 | |
| Product type | Automotive marque |
|---|---|
| Owner | Aston Martin |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Introduced | 1906 |
| Previous owners |
|
| Website | astonmartinlagonda.com |
Lagonda is a British luxury car brand established in 1906, which has been owned by Aston Martin since 1947. The trade-name has not had a continuous commercial existence, being dormant several times, most recently from 1995 to 2008, 2010 to 2013, and 2016 onward.
The Lagonda company was founded in 1906 in the UK in Staines, Middlesex, by American-born Wilbur Gunn (1859–1920), [1] a former opera singer. [2] He became a British national in 1891 and worked as a speedboat and motorcycle engineer in Staines. He named the company after the Shawnee settlement of Lagonda in modern-day Springfield, Ohio, the town of his birth. [3] [4] This is a glacially eroded limestone gorge of much beauty. Historically, the area played a major role in the Treaty of Easton and the aligning of the Shawnee tribe with the British during the French and Indian War. [5]
Gunn had built motorcycles on a small scale in the garden of his house in Staines [1] with reasonable success, including a win on the 1905 London–Edinburgh trial. In 1907 he launched his first car, the 20 hp, six-cylinder Torpedo, which he used to win the Moscow–St. Petersburg trial of 1910. [1] This success produced a healthy order for exports to Russia which continued until 1914. In 1913, Lagonda introduced an advanced small car, the 11.1, with a four-cylinder 1,099 cc engine, which, by 1914, featured a panhard rod suspension and a rivetted unibody body and the first ever fly-off[ clarify ] handbrake.[ citation needed ]
During the First World War the Lagonda company made artillery shells. [1]
After the end of the war the 11.1 continued with a larger, 1,400 cc, engine and standard electric lighting as the 11.9 until 1923 and the updated 12 until 1926. Following Wilbur Gunn's death in 1920, three existing directors headed by Colin Parbury took charge. [1] The first of the company's sports models was launched in 1925 as the 14/60 with a twin-cam 1,954 cc four-cylinder engine and hemispherical combustion chambers. The car was designed by Arthur Davidson who had come from Lea-Francis. A higher output engine came in 1927 with the two-litre Speed model which could be had supercharged in 1930. A lengthened chassis version, the 16/65, with a six-cylinder 2.4-litre engine, was available from 1926 to 1930. Their final car of the 1920s was the three-litre using a 2,931 cc six-cylinder engine. [6] This continued until 1933 when the engine grew to 3,181 cc and was also available with a complex eight-speed Maybach transmission as the Selector Special.
A new model for 1933 was the 16–80 using a two-litre Crossley engine with preselector gearbox from 1934. A new small car, the Rapier came along in 1934 with a 1,104 cc engine and pre-selector gearbox. This lasted until 1935 but more were made until 1938 by a separate company, D. Napier & Son of Hammersmith, London. At the other extreme was the near 100 mph (160 km/h) 4.5-litre M45 with a Meadows-supplied six-cylinder, 4,467 cc, engine. A true sporting version, the M45R Rapide, with a tuned M45 engine and a shorter chassis, achieved a controversial Le Mans victory in 1935. [7] Also in 1935 the three-litre grew to a 3.5-litre.
All was not well financially and the receiver was called in 1935, [8] but the company was bought by Alan P. Good, who just outbid Rolls-Royce. [1] He also persuaded W. O. Bentley to leave Rolls-Royce and join Lagonda as designer along with many of his racing department staff. [1] The 4.5-litre range now became the LG45 with lower but heavier bodies and also available in LG45R Rapide form. The LG45 came in three versions known as Sanction 1, 2 and 3 each with more Bentley touches to the engine. In 1938 the LG6, with independent front suspension by torsion bar and hydraulic brakes, came in.
