Aston Martin’s chief executive says the relaunched Lagonda brand aims to become the equivalent of Concorde for the road, combining luxury with exclusivity and speed.
During an interview with Motoring, Andy Palmer revealed that new Lagonda models won’t mimic what Rolls-Royce has done and instead provide the market with something a little different.
“Historically, Lagonda competed with the likes of Rolls and Bentley. [but] it has been largely dormant or has often been used as a sub brand… or a pet name of Aston, so lots of confusion.
“We’re going to get rid of the confusion… The direction I gave to Marek [Reichman, Aston Design boss] was look, Rolls Royce, is the epitome of luxury. It’s first class in a [Boeing] 777 – big, comfortable, we can’t compete with them. [So instead] Give me Concorde – the best of speed; the finest of fastest cars,” Palmer confirmed.
Palmer says that there are two all-new Lagonda models in the works but neither have been signed off for production just yet. However, he did say that there is likely to be a new flagship sedan similar to the Taraf as well as a Lagonda SUV.
“There isn’t a panacea, because if you look at that market, what you’re seeing is the traditional big saloon – it still defines those companies – but [sedan] volume is dropping.
“Look at the SUV side, Bentayga in the case of Bentley, and you see it fundamentally replacing [sedan sales]. You know, in 2021, we have to anticipate what that [market trend] might be.”
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