| From | Message |
| Bob A.
8/22/2002 13:24:58 |
 Subject: Now ready to purchase
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| Message: My introduction to the Lagonda took place in the late 80’s while working at an autoport facility in Canada during university. I remember quite vividly driving it off of the ship and placing it in a sealed transporter for final delivery. I made a promise to myself that one day I would own one. The car I drove caused quite a stir with its rumored price tag of aprox $150,000CDN at the time, and the longshoremen there were unwilling to drive it. After several years of research, I am sure this was a very special order, it was finished in a striking deep gun metal grey color with burgundy interior, no sunroof either frt. or rear, analog gauges and the dash trim seemed to be some kind of marble finish that also ran a deep burgundy. I would dearly love to own this car, but have never been able to trace it, as well I am fairly sure that none exist in Canada at this time. This is forcing me to look to the US. It seems that importing one from there will not be easy because of safety standards, and am awaiting further info from the government. The exchange rate on the US. Dollar is terrible at this time $1.45 US to CND, limiting my budget to aprox $30,000 US. If I may, just a couple of questions: My major concern is that many of these automobiles seen to have very low mileage, leading me to worry about the integrity of brake & fuel piping as well as items such as the gas tank, any comments would be appreciated. As well, would not cars exported to the US. already be capable of operating on unleaded fuel? My complements on a fantastic web sight and certainly hope to join soon as an owner, as well, I will report any serial numbers & location that I discover during my search. Thanking in advance & regards. | |
| william Morstein 8/31/2002 13:15:49 | RE: Now ready to purchase | Message: i recently purchased an 86 with 17,000 miles. i was also worried about it not having been driven, but as for the brake, fuel lines and gas tank so far there do not appear to be any problems. i have other concerns (heat, a/c; currently with my mechanic who is going over those systems as well as the condition of the carburators as the car seems to be running rich). it would seem that you can purchase one for the price you have limited yourself to. |
| Bob A 9/03/2002 01:21:53 | RE: Now ready to purchase | Message: Thanks for your input. Having retired my 89 Ranger Rover ,we now have a new main family car,however I will need to run the Lagonda (if I do it) as a second car.What about suspension & steering wear? Do you find frt.end parts sturdy? My rover needed a steady diet of these parts and it will be a year or 2 before i will be able to free up funds for any sort of a major overhaul. Luckly we do have a local Aston dealer dealer in town, but they claim to not have much information on the Lagonda. As well, I have noticed several pictures of cars with what seem to be Jaguar "pepper pot" wheels fitted, are they interchangable? Some of the Lagonda wheels seem unattractive & I would like to fit the set of XJS rims that I have in the garage, would this be possible? |
| william morstein 9/04/2002 20:15:27 | RE: Now ready to purchase | Message: i don't know about the wheels. others probably know more than i do, but from what i can see the major problem front end wise (actually suspension wise) are the shocks. the rears are self leveling and are NOT available save for used ones when you can find them. there are replacement non leveling ones available.the shocks and i suspect other suspension parts are expensive. there are a number of parts places on the "links" section of this site. some list their parts and prices and will probably answer email questions should you write them. |
| Dave 9/12/2002 05:04:26 | RE: Now ready to purchase | Message: I have the very first 1985 model made (13376) with 6,800 miles. No particular problems of any kind resulted from the lack of use, save for the typical dry rotting of vacuum hoses that would have happened anyway. The LED dash (original dash) required a couple of new senders most likely from inactivity but this is insignificant. As for the shocks, mine will be replaced soon without concern. The original self levelling version is nothing like what is made today. In fact, I'll be damned if I notice any effect at all from the levelling feature. Standard type replacements should be perfect substitutes. The so-called "pepper pot" wheels were certainly the nicest looking and were only made for the 1984 