Estimated Price: £80,000 - £100,000

The Aston Martin Lagonda was a luxury four-door saloon built by Aston Martin of Newport Pagnell, between 1976 and 1989. A total of 645 examples were produced at an average selling price of £150,000, and the name was derived from the Lagonda marque that Aston Martin had purchased in 1947. Aston Martin was facing severe financial pressure in the mid-1970s following the petrol crisis and the Lagonda was aimed predominantly at the US and Middle Eastern markets.

The Lagonda was the first production car in the world to use computer management, a digital instrument panel and second-series cathode ray tubes for the instrumentation. It combined striking styling with an opulent, 'members club' leather interior, and with its state-of-the-art instrument panel was a veritable spaceship. Aston's well-proven 5.3-litre V8 employed a quartet of twin-choke Weber 42DCNF carburettors and produced a maximum of 280bhp at 5,000rpm with 320lb/ft of torque available lower down the range, all fed through a Chrysler 3-speed "TorqueFlite" automatic transmission. More than 17-feet long, 6-feet wide and weighing two tons, the Lagonda was an imposing sight from any angle, yet despite its bulk proved capable of reaching 60mph in 7.9 seconds on its way to a top speed of 145mph.

This immaculate, second-generation Lagonda was supplied new to Jeffrey Grant Fashions of London who cherished the car until 2002 covering circa 59,000 miles with a fully documented comprehensive service record. The history file contains a fascinating account of Jeffrey Grant's ownership of the uncompromised retro-futurist Lagonda covering maintenance and upgrades during his ownership. Chassis LOOR-13028 was the last carburettor model and despite costing appreciably more than the equivalent Rolls-Royce, enjoyed a substantial waiting list, particularly from the Middle East where demand even necessitated a bespoke Arabic sales brochure.

The history file shows that the Lagonda was serviced by both the Newport Pagnell works and I.H.Mason Aston Martin Services of Bayswater during his ownership. In October 1988, Aston Martin Lagonda (Newport Pagnell) stripped it back to bare metal and repainted it Kent Green. They also stripped out the dash facia and centre console assembly to remanufacture a centre console that housed a cocktail cabinet in the rear incorporating a television and radio units. They also modified the dashboard facia to incorporate a glove box assembly. The Lagonda was enjoyed by a further two owners before joining the Anthony Hamilton Collection in January 2022 at which point it was fully restored over a three year period. The all-alloy 90-degree V8 was totally rebuilt in 2023 including both cylinder heads with new guides and valves. The brakes were also fully rebuilt as was the gearboxe all of which is substantiated by multiple invoices. Importantly, the digital dashboard is fully functional.

The result of the restoration is a stunning, on-the-button example of the car that saved AML and now regarded as an 'ahead of its time' masterpiece. Interest in these dynamic Lagondas has certainly risen in recent years, as collectors acknowledge their limited production numbers, futuristic styling and advanced eighties technology.