Tuesday 16th October 2018

Aston Martin Lagonda: Spotted

With an all-new Lagonda on the horizon, the now iconic '80s model looks even more appealing

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Although the dust has long since settled following the reveal of the Lagonda Vision Concept in March, you know Aston Martin's designers and engineers have continued working at full pace on bringing the model to production. The relaunch of the Lagonda brand, which Aston previously described as a 'sleeping giant', really emphasises the confidence built up behind the walls of its Gaydon HQ. Lagonda has always stood for the utmost luxury, and in today's case, it's being billed as the brand to take the Aston family to new, previously unchartered heights. As the 2018 concept showed, Lagonda wants to reinvent the luxury car, not imitate it.

Bold as such a target may be, this plan somewhat repeats the aim set out for the Aston Martin Lagonda Series 2 that was launched in 1976. It succeeded the Series 1 by practically turning the formula on its head, switching in one fell swoop from tradition to future, sharing only a 5.3-litre V8 engine and a few accompanying driveline components. To most onlookers, the Series 1 and 2 would appear like cars from different centuries, rather than predecessor and successor.

This was because the Series 2 represented a real departure from conventional design. It was a concept car that you could buy, both inside and out. The long, angular bonnet - which was so sharp it'd make a modern NCAP pedestrian safety examiner wince - was followed by a sleek roofline and hard-edged rear. At 4,928mm the Lagonda was very long for its day, but it was just 1,323mm high, giving it a unique profile that looks futuristic even four decades on. Not even the Lagonda Taraf of 2015, which was designed as a spiritual successor to the Series 2, could match its sleek silhouette.

Inside, the Series 2 traded the dials, three-spoke steering wheel and soft lines of the Aston Martin V8-based Series 1 for something straight out of the movie Tron (although the Series 2 came six years before it!). There were digital displays, a one-spoke wheel and straight lines, giving the cabin a space-age feel that was alien to the world of luxury cars. The all-digital instrument cluster in particular looks like it was taken straight from a '70s sci-fi film, while the steering wheel controls and gas plasma display of earlier cars were innovative features.

The car's powertrain was a little more conventional by comparison, although with 284hp and 302lb ft of torque, it was right up to date in terms of performance. Despite a two-tonne kerbweight it took 7.9 seconds to reach 60mph and had a top speed was 145mph, ranking the Lagonda right behind the four-door Ferrari 400. But outright performance was never the priority, and the car's electronically controlled three-speed automatic gearbox, the Chrysler Torqueflite, focused on offering smooth, slick running. An unintended by-product of the setup was very poor fuel economy.

That will likely be of little concern to a buyer of a Series 2 today, what with it now assuming icon status. They're fairly rare too, with only two of the five listed on the PH classifieds located in the UK. As such, £77,950 for a car described as being in "superb condition throughout" seems reasonable, even if the ad lacks mileage. This late Series 2 comes finished in its original colour of Dover White and is supplied with an Aston Martin Heritage certificate, in case anyone doubts its originality. With the Lagonda name about to return to the spotlight, could this be a shrewd time to buy?

SPECIFICATION - ASTON MARTIN LAGONDA SERIES 2

Engine: 5,340cc V8
Transmission: Three-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power(hp): 284@5,000rpm
Torque(lb ft): 302@3,000rpm
MPG: In the single digits
CO2: Much
First registered: 1985
Recorded mileage: One to ask the seller
Price new: £50,000
Yours for: £77,950

See the full ad here.

[wowman]

To me, it's among the most beautiful cars. Drop dead gorgeous.

Thanks, William Towns!

[giveitfish]

£80k and no interior pics in the ad?

[JMF894]

giveitfish said:

£80k and no interior pics in the ad?

My thoughts exactly, and what looks like a nasty rust bubble on the front.

Not beautiful but definitely striking. The pop up front lights with the riveted plates reminds me of my old 450se wedge....................

[sgtBerbatov]

£80,000. Does that mean the electrics actually work?

[MCBrowncoat]

DD Classics also have a non period shooting brake (oh oh, that might start that debate up again...) conversion for sale

https://www.classic-trader.com/uk/cars/listing/ast...

[Amanitin]

one of those "what were they thinking" kind of cars

[Usget]

I want one of these even more than I want to be able to fly, or to have an unlimited supply of Dominos.

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. If I won the lottery, this would be one of the cars I'd buy.

[jzakariya]

One of the best looking four doors ever made. Refuses to look dated. Wonderful.

[hurstg01]

jzakariya said:

One of the best looking four doors ever made. Refuses to look dated. Wonderful.

agreed

[CharlieAlphaMike]

Daily driver

[Jonesy23]

jzakariya said:

One of the best looking four doors ever made. Refuses to look dated. Wonderful.

If you say so.

To me it looks like a particularly nasty mid-80s Chrysler. Same ideas of 3 boxes, flat surfaces, angles, and a shiny grill stuck on the front.

[Gameface]

I remember seeing my first one as child in Puerto Banus in the '80s. Seemed like a spaceship at the time.

[tog]

Gameface said:

I remember seeing my first one as child in Puerto Banus in the '80s. Seemed like a spaceship at the time.

I always recall seeing one parked across four of the herringbone layout parking spaces at Olympia!

[BugLebowski]

It looks like a British interpretation of an American sedan from the '80s. If anyone ever doubted that beauty is subjective, I'd show them this car and the responses to it on this thread. I can't comprehend how anyone can think this is beautiful, but different strokes for different folks I guess...

[TopTrump]

Utterly awesome. Makes a Maserati seem like a sensible purchase

[Dinoboy]

Always loved these, just get better looking as the years go by.

[pb8g09]

BugLebowski said:

It looks like a British interpretation of an American sedan from the '80s. If anyone ever doubted that beauty is subjective, I'd show them this car and the responses to it on this thread. I can't comprehend how anyone can think this is beautiful, but different strokes for different folks I guess...

+1

I can't believe we are all looking at the same car and have such differing views.

Maybe it's a generation thing?!

[Pumpsmynads]

I remember seeing this as a 4 year old and being utterly amazed.

[Agent XXX]

My Dad very nearly bought one of these. It was actually a toss of a coin between this and the 400i which won the day.

Love it!

[Macboy]

You can apply whatever Thunderbirds rose-tinted specs you want to the Towns' Lagonda but other than static in someone else's driveway, it is a thing of horror in every respect. I have been scarred by personal experience of dealing with Lagonda owners and driving Lagondas. It was under-engineered in a way that would border on criminal in the modern legal and legislative world and was updated in ways that never made it better or even acceptable. That the rear doors don't fully open nor the windows wind down is just one indication of how badly conceived it was. Yes, it staved off another bankruptcy for AML but when yours was on fire on the M4 on the way back from collection (true customer story) I think you'd probably have been happy to see the company go under. For all its admirable weirdness it was terrible at the time and only now they aren't being used at all and are bought by collectors largely to look at could they be said to be fit-for-purpose.