Aston Martin has decided to resurrect the 100 year-old Lagonda name with a luxury car that will take the pride of place at the top of the luxury car-maker’s order book. The only problem is, you’ll have to live in the Middle East to enjoy it.
Aston Martin’s press release explains much, “As has traditionally been the case, the Lagonda badge will once again sit proudly on a luxurious and exclusive super saloon,” the British luxury brand, which is now part-owned by Middle East investors, said in a statement announcing the badge’s return.
1976 Lagonda.
According to Aston, the Lagonda will be based on the brand’s existing VH architecture, with the new car drawing inspiration from the “highly sought-after William Towns-designed Lagonda of 1976.”
It will be offered exclusively in the Middle East, as a result of specific market demand. This is another way of saying that only the oil sheiks will be able to afford one, and Aston Martin is trying to make the Lagonda a status symbol.
Aston said the car would also feature “many of the same cutting edge engineering techniques seen in modern Aston Martin sports cars” including carbon-fiber body panels.
The Lagonda would be hand-built by the craftsmen and women at Aston Martin’s modern manufacturing facilities in Gaydon, Warwickshire, it said, using a dedicated building previously given over to the creation of the limited run One-77 supercar.
“The new super saloon will be offered for sale by invitation only and, while precise pricing details remain confidential, the asking price will be commensurate with the car’s exclusivity, quality and luxurious nature,” Aston said.
“The debut of this luxury super saloon in the Middle East market will be an exciting moment not only for Aston Martin, but for discerning customers who are seeking the ultimate in luxury and personalization,” Aston Martin design director Marek Reichman said.
“The new model, like its exclusive siblings the One-77 and V12 Zagato, has been created as a piece of exceptional automotive art,” he said.
“It has been designed and developed entirely in keeping with the spirit and ethos of previous Lagonda super saloons – notably the William Towns Lagonda – and as a tribute to this car it proudly bears the Lagonda nameplate.”
What a load of BS, but no doubt the pimps at the pumps will line up to get this exclusive chariot – which you and I, gentle reader, have paid for with inflated oil prices and taxes.
I am not waiting by the letter box for my invitation.
