Monday 1st September 2008

Breaking News: Lagonda To Return

Lagonda to be a seperate Aston brand and first car due in 2012

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Aston Martin has confirmed that the Lagonda brand is to be revived and a concept car will be ready next year. Aston CEO Dr Ulrich Bez said that new Lagondas will be more luxurious than Astons and will have a different character to a sportscar.

Most people will remember the seventies Lagonda, a tech-fest with challenging styling. Bez said the new cars will use the design language of the past but will be thoroughly modern.

Next year Lagonda celebrates its 100^th birthday and Aston will celebrate by unveiling a concept car. The first production models could be in the showrooms by 2012.

Bez said: ‘We have now investigated and concluded that the revival of the Lagonda brand would allow us to develop cars which can have a different character than a sportscar, and therefore offer a perfect synergy. 

'Lagonda will use a unique design language as Aston Martin does. We will take elements of DNA from the past but will be very future orientated as we are with Aston Martin.  With Lagonda offering exclusive, luxurious and truly versatile products with high quality and usability and suitable for both existing and emerging markets, I believe we can be present in more than 100 countries in the world.’

[Whiters]

Bez is ambitious, I'll give him that, and the name has quite a lot of good will with it....maybe.

For a child of the 70's/80's though, Lagonda will always be that wedge of cheese that fried its electrics every time the ignition key was turned.

[FWDRacer]

- plumpsupcravate - Oh, jolly I can't wait...



Lagonda might mean something to Octagenarians.... However for the rest of us see above ^^^

Edited by FWDRacer on Monday 1st September 11:57

[wl606]

"the Lagonda brand would allow us to develop cars which can have a different character than a sportscar"

Er, I thought Aston Martins were Grand-Touring cars, and had different characteristics to a sports-car already?

[Wigeon Incognito]

Maybe Lagonda should be reserved for the four door cars e.g. the forthcoming Rapide.

I think a return of the brand is a good idea, however I believe it can be used to better effect.

[Fire99]

wl606 said:

"the Lagonda brand would allow us to develop cars which can have a different character than a sportscar"

Er, I thought Aston Martins were Grand-Touring cars, and had different characteristics to a sports-car already?

Perhaps their aim is to make Aston Martins slightly harder-core with Lagonda taking up the more 'Bentley-esque' persona..

Purely Speculatitive of course..

[chunkymonkey71]

as long as it doesnt look like the Maybach...

[havoc]

Fire99 said:

wl606 said:

"the Lagonda brand would allow us to develop cars which can have a different character than a sportscar"

Er, I thought Aston Martins were Grand-Touring cars, and had different characteristics to a sports-car already?

Perhaps their aim is to make Aston Martins slightly harder-core with Lagonda taking up the more 'Bentley-esque' persona..

Purely Speculatitive of course..

I think they've slightly grander targets in their sights (given the link-up with Merc) - Rolls Royce, perhaps?!?

[MrMoonyMan]

• Breaking News*

Further to this story the BBC are currently at the other end of our showroom filming some fella from A-M with a DBS in the background talking about Lagonda..

[PompeyM3]

Great, I'll have to put an extension on my "Dream Garage" again.

[gumsie]

chunkymonkey71 said:

as long as it doesnt look like the Maybach...

Unless of course you like the Rover 75 look.

[z_chromozone]

Any news on where they will be made, or whether they will be hand assembled.

I am guessing not in NP as they have flattened much of the old Tickford site.

Z

[oagent]

Sounds good as long as it doesnt end up being a pointless Jag/Daimler esq badging exercise on the same body, where the Aston comes with aluminium interior trim and the Lagonda has wood trim.
Would be nice to see a new Lagonda Rapide, and maybe a big 2 door to take on Bentley Continentals etc.

[Snoggledog]

Now if they did something like this, then I might be very interested.

[vrooom]

Who want to bet this Lagonda has same shape as DB8, DB9... *yawn*

[Neil G60]

Whilst reviving an old historic marque seem like a positive thing it kind of takes the fun out of it when the only reason they're considering it is to offer greater brand 'synergy' and space out the brands in their portfolio. Hardly in the spirit of the coachbuilt originals with old men bending metal on an English wheel. Sign of the times I guess.

[JohnGoodridge]

Fire99 said:

wl606 said:

"the Lagonda brand would allow us to develop cars which can have a different character than a sportscar"

Er, I thought Aston Martins were Grand-Touring cars, and had different characteristics to a sports-car already?

Perhaps their aim is to make Aston Martins slightly harder-core with Lagonda taking up the more 'Bentley-esque' persona..

Purely Speculatitive of course..

The press release is very vague about it's intentions, but my guess is that they want some of the (ever expanding) Bentley (saloon) pie.

[959er]

Lagonda was once a great name in motoring, not just when it was attatched to AM by Mr DB. I'm sure this will be executed properly - when has anything to do with Dave Richards not been? - I look forward to buying one!

[2volvos]

Bez has done very well for himself since hanging up his maracas...wide-eyed and drugged up dance monkey to CEO of Aston Martin. Very impressive.

I hear Shaun Ryder is behind the revival of Lea Francis.

[Hedgerley]

The last lagonda concept was the 1993 Vignale. Art deco interior was gorgeous although the exterior was a bit dumpy.

http://www.iceposter.com/posters/cars/Lagonda/Lago...

Edited by Hedgerley on Monday 1st September 13:46

[bencollins]

UK is fast becoming the "swiss watch" carmaker, flashy, beautiful, expensive, not much better at telling the than a timex, but still very desirable vehicles worth the premium. The more the merrier.