model year with a couple in 1985 as well. My car is the very first 1985 made, and does have them. All of the Lagonda wheels are interchangeable. All Lagonda's will run on unleaded but it is very wise to use an artificial lead additive to add a hardening effect to the heads where the valve seats would be in a USA car. You dont want a Euro version suffering internal head disfigurement due to no-lead fuel especially when it's so easy to prevent. By the way, damn Ford to hell. Since when was an Aston Martin a carbon copy of a Jaguar? Ford and its like will never understand the mystique of this marque, and are unwittingly bringing it down as it gravitates toward the "cookie cutter" models of lesser brands. At least there's the Vanquish....thank god. Bring back Victor Gauntlet and Mike Loasby! |
| Bob A. 9/12/2002 14:50:56 | RE: Now ready to purchase | Message: You make a very interesting point about the mystic of Aston being watered down by Ford, certainly the end of the line V8 Le Mans must be regarded as a high water mark. Perhaps with the influx of German money into Bentley and Rolls, and the upcoming Maybach behemoth from Mercedes, Ford will re-think the importance of Aston Martin and allow it the resources to remain as the premier of super cars. The uniquely British heritage of these machines can not be bought or created from scratch and in my opinion, simply must be preserved to prevent an important part of automotive history from disappearing forever. |
| Dave 9/18/2002 21:08:37 | RE: Now ready to purchase | Message: Well said Bob. Unfortunately the news has gotten worse. In a couple of years Aston will introduce the AM305. This is the equivalent I suppose to the Biturbo for Maserati years ago, in that it will be a "cheap" Aston that the masses can afford. This is an outrage and should be stopped before the mystique is destroyed, with no chance of recovery. Look what happened to Maserati. To own one now is pretty much an embarrassment, thanks to the notoriously cheap, unreliable, ugly and generally laughable Biturbo which single-handedly ruined the marque. Looks like Ford won't be happy until Aston's name is brought down in a similar fashion. There is NO PASSION in a large company like Ford, which is the problem. Everything is about figures, whether it be production total, profit margin etc. I could swear that Vantage I saw two weeks ago on the highway was a Jag XK8. See? No passion. Damn shame. |
| Bob A. 9/25/2002 09:48:08 | Aston in the news | Message: ASTON MARTIN TARGETS PORSCHE It'll take a big gun to tackle Porsche, but Aston Martin is looking to do it with a new hand-built sports car due to market sometime in 2005. "It will be about the size of a 911, but a lot wider," hints Henrick Fisker. Aston's design director says the vehicle, codenamed AM305, will be lower than a Porsche 911, with an extremely long hood distinguished by a broad Aston grille. The two-seater will feature a new front-mounted V-8 engine unique to the carmaker. "It's not all about speed," Fisker cautions, indicating Aston isn't trying to win the battle by being the fastest or most powerful sports car in the $100,000 range. The AM305 is designed to more than double the Ford subsidiary's volume. Aston sales jumped from a miniscule 43 vehicles in 1993 to 1542 last year. By the time production of the new sports car hits stride, projects spokesman Tim Watson, sales could surge to anywhere from 3500 to 5500 annually. At that higher figure, Aston Martin would likely exceed Ferrari's volumes. |
| moke 9/25/2002 10:37:44 | RE: Now ready to purchase | Message: mr. honda spring of 62??? give me back my goddamn shoes |
| Bob A. 9/26/2002 08:32:58 | more Aston in the news | Message: Aston Martin is laying out a grand expansion plan that it hopes will see sales jump upwards of 350 percent by mid-decade. But in the process, it will pit the venerable British marque against one of the sports car market’s toughest competitors, Germany’s Porsche AG. Most widely known as the brand driven by super-spy James Bond, Aston builds sleek and expensive high-performance sports cars, vehicles that can carry prices well in excess of $200,000. Currently, there are two cars in its lineup: the DB7 and the top-line Vanquish, which boasts 460 horsepower and a top speed of 196 mph. The automaker has been quietly at work developing another product, a two-seat sports car intended to be the highest volume model in Aston’s 83-year history. Codenamed AM305, and rumored to be getting the production nameplate DB5, it will hit the street sometime in 2005. “It will be about the size of a 911, but a lot