One-off Aston Martin Cygnet V8 now for sale
There are very special, custom-made Aston Martins - and then there is the V8-powered Cygnet
It’s not often the opportunity comes along to drive a one-off car. After all, if you’d commissioned a unique, very expensive build - and pored your heart into it - journalists are the last people you’d let near it. For one thing, they’d only delay you getting behind the wheel and enjoying a true dream machine. But sometimes caution is thrown to the wind and said individuals like to share their vision with the world. It’s incredibly special when that happens, seldom more so than with the Aston Martin Cygnet V8.
It was summer of 2018 that the lucky few got to drive probably the maddest Aston Martin since the Bulldog. Into three metres of Cygnet was crammed 4.7 litres of Vantage V8, necessitating the fitment of Vantage subframes and moving the dash back a foot for all that engine to fit. Plus plenty else besides: Q division spent almost a year playing Dr Frankenstein to make the unlikely union of Cygnet and Vantage happen. They do more than just elaborate contrast stitching at Q, y’know.
Never has such a small car been so intimidating. I vividly remember that day almost seven years ago, presented with a literal one-off - an exact cost was never disclosed - that seemed genuinely as wide as it was long thanks to the arch extensions required to house the Vantage bits. It had the dimensions of a dodgem, and the power of a bona fide sports car: double the cylinders, more than triple the capacity, well over four times the power of standard.
Truth be told, the drive didn’t do an enormous amount to allay the fear, but something would have gone amiss if a car this small and this powerful wasn’t a bit scary. Understandably as it was built just for them, the driving position was fixed to where they were comfy, and we were not the same size at all. Squashed into the seat (having clattered into the roll cage on the way in) only seemed to exacerbate the heat soak. Not so much a V8-engined, complete Cygnet, the little Aston felt like a thunderous V8 that just so happened to have some bodywork draped over. The interior was the part of the engine bay you sat in. Hot, raw, loud, fast and unrelentingly full-on, the Cygnet was unhinged. With no driver aids, at the owner’s request. No Aston before or since has been quite so memorable.
Which is exactly the point, right? Having gone to the effort and expense of a one-off, the last thing you’d want is a familiar driving experience. The Cygnet was a wild ride, with its short wheelbase, wide track and firm suspension, but every single mile was unforgettable. It was a car you’d tell people about for weeks after, hopefully just as the owner did.
Now, though, they’ve decided to sell up. That’s right, the only V8-engined Aston Martin Cygnet that there ever has been - and almost certainly ever will be - is now available for sale on PH. It’s being offered by marque specialists Nicholas Mee, having covered just 2,893 miles since 2018. Indeed it’s only done 100 since 2021; perhaps it really was just too berserk to use on a regular basis. Or, probably more likely, there were even more fun things to do if you’re the kind of person who can commission one-off Astons. Either way, it needs a new owner, and interested parties are invited to enquire. While certainly the most valuable Cygnet ever, chances to buy genuine one-offs built by Aston Martin are exceptionally rare - so some might say any price is good value…
It is one thing squeezing an engine into a tight space and re-altering the interior ( and these are very difficult as is ) but then having the time and money to deal with all the secondary issues like trying to set the car up properly, deal with heat soak, rough bits to trim which don't quite fit etc etc are usually beyond the budget and you end up with something which, after the initial buzz and excitement, becomes a bit of a pain as it is so unresolved.
Hence I am not too surprised it hasn't really been driven in 4 years.
Sorry to put a bit of a downer on it but this is just reality.
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