LagondaNet

[Lagondanet]

http://blogs.thetimes.co.za/wheeldeal/2009/04/24/the-worlds-ugliest-car/


http://www.thecartorialist.com:80/?p=4901


(Courtesy of Soren)

[Francis]

I like my ugly duckling...

I am not surprised by that comment. It is a style taken to it's extreme. No one else dared to go that far, not Lambo, not Ferrari, not even the small mfgrs of the time went as bold as this. Wedge shape was reserved to sport, two seaters ot the era. No one tried it on a luxury sedan.To me a Lagonda is the purest form of automobile design in the 70's. I is the physical representation of a culture, the car culture of the 70' oil crisis and all.

Being at an extreme draws comment of disaproval from non believers.

This extremely low production car still in the 2000's get attention and is recognized as something extreme being the ugliest car is a prize not to spit on.

Now let's talk about the AMC Pacer... that is the butt ugliest car ever built!

Francis
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[Vincent]

No one is undifferent about the Lagonda...The fact that many people speak and write about it, even if they dislike the car, will ensure the car is not forbidden...and won't probably never be...
Unique, trash, punk, post-modern,wedge,...all those comments suit the Lagonda...
Maybe one day someone will think the Mercedes CLS ( another 4door coupé ) was the ugliest car ever built.

Personnally I find my car is 'gothic'


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Welcome to Paradise ! (FRONT 242)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS30BC3D5WM

[Francis]

This is what spawned from the Lagonda:

http://picasaweb.google.com/Francis200261/Desktop?authkey=Gv1sRgCMD46u2wwISMQA#5335742718952633922

Now tell me this Chevrolet Caprice was not inspired by Towns' design...

Francis
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[Vincent]

Sorry,
I don't agree...really 'trop moche' and not 'too much' and surely not 'gothic'...
I read on the 'ugly' article the Bulldog would be a cross between a De Lorean and a Lagonda...Not false because a guy (I forgot his name) who worked on the Lagonda development went after this to work on the DMC12 development.
Another 'gothic' car...maybe my next conquest...another reason to be angry with my banker !
_________________
Welcome to Paradise ! (FRONT 242)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS30BC3D5WM

[Francis]

DMC... I see your connection... Renault V6 power...
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[Lagondanet]

Vincent

Do you mean Mike Loasby Chief Engineer & Director of Engineering 1975-1978!?

[Lagonda87]

Vincent,

Funny you mention the DeLorean. Another car which people - like the Lagonda - seems to either LOVE or HATE. Personally I really like the design of the DeLorean, and had the pleasure of owning one for many years. Here are are some pictures of my former DeLorean:

http://www.vassard.dk/delorean/DMC01.jpg
http://www.vassard.dk/delorean/DMC02.jpg
http://www.vassard.dk/delorean/DMC03.jpg
http://www.vassard.dk/delorean/DMC04.jpg
http://www.vassard.dk/delorean/DMC05.jpg
http://www.vassard.dk/delorean/DMC06.jpg

- Not the best handling car I have owned, but the design makes you forget that! And like the Lagonda, you hear lots of stories about how bad the DeLorean was/is (technically / quality wise).

But those stories / myths are all wrong!!

The DeLorean is by no means better or worse than any other car from the early 80's. Trust me!

Best regards,

Soren

[Vincent]

[Vincent]

[Lagonda87]

Mike Loasby (at Aston Martin Lagonda & DeLorean Motor Company)

http://www.pjgrady.co.uk/GenericContent.aspx?PageType=Site_Map&ShowContent=Mike_Loasby.html

Vincent,

- Most parts are still available for the DeLorean and prices are fair:

http://www.delorean.com/

But if you want to restore a really bad car and need to buy tons of new parts it will end up being very expensive. But isn't that the case with almost any old car ?

/Soren

[Francis]

DMC always was a cool car, it should have done better than it did. it is a car from the same era than the Lagonda with lines that are angular, as the fashion of the time but did not target the same clientelle and did not offer the same luxury level as a Lagonda.

I have considered owning one, prices un the US hover around $25 000.- for a decent car, about the same as a Lagonda but it is a two seater, rear engine sport car. The field of cars to choose from with those atributes is wide.

Francis
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[Vrije]

Used to drive it for a while too.

Some things were indeed the same e.g. the turning circle of DMC is also that of a supertanker ,some differ I just dont fit into it and (highspeed)
handling is bad (how much time they put in it at Lotus enginering, they could not get it any better) as opposed to the Lagonda which is rock solid at 225 KM/h.

As for wedge history I had way much fun with my TVR 350i also very edgy and missunderstood design wise.

Harry

[Francis]

This reply could be a new topic but may also fit in this conversation:

Last Wednesday I took out my Debby Set (DB7), went to Ste-Anne -de-Bellevue, at the tip of the island of Montreal. a trip of about 35-40 kms on the shore line road. The drive out at around 5pm with the sun in my face was pleasent, especialy in the spring after a long winter of waiting for these kind of drives. So we settled in a restaurent, my wife Lise and I and preceded with an extra dry Martini to put us into the mood. Dinner went well with a bottle of Syraz wine and the night cap after the desert.

Well since I was driving, I took the Martini and limited my self to a glass of wine and gave my Zambouka to my wife ( it had been offered by the restaurent owner). After all I am a responsable man... (LOL)

This had two effects: Lise was mellow and I was just slightly buzzed. On the way back, the temperature had cooled a bit but we kept the top down with the heater at full on and windows up.

Gently I selected some music for the occasion, and some first generation Pink Floyd was on hand in the cd pack. A couple of songs in, the mellow cosmic mood was permiating my entire body and I also noticed that it had the same effect on Lise, so I gently cranked up the sound and took the highway back home.

We were so much in the mood that we were doing the hand motion in the wind over the windscreen at speed of 110 km/h and signing at the top of our lungs Shine on You Crazy Diamond and a few others.

This was a moment of bliss. The confortable ride my other Aston Martiin gives me, the stability of ride at speed even with the top down helped my wife feel secure and confortable, so we had a nice moment of fun.

All of this to say that Aston Martin makes great cars and not to downgrade TVR's or DeLorean's, but the price difference is worth the the expense. The confort level helped my wife relax I.E. I could drive with confidence at speed with out getting the sempiternal `tu roules trop vite, ralenti' (you are driving too fast, slow down) routine!




Francis
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[Francis]

It is now July 15th and had not much chance to drive the DB7 of late...the weather here is abismal...it has rained 2 out of every 3 days in July with temperatures around 60 F... ( 15 C or so) not top down weather... I hope England and Scotland will treat us better starting next week.

Francis
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