Aston Martin Lagonda is coming back with an all-electric luxury SUV (maybe)

Friday, 11 May 2018

While it has owned Lagonda since 1947, Aston Martin has never really seemed committed to doing much with the legendary brand.

Following Aston's purchase, production restarted using existing designs and continued until 1958, but eventually petered out.

A four-door version of the Aston Martin DB4 called the Lagonda Rapide was built between 1961 and 1965, while a four-door model based on the Aston Martin DBS was built between 1974 and 1976.

Aston Martin is set to revive the Lagonda name in 2021 on an all-electric SUV.

In 1976, arguably the most widely known Lagonda made under Aston's ownership appeared, the magnificent Aston Martin Lagonda 'wedge' that was available until 1989.

**READ MORE

The Lagonda Rapide V12 was designed by W.O. Bentley, whose designs were used by Aston Martin after it bought the company.

* Aston Martin to introduce world's most expensive sedan

* When marketing luxury vehicles, electric is no longer a bad word

The legendarily angular Aston Martin Lagonda was (theoretically) available until 1989.

* My day in the not-a-James-Bond Aston Martin Rapide

* New Vantage is proof of life at Aston Martin (thanks, AMG)**

The Lagonda Vignale concept was revealed at the 1993 Geneva Motor Show. And, yes, they did make it look like that on purpose.

Well, at least in theory. It only ever made 645.

Despite much muttering about resurrecting the brand, a few show cars and a very limited run of sedans and shooting brakes based on the Aston Martin Virage for some 'exclusive' customers (Middle Eastern royalty) Lagonda pretty much disappeared until 2008 when Aston announced it would be reviving the brand for its centenary in 2009.

After announcing Lagonda would make luxury SUVs, it produced a V12 sedan. Makes sense.

The idea was that Lagonda would produce a range of high-end SUVs so, of course, nothing happened until it produced a hyper-luxury NZ$1.3 million dollar twin-turbo V12-powered sedan called the Taraf in 2014. Just 200 were made.

No, this is not an SUV. But the new Lagonda SUV will havestyling based on this 'Vision Concept'.

That patchy inconsistence could be about to change, however, because now the company has announced that it will unveil an new Lagonda SUV in 2021, which it says will be the first luxury SUV exclusively driven by zero emission powertrain technologies and will 'uphold all the qualities of the re-invented super-luxury marque.'

The Lagonda SUV will feature an evolution of the design language recently seen on the 'Vision Concept' that was unveiled at this year's Geneva Motor Show.

Aston Martin says the SUV will be built around 'near-future technologies', making the Lagonda SUV something the company claims will be the first of its kind: an 'ultra-stylish, supremely luxurious, fully electric emission-free vehicle.'

'In reviving one of the most iconic names in motoring we have created a unique opportunity,' says Aston Martin president and chief executive officer, Dr Andy Palmer.

'One that allows us to cast aside an inherited 20th century approach and instead design cars around 21st century demands and desires.

'The Lagonda SUV is the first of its kind: a spacious, high-performance 4x4 that successfully reconciles a love of technology, luxury and style.'

Aston Martin EVP and chief creative officer, Marek Reichman says: 'The Lagonda SUV will retain the boldness of the Vision Concept.

'Lagonda is a luxury brand, but it is also one rooted in technology. It will be like no other SUV to drive, so its looks have to reflect that new reality and to serve as pathfinder to a future in which the most desirable and prestigious automobiles still have a place.'

A Lagonda for the future sounds good. But then it has threatened to do that before.