Aston Martin Vantage
Two superchargers, 550 bhp and nearly two tonnes of Newport Pagnell muscle.
The story
Aston bolted two superchargers to the Virage's V8 and created the most powerful production car in the world at the time. Almost every body panel was changed, and the brakes were the biggest yet fitted to a road car.
Inside
As plush as a Bentley, with a supercharger whine instead of silence when you press on.
In period colours
Tap a colour to respray the drawing.
It was the last Aston Martin built entirely by the old hand methods.
Meanwhile, in 1993
Jurassic Park filled cinemas, and the Grand National was declared void after a false start.
Best-selling single of 1993: I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That) by Meat Loaf
Before you buy a 1990s car
- On petrol engines, check the cooling system and any sign of head gasket trouble.
- Ask when the timing belt was last changed, where fitted.
- Parts for mass-market cars are widely available; specialist and low-volume models can be hard to find.
General notes, not specific to this model. Check the model's own history before buying.
Rivals of its day
Picked automatically: cars on sale at the same time with similar size, speed and price.
See the real thing
These open in a new tab: the car on Wikimedia Commons, the interior and the badge as Google image searches.
Today's money: the launch price adjusted for inflation to 2026, using the Office for National Statistics price index.