Seems the Brits at Aston Martin just simply won’t be outdone by, well, the other Brtis at Bentley. Accordingly, Aston is planning a jump-start of the once-axed Lagonda SUV concept, based upon the Mercedes-Benz GL and powered by an Aston 6.0-liter V12. Presumably, this is an answer to the forthcoming Bentley SUV.
Funnily enough, that’s not all Aston has planned for the Lagonda moniker. Aston also plans to use the legendary Aston nameplate to start another offshoot brand. The planned Lagonda brand would encompass, “everything that goes beyond what is our base car line and preferably it will be something like an SUV. But it could be – if I look at the next five or 10 year period – then I could see a variety of possibilities,” Aston Martin boss, Dr. Ulrich Bez, admitted to Drive.
This surprising news comes on the heels of a recent report by The Telegraph that Aston posted a $39 million pre-tax loss for 2012.
I’m scratching my head as to why Aston would want to expand its line with another brand when it’s main brand is faltering. When Ford faced losses several years ago, it jettisoned all its brands – including Volvo, which at the time was its only profitable brand – in order to keep Ford alive. Could the reverse plan work? I’m not sure.
The strangeness doesn’t end there, though. Dr. Bez went on to add, “We [Aston] don’t make utility.”
Riddle me this, then, Dr. Bez, what would a huge Aston-built luxury Sport Utility Vehicle based on a German ladder truck frame be, then?
“You do not take an Aston Martin or Lagonda to the shop to buy a fridge and I don’t think this is what utility means to us. It has to have a different kind of comfort and usability,” Bez added.
So Aston, facing losses, is planning another sub-brand that builds large, presumably expensive, truck-based luxury vehicles without any utility. Order the fireworks now, boys, I think we’ve got a hit on our hands.
