The original Aston Martin Lagonda sedan is one of the coolest-looking cars of all time. Its iconic shape and weird tech were symbols of the excess of the late 1970s and 1980s. We’d all be lucky to own one at some point in our lives, which is why I’ve got a heavy heart as I say this particular 1985 Aston Martin Lagonda will ruin your life. Any Lagonda will be brutal to maintain, but this one is in a class of its own.
Beverly Hills Car Club has listed this 1985 Lagona for just $36,500. It sounds like a really great deal when you consider pristine examples are selling for over $100,000, but I promise this will not end well for you. Look at the faded paint, the rust the missing componentry, the ruined interior and everything else about this car that is shoddy. Now, look at your family and friends. Do you want to see them again? Do you want them to love you? If the answer is yes, you should not buy this car. By my rough estimation, this car will take about $10,000,000,000 and 500 years worth of restoration to get perfect again. Is that what you want to do with your life? I didn’t think so.
The seller noted that while this Lagonda Series II with 58,460 miles on the clock is technically running and driving, it’s going to take some “mechanical work” before it can be roadworthy again. You think?
Honestly, forget the mechanical work. The body and interior will be more than enough for you to handle. Every single body panel is faded, rusted or corroded. I don’t even know where you’d begin. It’s not like Lagonda body panels are just lying around.
Then you move inside, and you see that somehow matters are even worse. The leather is torn to shreds, the carpet is stained, the wood is faded and every touch point is worn out. What the hell happened to this car? Also, at some point in this car’s life, its trick CRT gauge cluster was pulled out and replaced with regular dials. Boo!
None of this even considers the electrics within the car. This is late-1970s British engineering. The electronics were not meant to last this long. I cannot imagine the state they are in, but if I had to hazard a guess, I’d go with “poor.”
Would it be cool to resurrect this Lagaonda and return it to its former glory? Absolutely. You just have to know what you’re getting yourself into. This has the potential to be one of the coolest restoration projects someone has done in an awful long time, but just know that it will come at the expense of all your money and loved ones. A small price to pay for British excellence.
