Aston Martin confirms the revival of the Lagonda Marque

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Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer Dr Ulrich Bez has today confirmed his intention to revive the Lagonda marque. Lagonda was a British car manufacturer, founded as a company in 1906 in Staines, Middlesex by the American Wilbur Gunn (1859-1920).

He named the company after a river near his home town of Springfield, Ohio. The company was purchased and integrated into Aston Martin in 1947.

Aston Martin has some great cars coming out. Next year they will launch the four door Rapide sportscar, and this will be followed by the project ‘one 77’ , the most spectacular Aston Martin ever.

According to Aston Martin the Lagonda brand will allow them to develop cars which can have a different character than a sportscar, and therefore offer a perfect synergy. Lagonda will use a unique design language as Aston Martin does. With Lagonda offering exclusive, luxurious and truly versatile products with high quality and usability and suitable for both existing and emerging markets, dr Ulrich Bez believes Aston Martin can be present in more than 100 countries in the world.

“In 2009 Lagonda is about to celebrate its 100th birthday and in its centenary year we are confident that we will show the first concept of a car which could be in the market in 2012,” he confirmed.

More about Lagonda:

In 1947 when the company was taken over by David Brown and the company moved in with Aston Martin. Production restarted with the last model from W. O. Bentley, the 1948 2.6-Litre with new chassis featuring fully independent supension. Its new 2580 cc twin overhead cam straight 6 became the basis for the Aston Martin engines of the 1950s. The engine grew to 3 litres in 1953 and continued to be available until 1958.

Many thought that the marque had disappeared but in 1961 the Rapide name was resurrected with aluminium body by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan and 3995 cc engine capable of taking the car to 125 mph. By this time, Aston Martin-Lagonda as it now was, had moved to Newport Pagnell in Buckinghamshire. The Rapide lasted until 1965.

1964 Lagonda Rapide:

Between 1974 and 1976, seven Lagonda saloons were produced on the basis of the Aston Martin V8.

One more car was to appear with the large and futuristic Aston Martin Lagonda of 1976 designed by William Towns. This low, rather square, wedge shaped car was built on Aston Martin V8 components and was available, at least in theory, until 1989.

1989 Aston Martin Lagonda:

We can’t understand why isn’t the Aston Martin going to sell the Rapide under Lagonda as it was in the sixties. What are they waiting, Rapide seems like a perfect model for a comeback.

Source: Aston Martin and Wikipedia