Aston Martin’s luxurious new Lagonda super saloon will be made available in strictly limited numbers to more customers around the world.

The British luxury car maker will now accept orders for the Lagonda Taraf – the latest in a proud line of saloons revered worldwide as the finest of fast cars – from prospective owners in more major markets. 

It is now available to clients in EU legislation-compliant Continental Europe, the UK and South Africa, with the Lagonda Taraf now re-engineered to be available in either left or right-hand drive.  

CEO Dr Andy Palmer said: “Opening up the Lagonda Taraf to an increased number of customers around the world was a high priority for me as soon as I joined Aston Martin late last year. I wanted to be able to offer this exceptional saloon to the potential owners from around the globe who have been enquiring about it, and I’m very happy that we have been able to expand the Lagonda proposition.”

Initially available only to buyers in the Middle East, where it was launched in Dubai, UAE, late last year, the Lagonda Taraf is being built in a strictly limited series of no more than 200 cars.

The return of Lagonda follows in the wake of other bespoke special projects by   Aston Martin such as the creation of the extreme Aston Martin Vulcan supercar, Vantage GT3 special edition, One-77, V12 Zagato and the CC100 Speedster Concept.

Based on the brand’s almost infinitely flexible VH architecture, the saloon draws inspiration from the highly sought-after William Towns-designed Lagonda of 1976 and features many of the same cutting edge engineering techniques seen in modern      Aston Martin sports cars, such as the extensive use of carbon fibre body panels.

The car is hand-built by the finest craftsmen and women at Aston Martin’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Gaydon, Warwickshire, in a dedicated building previously given over to the creation of the One-77 supercar. 

The 6.0-litre V12-engined super saloon is being offered to clients through Aston Martin’s VIP sales programme with precise pricing details remaining confidential, and likely to be significantly different in each case due to very high levels of bespoke content, says Aston Martin. 

Each Lagonda customer will have the option of ensuring their car is truly unique by personalising it via the Q by Aston Martin bespoke service. 

Dr Palmer said: “We anticipate very quick expressions of interest from customers around the world, many of whom will want to add Lagonda to their luxury and sports car collections. 

“Aside from its confident style, many buyers will also recognise the Lagonda Taraf as a piece of automotive history, following in the tracks of its distinguished predecessor the William Towns Lagonda.”

He added: “I’m also particularly pleased that we have been able to engineer Lagonda for right-hand drive markets meaning, of course, that I’m sure we will see the car in use on Aston Martin’s home ground of the UK in due course.”

Aside from its original markets in the Middle East, the car is now also available in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, and Ukraine.

First customer cars will be delivered to the Middle East in Q1 2015.

The Lagonda Engineering Company, founded by American Wilbur Gunn in 1899, made its first motor car in 1906 in Middlesex, England. The company went on to establish itself as a rival to other luxury sports car makers of the time, and Bentley founder W.O. Bentley even designed engines for Lagonda. 

The brand triumphed at Le Mans in 1935, and was bought by Sir David Brown in 1947 to sit alongside his acquisition of Aston Martin. 

A Lagonda-branded saloon GT, the Rapide – based on a DB4 – was produced in 1961, while the striking William Towns-designed Lagonda was launched in 1976, going out of production finally in 1989. 

In 2009 Aston Martin unveiled a Lagonda concept SUV at the Geneva Motor Show to mark the centenary of Lagonda’s first four-wheeled car in 1909.