1961-1964 Lagonda Rapide

by the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide
After a three-year hiatus, the Lagonda marque returned on a high-performance sedan -- the 1961-1964 Lagonda Rapide -- as Aston Martin again tried the four-door GT formula. The Rapide used a longer-wheelbase version of the DB4 platform, with a de Dion rear suspension and the same dohc six in a lower state of tune. Sleek body styling was spoiled by a clumsy front-end treatment, with four headlamps (two large and two small) and an unfortunate Edsel-like vertical grille.

The 1961-1964 Lagonda Rapide was more massive than the DB4, too much so to qualify as an Aston Martin product in the mind of prospective buyers, though the car lived up to its name with a top speed of approaching 130 mph. Production was an on-again, off-again proposition, and virtually all the handful of cars actually completed remained in England.

Pluses of the 1961-1964 Lagonda Rapide:
  • Very rare
  • Aston performance with four-door convenience
  • Many mechanical parts still stocked
  • Nice lines despite front end
Minuses of the 1961-1964 Lagonda Rapide:
  • Where do you begin to look?
  • Big, heavy, and thirsty
  • Body parts extinct
Production of the 1961-1964 Lagonda Rapide:
55

Specifications of the 1961-1964 Lagonda Rapide:
Wheelbase, inches: 114.0
Length, inches: 195.5
Weight, pounds: 3,780
Price, new: NA

Engines for the 1961-1964 Lagonda Rapide:

Type Size
Horsepower
Years
dohc I-6
 3,995 cc (244 cid)
 236 1961-1964

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