wider,” hinted Henrick Fiscker, Aston’s design director. Behind the curtain During a background briefing on the AM305 project, Fiscker sketched out the basic outline of the two-seater. Though it shares about the same overall length as the 911, it will feature a much longer hood, meant to accommodate the car’s front/mid-engine layout. The wheelbase will be notably longer than the Porsche flagship, and the AM305 will sit lower. One of its more striking features, according to Fiscker, will be an exaggerated version of Aston’s traditional grille. But the Danish designer stressed this will not be a retro car, but rather, one “moving in a very modern direction,” with what he suggests are unique design cues. In terms of price, the AM305 will target the higher end of the 911 range — around $100,000, Aston officials noted. It’s an exclusive niche and one that is dominated by only a few brands, Porsche in particular. So for Aston to succeed, it needs to find a unique selling proposition. Expect the British carmaker to emphasize that the new sports car will be hand-built, keeping with Aston tradition. In an age of mass production, Fiscker believes that will be a definite draw for at least some buyers, and could help the AM305 carve out a niche, even if it can’t out-perform the Porsche. “It’s not all about speed,” Fiscker contended. “That’s not the sum of Aston Martin,” he said, “to just go out and claim we have the fastest car and the most horsepower.” Instead, he promised his company would bring to market a “harmonious” blend of performance and styling, quality and craftsmanship. Fiscker put special emphasis on the interior package he is developing for the AM305, especially the gauge and control cluster, which he hinted would be visually distinctive while putting an emphasis on ergonomics, often an afterthought with high-performance sports cars. Driving for flair The front/mid-engine packaging means the car’s powertrain will be mounted just back of the front axle, which should give it an ideal weight balance. The 911’s rear-mounted engine has some definite advantages, but that layout can cause some handling issues when the vehicle is driven to the limits. Expect the AM305 to feature a unique-to-Aston V-8, though the engine will start with a block shared with its British affiliate, Jaguar. While precise details are not available, it would not surprise observers if the AM305 used a supercharger to boost performance, either as a standard feature or as part of an optional performance package. Aston officials emphasized that other than the Jaguar block, and perhaps some very insignificant mechanical bits kept far from the driver’s line of sight, the AM305 will not share any parts with Jaguar or other members of the Ford Motor Co. family. Jaguar is part of Ford’s Premier Automotive Group (PAG), a unit that also comprises Land Rover and Volvo. Ford has a lot riding on the PAG, which is expected to generate a third of the company’s profits by mid-decade. Aston was actually the first of those upscale brands to be acquired by Ford, and has undergone significant changes since it was purchased in 1986 as part of a deal personally overseen by the U.S. automaker’s former CEO, the late Henry Ford II. Most recently, Aston has rebuilt the assembly line at its headquarters plant in Newport Pagnell, about two hours north of London. Built on the site of a Victorian-era coach manufacturer, the aged facility still has about a dozen specially-trained metalworkers who spend hours hammering out each aluminum panel for the $225,000 Vanquish. But the facility now relies on a variety of more modern manufacturing processes to put together a car using some of the most sophisticated materials found in any automobile on the road, including carbon fibre. It is unclear where the AM305 will be built and how much more Aston Martin will move towards state-of-the-art assembly processes. But clearly it will have to reduce the time spent on each vehicle, as it intends to produce several thousand of the new vehicles each year. Aston has already grown a good bit since 1993, when its volume slipped to an anemic 43 cars. Last year, that surged to 1542, a number that should hold relatively flat for all of 2002. The carmaker simply cannot keep up with demand, said spokesman Tim Watson, noting that the waiting list for the Vanquish is about two years, and depending on the degree of customization, DB7 customers can be put on hold for up to six months. If the AM305 meets Aston’s expectations, the automaker’s sales should surge to anywhere from 3500 to 5500 annually, according to Watson. That would put it on a par, perhaps even slightly ahead of Italy’s Ferrari, the largest of the hand-built sports car brands—but still well behind Porsche. Some observers suspect Aston’s goals could stretch even higher over the long-term, and they wouldn’t be surprised to see even more products added to its lineup before decade’s end. |
