Over the years, there have been a few examples of an Aston Martin Station Wagon, usually three-door; however, from 1993, there were seven five-door vehicles built based on the Aston Martin Virage.
At that time, Aston Martin was in a difficult position. The Virage, a luxurious grand tourer, was technically outdated, and many owners found it too large and too heavy compared to other sports cars of the time. Probably because the development of the Virage began in 1986, relying upon the shortened chassis of the Lagonda Series II to save costs.
To combat the new emission regulations and improve performance. A new four-valve cylinder head was developed for the classic V8 engine collaborating with Callaway Cars in the USA.
Victor Gauntlett, who was in charge of Aston, sanctioned the name Virage. In French, Virage means curve. The car was first introduced to the unsuspecting public at the Birmingham Motor Show in 1988, with the first customer cars eventually arriving in 1990. Initially, sales of the Virage were good; by 1992, the Virage story was ‘all over bar the shouting.’
The Aston Martin Service Department, now known as the Classic Aston Martin Works,
converted 21 Virage Coupés. Five three-door Shooting Brakes, nine four-door cars and seven five-door station wagons called Les Vacances (French for vacation). Initially, there should have been only one unique specimen of the Vacances for the German car collector Dr Roland Müller. However, Prince Jeffry, the brother of the Sultan of Brunei, saw this car during a visit to the factory and ordered six of them.
The Virage Station Wagon had the purity of the lines thoroughly conserved, and the final result was every bit as striking and harmonious as the production Virage.