There is a book, a definitive book in the offices of Haji Husein Alireza & Co. Ltd that few will ever be privileged to see. In that book is one of the automotive world's most closely guarded secrets. It is the book of the Lagonda “TARAF”. Dormant for half a century, the legendary Lagonda badge has reemerged under the watchful eye of Aston Martin's specialist - limited edition and “Q” projects divisions. Rumors of the reemergence of the classic marque are rife in the automotive trade with “spy” photos alleging to have caught the first glimpse of this unique car. The fact is that those photos bear little resemblance to the finished article. What has been revealed is intriguing. It is a large car, with more legroom in rear cabin than most Bentley & Rolls Royce models and larger the long-wheelbase BMW 7-series. The interior finish will express the individuality of the client, and be of the finest quality that British craftsmanship can produce. Each car will embody the highly personalized luxury appointments that one would expect from an ultra-luxury saloon car. Yet, true to the sporting heritage of the marque, which includes wins at the 24-Hour Le Mans race, the Lagonda will have the feel and muscle of a sports saloon car. It will be built by the Aston Martin - Elite Car team in the same high tech. factory, which was created to build the world acclaimed One-77 supercar. Masters at designing and creating highly unique, stylish and collectable master pieces of automotive art and engineering is what Aston Martin are particularly good at and the Lagonda will no doubt with this 21st Century car – embody the true ethos of this niche brand. There is no doubt the Lagonda will become a highly collectable car as just 200 of them will ever be produced and those, at a build rate of just four cars per week, exclusively for the Middle East market! The Aston Martin One-77 - sold out in just 18 months and has appreciated by 25 percent to date. The Zagato looks to be heading the same way and the Lagonda will surely follow in its august cousins' tire tracks. Yet it will incorporate some fascinating contradictions. In the era of body panels made from stamped metals, carbon composites or deformation of plastic - the Lagonda calls on the ancient skills of the metal-smith. All the panels will be sculpted entirely by hand by custodians of that ancient art before being finished with 23 coats of paint – applied by the most skilled paint sprayers in the automotive industry. In these days of the robot, the engine of each vehicle will be built by hand by one of a team of four engine builders each of whom will personally sign off his work. On the road, the Lagonda is fast, has exceptional handling and is hugely powerful. By contrast, the interior is the essence of luxury, incorporating the very finest British craftsmanship and materials to provide the ultimate four-door touring-car environment. Once again in the deceptively traditional environment of the interior, the contrast of tradition and modernity is evident as the car uses state of the art yet comfortingly traditional looking instrumentation to monitor the extremely complex systems that control the vehicle. The Lagonda, due to be revealed toward the end of 2014, will be a real head-turner of a vehicle. The team that created and were bestowed with the title of creating the ‘‘Most Beautiful Four-Door Sports Car In The World” and the creators of the Aston Martin One-77 have now delivered both a superb vehicle and a true collectible investment. Your passengers, as you glide in flawless luxury with the heady knowledge that some 600 horsepower is a touch of right foot pressure away that can deliver the ability to cruise at one fifth of the speed of sound, will surely want to know where they can get one of these truly unique cars. Unless they are as quick off the mark as the Lagonda, they probably will not be able to. Fortunately, Haji Husein Alireza & Company the sole distributor for the Aston Martin brand in the KSA have been selected to hold a copy of the ultra confidential book of the Lagonda. — SG