| Bob A. 10/01/2002 08:47:49 | ASTON SET TO BUILD ZAGATO | Message: Aston Martin confirmed at the Paris show that it had achieved the 75 minimum orders required to make production of its $240,000 DB7 Zagato a reality easily, and that the limit of 99 the two companies had set on the production run was now confirmed and order books are closed. Sources within Aston said that more cars could have been sold, but the original limit would be adhered to. More than half the orders have come from Britain, but no cars will be going to the U.S., since the Zagato does not comply with federal regulations. Ferrari announced in Paris that it also has a full complement of orders for the limited-production Enzo supercar. Unlike Aston, Ferrari has bowed to customer pressure and increased the production run, from 349 to 399. |
| Bob A. 10/23/2002 08:45:35 | 2002 Birmingham Motor Show Brings Asto | Message: Aston Martin has announced a new variant on the most successful car in the company’s history, the DB7. Aimed at the customer that wants, in the words of Aston’s CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez, “a different approach to the DB7 Vantage,” the new version offers modest but meaningful increases in power and torque. Power of the Vantage’s 6.0-liter V-12 engine is raised from 420 hp to 435, while torque goes up from 400 lb-ft to 410 lb-ft. These changes, together with a revised final drive ratio and an active sports exhaust system unique to the GT give faster acceleration and a more responsive drive. To handle the power and satisfy the desires of sporting drivers, the car has a revised quick-shift gear lever and a racing twin-plate clutch. Acceleration is improved thanks to the use of a 4.09:1 final drive ratio in place of the 3.77 of the standard car. To help rein in the extra performance, the DB7 GT is fitted with Brembo brakes, now recognized as a ‘must-have’ for European performance cars. Styling changes to the car are also subtle but effective. Special attention has been paid to the aerodynamic balance for high-speed stability with the adoption of additional sweeps for the undertray, wheel arch liner extensions and a revised bootlid which emphasizes the new look. These additions have helped to reduce lift by almost 50 percent. Suspension and chassis modifications mean the car, which will be available with a six-speed manual gearbox or a five-speed automatic, will be even more satisfying for the sporting driver than the already-exciting DB7. In Britain, the GT will sell for £8000 ($12,000) on top of the DB7 Vantage price of around $150,000. |
| Erik Juch 11/02/2002 17:10:45 | RE: Now ready to purchase | Message: Who has a Series 3,RHD with the modified dash(3 TV screens) for sale. Prefered models year is 1985 (carburettor). Please reply anytime to erikjuch@hotmail.com . I would be very thankful to any sort of information regarding such a vehicle. I am ready to buy now. |
| yb 12/22/2002 03:27:25 | am305 | Message: do u guys have any more info about the am305 etc, like whats the estimated HP , or the top speed or 0-100 , or the price etc or any info from dealers, thanks |
| jethrow 12/23/2002 08:30:58 | RE: Now ready to purchase | Message: hawk johnny cockoran tried to flush me out with a lets save daddy campighn I`m 50 yars old so even a 30 yar old jappanese lawyer girl with a very thick accent looks like a kid to me beware I want half they lose it behind closed doors the shock was turned up to swimming eyeball level ok ok is what I heard |
| Giles Brittain 3/11/2003 09:43:28 | RE: Now ready to purchase | Message: Amen to some of the above comments. 1. I too am disgusted with what Ford is doing to AML. The DB7 is a mass produced re-engineered XJS (which was a fine car, but not an Aston) with bored out AJ6 (so I believe?). 2. I did a master's degree in Automotive Engineering at Cranfield, and as a guest lecturer we had a series of amazing discussions with Mike Loasby. As a life long AML fanatic, it was incredible talking to this man about the developement of the Lagonda (incidently he drove a tweaked VW Corrado at the time). 3. Cranfield is very close to Newport Pagnell, and also visited AML factory on 2 occasions whilst there (having stumbled across the factory one evening-I was in shock as I realised I was unwhittingly driving thru the factory) |
