Aston Martin Lagonda

The Aston Martin Lagonda is a full-size luxury four-door saloon manufactured by British manufacturer Aston Martin between 1974 and 1990. Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Aston Martin Lagonda
1982 Aston Martin Lagonda Series 2, V8, 5340cm3, 309hp, 225kmh, pic5.JPG
Alf van Beem, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
ManufacturerAston Martin
Production1976–1990
DesignerWilliam Towns
Body and chassis
ClassFull-size luxury car (F)
Body style4-door saloon
LayoutFront-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Powertrain
Engine5.3 L (5,340 cc) V8
Dimensions
Wheelbase2,920 mm (115.0 in)
Length5,282 mm (208.0 in)
Width1,816 mm (71.5 in)
Height1,302 mm (51.3 in)
Chronology
PredecessorLagonda Rapide
SuccessorLagonda Taraf
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Aston Martin Lagonda

The Aston Martin Lagonda is a full-size luxury four-door saloon manufactured by British manufacturer Aston Martin between 1974 and 1990. A total of 645 were produced. The name was derived from the Lagonda marque that Aston Martin had purchased in 1947.

There are two distinct generations, the original, the short lived 1974 design based on a lengthened Aston Martin V8, and the entirely redesigned, wedge-shaped Series 2 model introduced in 1976.

In 2014, Aston Martin confirmed it would launch a new Lagonda model called the Taraf for the Middle-East market, sold on an invitation-only basis as a successor to this saloon.[1]

History

Aston Martin was facing financial pressure in the mid-1970s and needed something to bring in some much-needed funds. Traditionally Aston Martin had worked on 2+2 sports cars but the Lagonda was a four-door saloon. As soon as it was introduced, it attracted hundreds of deposits and boosted Aston Martin's cash reserves.[2]

After the production of seven Series 1 cars, the Lagonda was designed from the ground up in 1976 by William Towns as an extreme interpretation of the classic 1970s "folded paper" style. It was an unconventional design practice for the company. With famous contemporaries like the Lamborghini Countach, Lotus Esprit, and DMC DeLorean, the Lagonda is frequently named among the most striking wedge-shaped designs.[3][4][5] The Lagonda combined striking styling with a premium leather interior and (for the day), advanced instrumentation. Coupled to a Chrysler three-speed "TorqueFlite" automatic transmission, its four-cam carbureted V8 provided poor fuel economy, impacted little by the change to fuel injection in the Series 3.

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Throughout the history of the marque, the hand-built Lagonda was amongst the most expensive luxury saloons in the world. The only other production cars to approach its price were the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit/Silver Spur and the Bentley Mulsanne.

The Lagonda was the first production car to use a digital instrument panel.[6] The development cost for the electronics alone on the Lagonda came to four times as much as the budget for the whole car. The Series 3 used cathode ray tubes for the instrumentation, which proved even less reliable than the original model's light-emitting diode (LED) display.

It was named by Bloomberg Businessweek as one of the 50 ugliest cars of the last 50 years[7] and Time magazine included it in its "50 Worst Cars of All Time", describing it as a mechanical "catastrophe" with electronics that would be impressive if they ever worked.[8]

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The 1976 wedge-shaped styling contrasted sharply with other cars of its day. Charles01, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Aston Martin Lagonda Models

A number of iterations of the Lagonda were produced: the original Series 1 and the wedge-shaped Series 2, 3, and 4. A total of 645 cars were produced in its 12-year production run.

Series 1 (1974–1975)

This long-wheelbase, four-door version of the Aston Martin V8 was announced at the 1974 London Motor Show. Designed by William Towns and based on the DBS, it was the first car to wear the Lagonda name since the 1961 Rapide.[9] The 5.3 L V8 engine was supplied with either a 5-speed manual or automatic transmission.[10] Only seven were sold.[11]

Specifications (Series 1)

  • Engine and power output: 5.3-L 5,340 cc (326 cu in) DOHC V8, 280 hp (209 kW; 284 PS), 301 lb⋅ft (408 N⋅m) of torque
  • Top speed: 240 km/h (149 mph)
  • 0–97 km/h (0–60 mph): 6.2 seconds
  • Length: 4,928 mm (194.0 in)
  • Wheelbase: 2,910 mm (114.6 in)
  • Width: 1,829 mm (72.0 in)
  • Height: 1,323 mm (52.1 in)
  • Weight: 2,000 kg (4,409 lb)

At least two of the cars (having chassis numbers 12003[11] and 12005[12]) have been upgraded by R.S. Williams Ltd of Cobham to a 7.0-litre version of the original engine, able to generate a power output ranging from 440 to 480 hp (328 to 358 kW) [11] on unleaded fuel.

