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When these were new, one stole my imagination. It was the most expensive car in the world… And it was amazingly futuristic… The sharp lines and the high tech touches inside. Of course, the 310hp V8 was state of the art. With a 150mph top speed, it outran many performance cars of the day.
Of course there was leather… and options included things like rear bars (the kind with crystal and decanters…), rack stereos and serious exclusivity. There were only around 620 manufactured. And since they were built by Aston Martin, they were completely customizable. The factory would build it as a limo, shooting brake (“gentleman’s station wagon”) or even a 2 door… if you asked really nice and gave them an even bigger pile of money.
The styling was unlike anything else on the road… with sharp edges and a pointy nose. It exuded luxury. And while they were considered pretty ugly by many critics when new, I think the design has aged gracefully. It would be hard to peg the design as 35 years old.
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What is ironic, though, is that they are actually quite reasonably priced now. Considering that when they were new, the price was a couple hundred thousand dollars, prime examples can now be found for under $50k. Aston Martin Vantages of a similar vintage usually bring in 50% more in similar condition.
Of course, it is in line with other super luxury cars of the era. Rolls-Royces and Bentleys of the same age fetch similar prices… even though they were much less expensive when new (comparatively… they were all expensive).
The Lagonda name dates back to prior to WWI. The company was founded in 1906 and bought by Aston Martin in 1947.
There is a part of me that would still really love to park one of those in my garage…
