Driving the Aston Martin Lagonda, Britain’s most bonkers luxury car

It’s 1982. Stock prices are soaring, Duran Duran are rocking the music charts with Hungry Like the Wolf, and you’ve just flown back from New York on a supersonic plane. Take off those dark sunglasses and put down that enormous mobile phone, because your new car has just arrived. As the keys to the Aston Martin Lagonda are handed over, you think to yourself, “I’ve made it.”

This is the era of excess, and if you’ve got it, you need to flaunt it. And nothing flaunts it more than this outrageous luxury car.

Designed by William Towns to put Aston Martin back on the map after (yet more) financial difficulties, the Series 2 Lagonda is about as opinion-splitting as it gets. This ‘folded paper’ design is far from pretty, but there’s no denying its gravitas. It’s big, imposing and likely to offend in the most positive of ways.

Towns wanted to create a luxury car that was a real departure from what had come before it. Things like a Rolls-Royce were giant road-going ocean liners, the Lagonda wanted to be more like Concorde.

The Series 2 was first revealed in 1976 at the London Motor Show, but its many technologically advanced features meant that its development took years. Deliveries didn’t begin until 1979, and with a price tag of £50,000 — around £250,000 in today’s money — it was a big-money statement.

Fast forward to today, and Tyler Heatley has got the keys not to the latest Lagonda SUV concept, but to a pristine 1982 Aston Martin Lagonda Series 2. This model, finished in olive green, looks just as arresting as it did back in its heyday. It’s the definition of a Marmite car — some love it, others can’t stand it. But what can’t be denied is William Towns’ commitment to a pure vision of futuristic luxury.

Inside, the cabin mixes traditional luxury materials with cutting-edge tech. Rich wood and leather blend with an entirely digital dashboard that glows with intense red numbers and readouts. The simplistic single-prong steering wheel is surrounded by touch-sensitive buttons — a world-first in a production car. Back then, these innovations separated the Lagonda from its more conventional rivals. It was a car for ‘new money’ types, not your grandfather.

The specific car we’re looking at was built for display at the 1982 London International Motor Show. It’s a prime example and in perfect order, but the Lagonda’s reputation for poor reliability persists. Aston Martin reportedly spent more money fixing and developing the car’s onboard technologies than it cost to build the thing. A complete restoration today would set you back around £425,000, thanks to its intricate complexities.

Settle into the back seat, and you’ll find supple veal leather with black piping, plush seating, and a large glass sunroof bathing the interior in natural light. For such a long car, legroom is surprisingly limited — something that might have put off buyers back in the day. The boot is carpeted in deep green and roomy enough for a set of golf clubs, with all Lagondas coming equipped with a briefcase for essential tools.

Under that vast bonnet lies a 5.3-litre naturally aspirated V8 engine, mounted as far back as possible for better weight distribution. Each engine bears a plaque with its builder’s name — this one was crafted by Don Osborne. The car’s 280bhp output helps it reach 0-60mph in 8.8 seconds, with a top speed of 143mph. Not fast by today’s standards, but in the early ’80s, it was more than respectable.

Out on the road, the Lagonda surprises. For all its straight-edged awkwardness, it handles better than you’d expect. The steering is weighty and precise, giving you confidence when placing the sizeable machine on the road. There’s body roll, sure, but less than you’d find in most other luxury cars of the era. Aston Martin’s efforts to create a saloon with a sports car’s soul paid off.

But the Lagonda’s real legacy isn’t its speed or handling — it’s the statement it made. The car was bold, brash, and impossibly ambitious. Aston Martin’s gamble didn’t quite pay off at the time, with just 645 built over 11 years. But its sheer audacity is what makes it desirable today.

Take Rodger Dudding, for example. This gentleman owns a private collection of around 400 vehicles, 24 of which are Aston Martin Lagondas, spanning different series. “You need to be mad to own a Lagonda,” Dudding says. In that case, he must be absolutely certifiable.

The Aston Martin Lagonda will always be an underdog, but every dog has its day. Prone to expensive breakdowns and offering styling that’s not to everyone’s taste, it remains a car for the eccentric, the brave, and the unconventional. And perhaps that’s its greatest appeal.