Series 2 (1976–1985)

The wedge-shaped Lagonda V8 saloon was launched in 1976 at the London Motor Show and was a total contrast to the 1974 model, sharing little but the engine.[13] Deliveries of the Lagonda did not commence until 1979. Series 2 cars were originally fitted with digital LCD dashboards and touch button controls but these features were abandoned in 1980. The Lagonda retailed at GB£49,933 in 1980, significantly more than a Ferrari 400 or Maserati Kyalami but less than a Rolls-Royce Corniche.[14] The car commenced sales in the US from 1982 with minor regulatory amendments to the front bumper and airdam.[15]

Specification (Series 2)

  • Engine and power output: 5.3 L 5,340 cc (326 cu in) DOHC V8, 280 hp (209 kW; 284 PS) at 5,000 rpm, 302 lb⋅ft (409 N⋅m) of torque at 3,000 rpm
  • Top speed: 230 km/h (143 mph)
  • 0–97 km/h (0–60 mph): 8.8 seconds[16]
  • Length: 5,281 mm (207.9 in)
  • Wheelbase: 2,916 mm (114.8 in)
  • Width: 1,791 mm (70.5 in)
  • Height: 1,302 mm (51.3 in)
  • Weight: 2,023 kg (4,460 lb)
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The Series 2 model has pop-up headlights and a design in-line with folded paper wedged shaped trend of the 1970s. Vetatur Fumare, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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The interior of the Series 2 had a futuristic dashboard and controls. dave_7, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Series 3 (1986–1987)

The Series 3 was produced for only one year with 75 units manufactured. All had fuel injected engines. Cathode ray tube instrumentation was later changed to a vacuum fluorescent display system and shared exterior styling with the Series 2.

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1986 Aston Martin Lagonda Series 3. Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Series 4 (1987–1990)

The Series 4 was launched at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1987, having been extensively restyled by the car's original designer William Towns. Sharp edges were rounded off and the pop-up headlights were replaced with three headlights on each side of the grille. The side swage line (or character line) was removed and 16-inch wheels were introduced. With production of around one car per week, 105 cars were manufactured through January 1990.[17]

As of 2011, 81 remain registered in the United Kingdom--but 32 are SORN (unregistered for routine road use).[18]

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The 1987 Series 4 had more rounded, but also more slab-sided styling. User Jagvar on en.wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Special variants

  • Tickford Lagonda (1983) – Five Series 2 Lagondas were sold with a bodykit and upgraded interiors.[19]
  • Tickford limousine (1984) – Four long-wheelbase Lagondas were made, at a cost of GB£110,000 each. On these cars, the rear door window glass was split vertically in half.
  • Rapide (a two-door, short-wheelbase version) – one made with the front triple headlight design of the Series 4.[clarification needed]
  • Shooting-brake (Estate) by Swiss company Roos Engineering – one made in 1998 using a 1987 model[20][21][22]
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1998 Roos Engineering's Shooting-brake Lagonda. Simplexvir, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Comments

Aston Martin Lagonda road car timeline, 1948–present.

Type 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
89012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901
OwnerDavid BrownWilliam WilsonMinden & SpragueVictor Gauntlett et al.FordIndependent consortium
City CarCygnet
Luxury CarRapide
2.6 ltr3 ltrRapideLagondaTaraf
Grand TourerDB4DB5 & VolanteDBS & VantageV8 VantageV8 VantageVantageVantage
DB1DB2DB2/4 & MKIIIDB6DB7DB9 & V12 VirageDB11
DBS V8 & AM V8V8 VirageV8VanquishDBS V12VanquishDBS Superleggera
Limited ProductionOne-77VulcanVictor
DB4 ZagatoV8 ZagatoDB7 ZagatoDB AR1V12 ZagatoDBS/DB9/Virage ZagatoVanquish ZagatoDBS GT ZagatoValkyrie
Valhalla
Sports prototypeV12 Speedster
SUVDBX
Concept Car
Colour code

  Aston Martin badge   Lagonda badge

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