The Lagonda sedan, which completely dominated the 1976 Earls Court Motor Show, could have been beamed down from another planet.
Low and razor-edged, it was a show-stopper and just the publicity grabber that troubled Aston Martin needed. The 170 deposits that were taken at the show pulled the company back from the brink of oblivion. Buyers weren’t to know that their cars wouldn’t be ready until 1979 because of problems with the high-tech electronics.
Mechanically the Lagonda was well proven, essentially a stretched Aston Martin V8 with a meaty, four-camshaft, 5.3 L V8 engine. The suspension came from the same source to, but with self leveling for the de Dion rear and.
Weighing in at almost 2-tons, this was the biggest and most opulent Lagonda since the war. Extras like air conditioning and electric seats were all included in the price.
By the mid 1980s, interest in the car had waned and the design seemed to age rapidly. Stylist William Towns tried to redeem his rapidly aging super sedan with a more rounded offering in 1987, but it was too late. The dream car that had raised so many pulses back in 1976 died quietly in 1990, with a total of 645 cars having been sold.
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