LagondaNet

[Vincent]

Just a question : why did you fall in love with the Lagonda ?
Remember when you were young ( like Pink Floyd in 'shine on your crazy diamond' )...
I was twelve, amazed when I saw the first press pictures, and promised me to get one a day...I thought a long time it only was a project until I really saw one on the Brussels Motor Show in 1980 (or 1982, I don't know anymore).
What is your own experience ?
_________________
Welcome to Paradise ! (FRONT 242)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS30BC3D5WM

[Lagondanet]

I came to it later, was a child when Goldfinger & Thunderball came out so was always an AM fan especially DB4,5,6, & DBS. I had a family connection to NP so went past WS many times & admired all the cars outside. In 1995 I saw a white Wedge parked in North London.........
and.....well the rest is history.

[Francis]

Here is my long story with the Lagonda brand.

In the late seventies, I was a teenager and I would buy Road & Track, Motor Trend and Car & Driver every month from 1978 on.

In one of those magazines I saw an article of the Lagonda, around 1978, I think. It looked ineteresting, and I was blowen by the futuristic dashboard.

Since these cars were not available in North America at that time, it stayed just a few pictures of an exotic car of the time.

In 1983 while I was working at Hofmann Bank in Zürich, doing a Praktikum, I casually walked out for my lunch break on Parade Platz and there it was, parked in front of me, all alone in a no parking zone. I knew right away that I was in love. I walked around it slowly, twice and literally I was walking on a cloud.

I have owened a lot of fancy cars, Ferraris, Maseratis, other Aston Martins, Porsches, and others, but this was a unique experience for me on that day.

I then when on building my carrier as a stock broker and started making real money in the early 1990's.

I then saw a bronze colored Lagonda 1982 for sale in Florida for $19 200.00 and I started making the preparations to purchase it. It was 1992 but in order to be able to import it into Canada, the car needed to be at least 15 years old. So I dropped the issue.

After rasing 3 kids and not having the need for an other cash magnet, I kind of forgot about ever getting one until Alvira came up for sale in Montréal at an importer's dealer. I called the guy, Steve Maman, and bought it on pictures while the car was still in Bahrein. That was April 2006. I took delivery in July 2006 and have still not fully complete the restoration on it. But you will see next summer in Brussels...

[Vrije]

I first saw it on the turning table at the Amsterdam RAI autoshow in 77
behind a "fence"as it came past front back front back and was on it for over 20 minutes.
Being a AM fan as long as I can remember I first bought me a 72 V8.
some years later when trying to trade my TVR V8 in the UK I came across some lagondas and so it happened that there was an 80s Lagonda
in the back yard some 8 years ago and than an other one and a........


harry

[Mitrovic]

Well, I was allways a „car.guy“. Allready in Kindergarten I refused to draw and to paint and went to the edge of the room where the Matchbox cars were stored instead.

So in my youth, all the cars have been my favourites which have been made by Matchbox ( e.g. Lotus Europa, Super seven...) Then came the Corgi and Dinky Toys cars like the James Bond AM DB5 and the Jaguar E-type.

It was early in my youth that the english cars have been my favourites allready, allthough I like the styling of french and italian cars.
It was not that I accompanied my father to the Geneva car show, but he actually accompanied me. When 10 years old, they had to drag me out of a blue Triumph Spitfire in Geneva.

Then I saw a picture of the Lagonda in a newspaper. But this was like a dream. The memory about seeing it first time, very foggy. Incredibly impressive, allthough I did not care what engine or what interior it had, it was the exterior design. The memory was so foggy because it was like today dreaming to have a Boeing Jumbo Jet. So far away. A world apart.

In the times of Internet even before „google“ I searched the web for the „Lagonda V8“ and eventually came along to this incredible site. I read all the details. I saw the Lagonda less foggy now, as the prices dropped, and I did well. Then some years after I had discovered this site ( since when are you online, Roger? ) on a visit to Windsor there was a Lagonda V8 at a roundabout in front of me. I took a detour following it. I remember seeing four elderly gentlemen in it. This sight from the back was too impressive to forget.

So, it is the exterior design which has impressed me so much, that I had decided to buy one. I had decided that I want to buy one, even before I was sitting or even driving one.

There was one for sale at Roos engineering which is very close where I live. So I made an appointment to look at it. Mr. Roos personally showed me the car, which was allread parked outside and told me to take it for a ride. Remember, it was the first time I even talked to Mr. Roos. I asked him, what drive should I take, and if he is going to accompany me. He, told me, no, no I should drive it alone and asked me where I live. I told him, and he told me, o.k. just take it to your favourite drive home and only showed me the function of the handbrake and that I need to push the throttle to the bottom when starting.... I was puzzled and told him, it will take me at least one hour to get back. He said no problem.

I felt really good driving the car for the first time... When parking in front of our house, it felt so special. When I entered the house, I told my wife to look out of the window and asked her if she would like to have one like this. She asked: „This ugly thing?“

Well, I did buy another Lagonda V8, admittedly without really or properly informing or asking my wife. So there was a brief discussion in the kitchen ( can you read between the lines here? ) which left me with the car ( well it was too late anyway ) and without watchin F1 live for one year...

Zoran

[Vincent]

Zoran,
In fact, some periods of your experience seem to be very similar and familiar to me :
When I was about 10 years old, I was fan about 'THE PERSUADERS' ('Amicalement Vôtre' in french) and liked a lot the yellow/mustard DBS driven by Roger Moore. I promised me to get an Aston one day...Strangely I didn't like the Dino of Tony Curtis at all...When the Lagonda was presented, I decided this car would be the Aston I will buy !
Typing LAGONDA on Google summer 2006 leaded me to this site, where I found 13295 for sale...
The episode in the kitchen with my wife was when I bought 13034, but it was too late too ! Happily I don't like F1 !
_________________
Welcome to Paradise ! (FRONT 242)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS30BC3D5WM

[Vrije]

How things can be different, my wife trully Loves the Lagondas and
just Hates the 72 V8 (which is gold metallic just as Roger Moore had)

harry

[Lagondanet]

I have found many wives are at first reluctant but most eventually warm to the car and appreciate its finer points and the Wedge community. Also we must not forget our lady owners!