Friday 18th July 2014

Aston abandons Lagonda SUV

Aston design boss says Lagonda SUV plan was of 'a different time' and a fancy four-door is the future

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Talismanic former CEO of Aston Martin Dr Ulrich Bez may well have been one of the most outspoken characters in the automotive industry. But where is the company going as it heads into the post-Bez era? PH got a hint chatting with Director of Design Marek Reichman just the other day. “China is historically a four-door market,” Marek points out. “Obviously our most successful model there is Rapide.”

Lagonda SUV concept canned; no great loss?

And what of Lagonda and the SUV?

“We first showed the Lagonda SUV concept back in 2009,” explains Marek. “We still have plans for the brand. There might be some surprises in the marque’s re-establishment into the market place, but as a very unique coachbuilt experience. And that’s probably what’s most befitting of the brand.”

Will Lagonda become a high-end badge, perhaps like Special Operations to Jaguar Land Rover or a limited edition model in its own right?

“It’s more. It’s the reinvention of the marque, the brand, but done in a very, very limited way. It’s not something we believe that is a mass product.”

21st-century reinvention of this might be rather cool

When Aston Martin talks of ‘limited’ and ‘special’ and ‘not a mass product’, then you know we’re talking about a very special car indeed. It means, in all likelihood, fewer than 100 units, very exclusive and with a price tag to match. Our money is now firmly on the rumoured Lagonda four-door, pitched squarely at the emerging markets in China and the rest of Asia. And what of Dr Bez’s SUV?

“That was a different time,” interjects Marek smoothly. “It was Ulrich’s time. And now we’re in a very, very different time, with a different plan and with a different projection of what that brand should become.”

[myhandle]

Surely the SUV, with different styling, based on the Mercedes GL, would be a big success.

[myhandle]

smilo996 said:

Thank god for that though there will be tears in Cheshire and the Premier Club players houses. Someone should tellBentley but won't.

myhandle - great idea, might as well sell AML to Merc and move production to Germany. The employees would be really happy.

Just hope they drop plans to become a coachbuilder too.

Hmmm not really. Given that the AMG deal is happening, like it or not, the range could go like this:

AMG engined V12 DB9 and Vanquish replacements
AMG engined V8 Vantage replacement
V8 and V12 engined Rapide replacement (plus probably a V6 for China)
Lagonda 4x4 built on platform of GL63 AMG

Then the fun stuff:

Limited edition, limited run cars in the mould of One-77 and upcoming Lagonda saloon
One-offs along the lines of the recent Zagato DB9 and DBS

This looks like some kind of plan which should please enthusiasts and employees - as they may well stay in a job if the company becomes a proper success.

[myhandle]

RichB said:

ery interesting, I've never seen that concept before. I believe the Vignale was penned by Ian Callum's brother Moray.

Edited by RichB on Sunday 20th July 22:41

The top one is the EB218, which was indeed a concept, a 4 door version of the previous EB118 concept.

EB118 : https://www.google.com/search?q=bugatti+eb118&...

The lower car, the EB112, did actually make extremely limited production - no more than five cars I believe. Here is one of them, road registered and driving around:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMsx81jvggY