| Giles Brittain 3/11/2003 09:46:05 | RE: Now ready to purchase | Message: Amen to some of the above comments. 1. I too am disgusted with what Ford is doing to AML. The DB7 is a mass produced re-engineered XJS (which was a fine car, but not an Aston) with bored out AJ6 (so I believe?). 2. I did a master's degree in Automotive Engineering at Cranfield, and as a guest lecturer we had a series of amazing discussions with Mike Loasby. As a life long AML fanatic, it was incredible talking to this man about the developement of the Lagonda (incidently he drove a tweaked VW Corrado at the time). 3. Cranfield is very close to Newport Pagnell, and also visited AML factory on 2 occasions whilst there (having stumbled across the factory one evening-I was in shock as I realised I was unwhittingly driving thru the factory) |
| MIchael 3/21/2003 17:17:48 | RE: Now ready to purchase | Message: Hello Gentleman, I'm ready to purchase a Lagonda. I am looking at a 1989 Lagonda here in the Washington, DC area. I have a few questions that I would appreciate your considered judgment on. 1. Are later build cars "better" than the early examples? 2. Mechanical reliability? Parts available? 3. Cosmetic parts? 4. Several car feature an Analog dash...was this an aftermarket item? I was under the impression that the Lagonda has a very sophisticated digital dashboard? 5. Rust problems? 6. USA service? 7. Your thoughts on ownership experience, costs, second thoughts? Thank you very much. I drove a DeLorean daily for many years...anyone here too? Best Wishes, Michael |
| Michael 3/24/2003 21:05:54 | Lagonda purchase | Message: Hello Gentleman, I'm ready to purchase a Lagonda. I am looking at a 1989 Lagonda here in the Washington, DC area. I have a few questions that I would appreciate your considered judgment on. 1. Are later build cars "better" than the early examples? 2. Mechanical reliability? Parts available? 3. Cosmetic parts? 4. Several car feature an Analog dash...was this an aftermarket item? I was under the impression that the Lagonda has a very sophisticated digital dashboard? 5. Rust problems? 6. USA service? 7. Your thoughts on ownership experience, costs, second thoughts? Thank you very much. Best Wishes, Michael |
| Bob A. 4/07/2003 04:26:25 | Victor Gauntlett 1943-2003 | Message: It is with great sadness that Aston Martin has to report the sudden death of its former Chairman and Chief Executive Victor Gauntlett, on Monday 31st March 2003 aged 60-years-old. Victor was instrumental in the resurrection of the AML name and product range from 1980 when he joined the company until 1991. His strength of character and ability to manage the company in difficult times - with the backing and support of the Livanos family - were a major contribution to AML becoming recognised as a serious international sports car company again. During his time with the company he oversaw the introduction of the Virage - the first all-new Aston Martin model for 20 years -and in 1989 sent Aston Martin back to Le Mans with an official works team that gained a credible 11th place with the AMR1. |
| Bob A. 4/07/2003 04:32:20 | Victor Gauntlett 1943-2003 | Message: It is with great sadness that Aston Martin has to report the sudden death of its former Chairman and Chief Executive Victor Gauntlett, on Monday 31st March 2003 aged 60-years-old. Victor was instrumental in the resurrection of the AML name and product range from 1980 when he joined the company until 1991. His strength of character and ability to manage the company in difficult times - with the backing and support of the Livanos family - were a major contribution to AML becoming recognised as a serious international sports car company again. During his time with the company he oversaw the introduction of the Virage - the first all-new Aston Martin model for 20 years -and in 1989 sent Aston Martin back to Le Mans with an official works team that gained a credible 11th place with the AMR1. |
