Aston Martin Lagonda

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.

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. 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, measured between 12.4–12.5 mpg in contemporary road tests, affected little by the change to fuel injection in the Series 3.

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. 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 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.

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. The 5.3 L V8 engine was supplied with either a 5-speed manual or automatic transmission. Only seven were sold.

Specifications (Series 1)

• Engine and power output: 5.3-L 5340 cc DOHC V8, 320 hp, 350 lbft of torque (estimated)
• Top speed: 149 mi/h
• 0–97 km/h (0–60 mph): 6.2 seconds
• Length: 4928 mm
• Wheelbase: 2910 mm
• Width: 1829 mm
• Height: 1323 mm
• Weight: 2000 kg

At least two of the cars (having chassis numbers 12003 and 12005) 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 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. 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 £49,933 in 1980, significantly more than a Ferrari 400 or Maserati Kyalami but less than a Rolls-Royce Corniche. The car commenced sales in the US from 1982 with minor regulatory amendments to the front bumper and airdam.

Specification (Series 2)

• Engine and power output: 5.3 L 5340 cc DOHC V8, 280 hp at 5,000 rpm, 360 lbft of torque at 3,000 rpm
• Top speed: 148 mi/h
• 0–97 km/h (0–60 mph): 7.9 seconds (Official time)
• 0–97 km/h (0–60 mph): 8.9 seconds (Road & Track 1982 test)
• 0–161 km/h (0–100 mph): 24.8 seconds (Road & Track 1982 test)
• Length: 5281 mm
• Wheelbase: 2916 mm
• Width: 1791 mm
• Height: 1302 mm
• Weight: 2023 kg

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.

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. 72 of the Series 4 cars were built with left-hand drive.

Special variants

Aftermarket variations of the Lagonda included:

• Tickford Lagonda (1983) – Five Series 2 Lagondas were sold with a bodykit and upgraded interiors.
• Tickford limousine (1984) – Four long-wheelbase Lagondas were made, at a cost of £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.
• Shooting-brake (Estate) by Swiss company Roos Engineering – one made in 1998 using a 1987 model.
• Lagonda Vantage – a 1985 Lagonda with Vantage engine for an Indian Londoner.

References

References

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5. [https://www.raccars.co.uk/news/the-thin-end-of-the-wedge The Thin End of the Wedge – RAC Cars]
6. [https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/g6441/15-radical-wedge-shaped-cars/ 20 Radical Wedge-Shaped Cars – Best Wedge Shaped Vehicles – Road and Track]
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