Aston Martin revives Lagonda

Aston Martin has revealed an all-new V12-powered super-sedan that will revive the Lagonda nameplate and will be sold exclusively on an invitation-only basis in the Middle East from early next year.

The overnight announcement confirms recent reports the latent British nameplate, which appeared on the original Lagonda saloon produced between 1974 and 1990, will not re-appear on a super-luxury SUV that was previewed at the 2009 Geneva motor show.

The prospects of a production Lagonda SUV received a shot in the arm late last year when Aston Martin formalised a technical partnership with Daimler, which includes the supply of AMG engines and electronic components to the British brand and was expected to also include a platform-sharing arrangement, in return for five per cent of the non-voting shares in Aston Martin, plus observer status on the company's board.

However, Aston Martin design director Marek Reichman told US website PistonHeads earlier this month the long-rumoured Lagonda SUV, which was a pet project of former CEO Ulrich Bez, was no longer part of Aston's plans.

Bez said as recently as last October that the Lagonda SUV was "absolutely" on Aston Martin's radar. In March US publication Automobile reported the SUV would share its platform with the next-generation Mercedes-Benz GL-Class due in 2018. The 2009 Lagonda SUV concept was based on the current GL platform.

"That was a different time – It was Ulrich's time. And now we're in a very, very different time, with a different plan and with a different projection of what that brand should become," said Reichmann, who suggested a reborn Lagonda would need to appeal to wealthy customers in China, where there is strong demand for large, luxury sedans like the Rapide, which is Aston's most popular model in the world's most populous nation.

Aston's design chief confirmed the Lagonda relaunch, but said that as a natural successor to the extra-long original Lagonda designed by William Towns in the 1970s the new model will be much more than a more luxurious Aston Martin sedan.

"It's more," he said. "It's the reinvention of the marque, the brand, but done in a very, very limited way. It's not something that we believe is a mass product."

Now Aston Martin has confirmed the Lagonda limousine will be based on the company's existing VH architecture, featuring "many of the same cutting-edge engineering techniques seen in modern Aston Martin sports cars such as the use of carbon-fibre in the body panels".

Like the limited-edition One-77 hypercar, V12 Zagato and CC100 Speedster Concept, which spawned two customer examples, the Lagonda will be hand-built in a dedicated workshop at Gaydon in Warwickshire.

"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 personalisation," said Reichmann yesterday.

"The new model, like its exclusive siblings the One-77 and V12 Zagato, has been created as a piece of exceptional automotive art. 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."

Aston says the new Lagonda 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".

No other technical details have been revealed, but the born-again Lagonda is expected to power its rear wheels via a ZF automatic transmission and 5.9-litre V12 from the Rapide, which sprints to 100km/h in less than five seconds.