Along with ex-Rolls-Royce employees, Stuart Tresillian and Charles Sewell, and design expert Frank Feeley, Bentley hid distaste for the primitive conditions of Lagonda's factory, and got to work on the new engine that was to become his masterpiece, the V-12, launched in 1937. The 4,480 cc engine delivered 180 bhp (130 kW) and was said to be capable of going from 7 to 105 mph (11 to 169 km/h) in top gear and to rev to 5,000 rpm. The car was exhibited at the 1939 New York Motor Show: "The highest price car in the show this year is tagged $8,900. It is a Lagonda, known as the "Rapide" model, imported from England. The power plant is a twelve-cylinder V engine developing 200 horsepower." [9]
Richard Watney was managing director of Lagonda at the start of the Second World War:
He was Rootes' retail sales manager for the London area until 1935, when he became managing director of Lagonda Ltd. He was a production expert, who during the war organised and controlled for Lagonda one of the largest British gun production plants, and also plants which produced 50,000 25 lb shells a day. Watney also developed and produced the "Crocodile" and "Wasp" flame-throwing equipment for armoured vehicles." [10]
Watney finished second at Le Mans in 1930 driving a Bentley. He returned to Rootes in 1946, and was posted to Australia. He was killed in a car accident in Melbourne in 1949. [11]
In 1947, the company was taken over by David Brown and moved in with Aston Martin, which he had also bought, in Feltham, Middlesex. The old Staines works at Egham Hythe passed to Petters Limited, in which A.P. Good had acquired the controlling interest. [12] Production restarted with the last prototypes from Bentley, the 1948 Lagonda 2.6-Litre with new chassis featuring fully independent suspension. Its new 2.6L twin overhead cam straight-six became the basis for the Aston Martin engines of the 1950s. This was replaced by the 3 litre Lagonda engine 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 a four-door saloon based on the contemporary Aston Martin DB4, with an aluminium body by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan and a 3,995 cc engine capable of taking the car to 125 mph (201 km/h). By this time, Aston Martin-Lagonda as it now was, had moved to Newport Pagnell in Buckinghamshire. The Rapide lasted until 1965.
In 1969, the Lagonda name was briefly resurrected, appearing on a four-door prototype of the new Aston Martin DBS model. The prototype was allocated chassis MP230/1, and was retained by the factory until 1972 and used by Sir David Brown as his personal car, registered "JPP 5G". The car originally ran a prototype five-litre V8 engine but this was quickly replaced by an early 5.3-litre production quad carb version (VS4008EE).
Between 1974 and 1976, seven Lagonda four-door saloons were produced based on the 1969 prototype. The production models adopted a single-headlight treatment with a Lagonda "horseshoe" grille in place of the twin-headlamp treatment of the prototype.
In 1976, a new Lagonda saloon appeared, the large and futuristic Aston Martin Lagonda designed by William Towns. This low, rather square, wedge-shaped car was built on Aston Martin V8 components and was available until 1990. A total of 645 were built.
Aston Martin produced a concept car called the "Lagonda Vignale" at the 1993 Geneva Motor Show.
During 1993–94, nine Lagonda four-door saloons and seven shooting brakes (badged on the rear door or tailgate as Les Vacances) were made based on a stretched Aston Martin Virage. These were (until the 2018 Vanquish Zagato shooting brake) the only factory-built shooting brakes in Aston Martin's history; six were bought by a foreign royal family. [13] They could be ordered with the 5.3-litre V8 (310 HP) or the 6.3-litre V8 (500 HP) engine.
Aston Martin said on 1 September 2008, as reported by Automotive News Europe, that it would relaunch its Lagonda brand to help it expand into new markets such as luxury saloons and celebrate Lagonda's centennial anniversary in 2009.
"The Lagonda brand would allow us to develop cars which can have a different character than a sports car," said CEO Ulrich Bez in a statement. "Lagonda will have its own niche with luxurious and truly versatile products suitable for both existing and emerging markets". [14]
"Lagonda models would be vehicles that could be used all year round in markets such as Russia where specialized sports cars such as Aston Martins could only be used for three or four months each year", said Aston Martin spokeswoman Janette Green. [14]
At the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, Aston Martin unveiled a 4WD, four-seat SUV to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first Lagonda car. It includes a V12 engine and 22-inch wheels. [15]
The Rapide name was revived in 2010 as the Aston Martin Rapide saloon.
