Lagonda Taraf — 2014
The Lagonda Taraf represents Aston Martin’s attempt to conquer the ultra-luxury segment of stately saloons, a direct rival to the Rolls-Royce Phantom and the Bentley Mulsanne. Initially sold exclusively in the Middle East — a region whose word “Taraf” evokes supreme luxury in Arabic — it adopts an all-carbon-fibre body of contemporary elegance, an interior of absolute opulence hand-stitched by the craftsmen of Gaydon, and the naturally aspirated 6.0-litre V12 that gives it performance far superior to its direct competitors.
Produced in around 200 examples at a price close to a million euros, the Lagonda Taraf is one of the least known cars among the general public but one of the most exclusive ever produced by the marque. Its wider sale to other markets from 2016 did not significantly increase its visibility. It marks the rebirth of the Lagonda marque as an ultra-luxury label distinct from Aston Martin, a strategy that would be continued with the announcement of a future electric Lagonda.