The lagonda saloon, which completely dominated the 1976 Earl’s Court Motor Show, could have been beamed down form 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 liter V8 engine. The suspension came from the same source too, but with self leveling for the de Dion rear end. Weighing in at almost two tons (2000 kg), this was the biggest and most opulent Lagonda since the war. Extras like air conditioning and electric seats were all included in the price. Pundits had nothing but praise for its ride and handling, superb for a large saloon, but some dared to suggest that it could have been quicker. Others raised eyebrows at the lack of rear seat legroom in such a huge car. Aston tried to answer these criticisms with a still born twin turbo version, whilst specialist firm Trickford built a trio of stretched Lagondas with twin color TVs.
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 ageing super saloon with 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 said.
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