1990 Aston Martin Lagonda Series 4 Saloon

• The third from last of only 106 Series 4 cars made
• The only Series 4 delivered in Rolls-Royce Royal Blue
• Multiple AMOC concours winner
• Recent extensive service by Aston Martin Works

Aston Martin's periodic revival of the Lagonda name saw it applied to a stretched, four-door AM V8 in the mid-1970s, a mere handful of these 'Series 1' cars being constructed. When the concept re-emerged as an entirely new product type, it was the sensation of the 1976 London Motor Show. Clothed in striking 'razor edge' bodywork designed by William Towns - the man responsible for the DBS - the new Lagonda saloon, designated 'Series 2', used the same long-wheelbase V8 chassis as its immediate predecessor, while breaking new ground in terms of digital LCD instrumentation and touch-button switch gear. Problems with this advanced concept would delay production until April 1978, by which time a simplified arrangement had been adopted. The interior though, was every bit as luxurious as the exterior was futuristic, featuring selected Connolly hides, Wilton carpeting and walnut veneer, all hand-finished by skilled craftsmen in the best Aston Martin tradition.
In the Lagonda, Aston's well-proven 5.3-litre V8 employed a quartet of twin-choke Weber 42DCNF carburettors and produced a maximum of 280bhp at 5,000rpm with 320lb/ft of torque available lower down the range. A Chrysler Torqueflite automatic gearbox was the standard transmission. More than 17' long, 6' wide and weighing two tons, the Lagonda was an imposing sight from any angle, yet despite its bulk proved capable of racing to 60mph in 7.9 seconds on its way to a top speed of 145mph.
Production got into its stride towards the end of 1978, with one car per week being completed at the Newport Pagnell factory. The Lagonda was face-lifted in 1987 as the Series 4, acquiring a slightly softer, less hard-edged look and continued in production until May 1990 by which time a total of 638 had been built. Even today, almost 30 years after its sensational debut, there are few cars that can match the visual presence of the Aston Martin Lagonda. According to Aston Martin Lagonda Limited, 106 Lagonda Series 4 models were built, the right/left-hand drive split being 34/72.
Chassis number '13643' is the third-from-last Aston Martin Lagonda completed and the only Series 4 model delivered in Rolls-Royce Royal Blue. The car has covered only 36,000 kilometres since it was first delivered on 24th May 1990. Its first owner, a Mrs J B Brooks of Saviour, Guernsey, had the car maintained to by Aston Martin Lagonda for the first eight years of its life. She had specified the car with blue-piped Connolly Parchment hide with leather-bound blue Wilton carpet, lambswool over-mats and a Champagne suede headlining. It also came with a three-piece, body-colour-matching embossed luggage set.
When Mrs Brooks sold the car in 1998, AML prepared it for UK mainland registration on behalf of H R Owen. Over the next two-and-a-half decades three further owners assumed stewardship of the Lagonda, with the penultimate owners entering it into multiple Aston Martin Owners Club concours events where it achieved several class wins. Since 2015 the Lagonda has formed part of an extensive private collection that features a Mercedes-Benz 600, a Bentley Brooklands, and numerous six-cylinder Aston Martins. It has been maintained by Aston Martin Works in that time, their most recent full service bill (for £5,405), being issued in April 2023. The car retains its original handbooks and service books and is MoT'd to 15th May 2024.