante prototype

DB7 i6 Volante prototype

(1994 - 1995)

Prototype DB7 Volantes (Fully Engineered Vehicles or FEV’s) were running around on British public roads undisguised from the latter half of 1994. Indeed, the Autocar magazine, 7th December 1994 showed a very clear picture of a Volante more than a year before the car was officially unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show in January 1996. Even the French company, Provence Moulage were selling a model kit of the Volante from March 1995, a full 9 months before the official unveiling.

DB7 i6 Volante prototype

The Aston Martin register believes that 6 complete Fully Engineered Vehicles (FEV) Volantes were built, but for some reason, not all were destroyed and they were retained within Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) for internal use.  TWR of course were responsible for engineering both the coupe and Volante versions of the DB7 i6.

The images on this page show the final prototype Volante, FEV06 and were provided by the owner. The car, originally owned by TWR was sold off in 2001, perhaps in an attempt to raise cash, before TWR eventually went bankrupt in 2002. It is of course highly unusual for a prototype car to have survived and enter private ownership as they are almost always destroyed after they have fulfilled their useful lives. Also I have it on good authority that the other earlier Volante FEV’s were sold off by TWR and these are easily distinguished by their pre-air bagged steering wheels and ‘tombstone’ seat backs; as yet these have not been tracked down.

The car featured here is now in a wonderful collection of unusual Aston Martins in the Netherlands that I hope to visit sometime soon.