Series 4

STORY

The Aston Martin Lagonda of 1976 is one of the most audacious luxury cars ever made, an extreme statement of the 1970s "folded paper" wedge aesthetic. Designed by William Towns, the long, low, razor-edged four-door saloon looked like nothing else on the road and stood alongside icons such as the Lamborghini Countach among the era's most striking wedge shapes.

Built on lengthened V8 saloon underpinnings and powered by Aston's carburetted 5.3-litre V8, the Lagonda was notorious for its ambitious, unreliable electronic dashboard, an early all-digital instrument display with touch-sensitive controls that pushed 1970s technology far past its limits and drove development costs sky-high.

Despite its flaws it became a status symbol, particularly in the Middle East, and remained in production until 1990. Hand-built in small numbers, it kept Aston Martin afloat through difficult years and remains a cult classic of daring design.