Following the purchase of Aston Martin by a group of enthusiastic businessmen in 1975, the decision was taken to introduce a startling new product to show that the company was alive and innovating furiously. Aston Martin took a huge leap into the future and designed a car the like of which had never been seen before. The futuristic ‘cutting edge’ four-door Lagonda was a spectacularly radical design by William Towns. As well as its aerodynamic wedge shape, the Lagonda was yet more remarkable for its unique electronic instrumentation and switchgear. This had been greatly influenced by Aston Martin director Peter Sprague, who was deeply involved with National Semiconductor in the United States. Aston Martin engineer Mike Loasby had visited the headquarters of National Semiconductor in California and become enamoured of the touch-sensitive switches in the lifts.
The car had its first public showing at the 1976 Earls Court Motor Show. The prototype was a complete non-runner: footage of the car in motion shot by the BBC actually showed it coasting downhill under gravity!
The car had its first public showing at the 1976 Earls Court Motor Show. The prototype was a complete non-runner: footage of the car in motion shot by the BBC actually showed it coasting downhill under gravity!