Aston Martin confirmed the revival of the Lagonda brand on 9 March 2011. The new range was to consist primarily of high-end SUVs. [16] In 2014, however, Aston Martin announced a large, low-bodied saloon version, the Taraf, a £1 million car powered by a normally aspirated V12 producing 565 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. The Taraf was initially planned to be sold only in the Middle East but was later sold in the UK, Europe and South Africa, with production limited to 200 units. [17] [18]
| Year | Type | Engine | Production |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1906–1913 | 20 | 3,052 cc side-valve 4-cylinder | |
| 1911–1913 | 30 | 4,578 cc side-valve 4-cylinder | |
| 1913–1921 | 11 | 1,099 cc inlet-over-exhaust-valve 4-cylinder | 6,000 (inc 11.9 and 12) [19] |
| 1920–1923 | 11.9 | 1,421 cc inlet over exhaust valve 4-cylinder | 6,000 (inc 11 and 12) |
| 1923–1926 | 12 and 12/24 | 1,421 cc inlet-over-exhaust-valve 4-cylinder | 6,000 (inc 11 and 11.9) |
| 1925–1933 | 14/60 and 2-litre Speed | 1,954 cc ohv 4-cylinder | 1,440 [19] |
| 1926–1930 | 16/65 | 2,389 (later 2,692) cc ohv 6-cylinder | 250 [19] |
| 1928–1934 | 3-litre | 2,931 cc ohv 6-cylinder | 570 [19] |
| 1932–1934 | 16/80 | 1,991 cc ohv 6-cylinder Crossley | 260 [20] |
| 1933–1938 | Rapier | 1,087 cc twin ohc 4-cylinder | 470 + app 45 by Rapier Cars [21] |
| 1935 | M45 | 4,467 cc ohv 6-cylinder Meadows | 410 + 53 M45R Rapide [21] |
| 1935 | 3.5-litre | 3,619 cc ohv 6-cylinder | 65 [21] |
| 1936–1937 | LG45 | 4,467 cc ohv 6-cylinder Meadows | 278 + 25 Rapides [21] |
| 1938–1940 | LG6 | 4,467 cc ohv 6-cylinder Meadows | 85 [21] |
| 1938–1940 | V12 | 4,480 cc single overhead cam V12 | 189 [21] |
| 1948–1953 | 2.6-litre | 2,580 cc double ohc 6-cylinder | 510 [22] |
| 1953–1958 | 3-litre | 2,922 cc double ohc 6-cylinder | 270 [22] |
| 1961–1964 | Rapide | 3,995 cc double ohc 6-cylinder | 55 [22] |
| 1976–1989 | Aston Martin Lagonda | 5,340 cc ohc V8 | 645 |
| 2015–2016 | Taraf | 5,935 cc V12 | 200 [23] |
10 September 2023
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Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars and grand tourers. Its predecessor was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. Steered from 1947 by David Brown, it became associated with expensive grand touring cars in the 1950s and 1960s, and with the fictional character James Bond following his use of a DB5 model in the 1964 film Goldfinger. Their grand tourers and sports cars are regarded as a British cultural icon.
The Aston Martin Vanquish is a grand tourer introduced by British luxury automobile manufacturer Aston Martin in 2001 as a successor to the Aston Martin Virage (1993).
The Aston Martin Lagonda is a full-size luxury four-door saloon manufactured by British manufacturer Aston Martin between 1974 and 1990. A total of 645 were produced. The name was derived from the Lagonda marque that Aston Martin had purchased in 1947. There are two distinct generations: the original, the short-lived 1974 design based on a lengthened Aston Martin V8, and the entirely redesigned, wedge-shaped Series 2 model introduced in 1976.
Walter Owen Bentley, was an English engineer who founded Bentley in London. He was a motorcycle and car racer as a young man. After making a name for himself as a designer of aircraft and automobile engines, Bentley established his own firm in 1919. He built the firm into one of the world's premier luxury and performance auto manufacturers, and led the marque to multiple victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. After selling his namesake company to Rolls-Royce in 1931, he was employed as a designer for Lagonda, Aston Martin and Armstrong Siddeley.