| Bob A. 4/07/2003 12:22:46 | Victor Gauntlett - more | Message: Victor Gauntlett Aston Martin executive who presided over the launch of the company's first new model in 20 years Taking over as chairman of the famous but troubled car company Aston Martin Lagonda in 1981, Victor Gauntlett oversaw a mini-renaissance in its fortunes which, in 1988, produced the first new Aston Martin for 20 years. Aston Martin’s troubles were not to be truly over until the company’s sale to Ford, its present owner. Yet in his time at the helm, Gauntlett’s enthusiasm, backed by the finances of the Greek American businessman Peter Livanos, gave a sense of purpose to the small Newport Pagnell-based firm — among other things taking a works-entered car to the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1989. Although virtually a household name through its choice as James Bond’s favoured mode of transport for taking on opposition ranging from Smersh agents to seduceable blondes, by the 1980s Aston Martin had not produced a new model for years, and was in danger of being remembered only as a glamorous marque of yesteryear. The launch of the Aston Martin Virage at the Birmingham Motor Show in 1988 changed all that. It introduced to that sector of the public who could afford its price of up to £90,000, a sleek — some might have said somewhat overweight — coupé, with a host of new features, yet retaining in its body shell just enough echoes of its originals to appeal to nostalgia. The Virage, with its uprated V8 5.4-litre engine with a new head and four valves per cylinder, delivered 330bhp to give a quoted top speed of 155mph (it actually went considerably faster than that). It became a prized possession of its era. Although Ford had taken over Aston Martin Lagonda the previous year, the Virage project was entirely the work of the Gauntlett-Livanos regime at the company. Its other notable feat was to enter, for the first time in years, a team Aston Martin at Le Mans in 1989. Powered by a development of the Mirage engine, the car — which had a state-of-the-art carbon fibre and Kevlar body — achieved a very creditable 11th place in the gruelling 24-hour Grand Prix d’Endurance of that year. A rule change the following year which restricted engines to 3.5 litres effectively prevented further Aston Martin participation at Le Mans; further engine development for racing was not in the company’s remit. Malcolm Victor Gauntlett was born in Surrey in 1942 and educated at St Marylebone Grammar School. After a short service commission in the RAF he joined British Petroleum in 1963, the beginning of a career in the oil industry, in which he was to prove highly successful. In 1967 he moved to Compagnie Française des Petroles, the parent company of Total, where he worked for a further five years. Then, in 1972, he founded Pace Petroleum which he made into one of Britain’s largest independent petrol suppliers. He was managing director from 1972 to 1979 and chairman from 1979 to 1983, when he sold the company to Kuwait Investment Office. In the meantime, in 1980 he had become a director of Aston Martin Lagonda, then owned by an Anglo-American consortium. It was subsequently acquired by a triumvirate consisting of the brothers Nick and John Papanicalaou and Peter Livanos. When the Papanicalaou brothers decided to sell their interest, Livanos upped his stake to 75 per cent and Gauntlett became a 25 per cent shareholder. They were faced with the task of doing something about annual sales, which had dropped from 170 in 1978 to just 30 in 1982. A period of creativity followed for the company, with the reintroduction and redevelopment of extant models, such as the Vantage, whose Zagato bodied DB7 coupé and Volante became some of the most sought-after cars of the 1980s. And then, with the Virage, Gauntlett achieved his dream of putting a completely new Aston Martin on the road. Yet undercapitalisation remained a chronic Aston Martin problem. Gauntlett was aware that such a small company could not hope to compete in the automobile market and regarded the sale to Ford in 1987 as the only route to the survival of the Aston Martin name. Stepping down as chairman of Aston Martin in 1991, he concentrated again on his oil interests. He had founded another supply company, Proteus Petroleum, in 1988 and ran it with great success for ten years until selling to Texaco in 1998. In the meantime it had been made UK Oil Company of the Year in 1995. Last year Gauntlett was appointed chairman of Automotive Technik Holdings, the UK based manufacturer of Pinzgauer all-terrain vehicles. Outside his business interests he was, among many other things, a trustee of the RAF Museum and chairman of its fundraising committee, as well as being a trustee of the Maritime Air Trust. He held the rank of honorary air commodore, 4624 (County of Oxford) Movements Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force. He is survived by his wife, Jean, whom he married in 1966, and by their daughter and three sons. Victor Gauntlett, chairman Aston Martin Lagonda, 1981-91, was born on May 20, 1942. He died of a heart attack on March 31, 2003, aged 60. |
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