Hi-Tech English Electronics? Oh, Please

The first Lagondas used red LEDs that failed with alarming regularity, but the CRTs that replaced them cost a fortune to repair

by Rob Sass

Every so often, British industry has an epiphany and produces something truly groundbreaking. While perhaps not as significant as the introduction of radar or disc brakes, the Aston Martin Lagonda—along with the Concorde—symbolizes Britain’s struggle against becoming technologically irrelevant in the 1970s. The Lagonda marque saw only sporadic revival after WWII, with the large Facel Excellence-like Rapide and a very small run of stretched AM V8 saloons. Neither created much of a buzz. In the early 1970s, Aston and new owner Peter Sprague wanted their new four-door flagship to create a huge splash, especially among buyers in the oil-rich Middle East.

Stylist William Towns held up his end of the bargain and succeeded in creating a design unlike anything seen before or since. The Lagonda caused a sensation when it was introduced at the 1976 London Motor Show. Low and knife-edged from the origami school of design, the car was striking, with a minimum...