Morris Oxford is a series of motor car models produced by Morris of the United Kingdom, from the 1913 'bullnose' Oxford to the Farina Oxfords V and VI.
The Aston Martin DB2 is a grand tourer that was sold by Aston Martin from May 1950 until April 1953. The successor to the 2-Litre Sports model, it had a comparatively advanced dual overhead cam 2.6 L Lagonda straight-6 engine in place of the previous overhead valve engine straight-four engine. It was available as a closed, 2-seater coupé which Aston Martin called a sports saloon, and later also as a drophead coupé, which accounted for a quarter of the model's total sales. The closed version had some success in racing.
The DB4 is a grand tourer that was produced by Aston Martin from 1958 until 1963. The "DB" designation came from Sir David Brown, who built up the company from 1947 onwards.
The Lagonda Rapide is a hand built full-sized luxury four-door grand tourer which was produced by Aston-Martin from 1961 until 1964.
The Aston Martin DBS is a grand tourer produced by the British manufacturer Aston Martin Lagonda Limited from 1967 to 1972.
The Aston Martin Virage is an automobile produced by British luxury automobile manufacturer Aston Martin as a replacement for its V8 models. Introduced at the Birmingham Motor Show in 1988, it was joined by the high-performance Vantage in 1993, after which the name of the base model was changed to V8 Coupe in 1996.
The Lagonda Straight-6 is a famous automobile engine used by Aston Martin and Lagonda marques in the 1950s. Designed by Willie Watson under the supervision of Walter Owen Bentley of Bentley Motors Limited, it vaulted Aston Martin to fame as a maker of desirable sports and racing cars.
The Lagonda 2.6-Litre was an automobile produced in England by Lagonda from 1948 to 1953. It was the first model from that company following its purchase by David Brown in 1947, and was named for the new straight-6 engine which debuted with the car. The Lagonda straight-6 engine was designed by W. O. Bentley and would propel Lagonda's new parent company, Aston Martin, to fame.
The Lagonda 3-Litre is an automobile which was produced by Aston Martin Lagonda from 1953 until 1958. It was the second Lagonda model of the David Brown/Aston Martin era. The 3-Litre was fitted with a higher displacement 2.9 L 140 bhp version of the twin overhead camshaft Lagonda Straight-6 engine designed by Walter Owen Bentley.
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The Triumph Gloria is a range of cars produced by the Triumph Motor Company in Coventry, England, from 1933 to 1938.
The Aston MartinAtom is a prototype automobile built by Aston Martin (AM). Construction of the car began in 1939 and was completed in 1940. The Atom is one of the first fully functional concept cars ever built. Aston Martin explored several new technologies with the Atom, and its chassis design was the basis for the platform used by AM's post-war models well into the late 1950s.
The Lagonda Taraf is a full-size luxury car that was produced in 2015 and 2016 by the British carmaker Aston Martin under its Lagonda marque. Designed by Marek Reichman and considered "the finest of fast cars" by Aston Martin, the vehicle is based upon the vertical–horizontal platform, which it shares with the DB9 and Rapide. The Taraf debuted in Dubai in 2014, with manufacture commencing in the subsequent year at the facility in Gaydon, Warwickshire. Initially intended for sale exclusively in the Middle Eastern market with a limited run of 100 units, Aston Martin later expanded the car's availability to several other countries and ultimately built 120.
The Aston Martin DB11 is a two-door grand touring car. It was available as a coupe and a convertible, the latter known as the "Volante". The British carmaker Aston Martin produced the DB11 from 2016 until it was replaced by the DB12 in 2023. The DB11 succeeded the DB9, which the company made between 2004 and 2016.
The Lagonda LG6 is a large car produced by the British Lagonda company from 1937 until 1940. It was announced at the 1937 London Motor Show.
The Lagonda 14/60 is a sports touring car that was introduced by Lagonda in 1925. Production of the 14/60 continued until 1931. As well as the standard car there were variants called the 2 Litre Speed (1927–33) and Continental.
