Ian Grange, a northern dealer in exotica, told me he bought one of the first Lagondas second-hand off Victor Gauntlet, paying £5,000 over list for the car, which then spent the next seven months going back and forward to Newport Pagnell having its electrics sorted.
Roger Ivett, who runs an unofficial register for the cars and a web page (
www.astonmartinlagonda.net) used his car everyday for a couple of years.
'Buy the best you can' he advises 'It's cheaper to buy a good car than restore a bad one. Look at as many examples as possible for comparison. If you are not technical yourself get a specialist inspection. Join the Aston Martin Owners Club and get others opinions of the car.'
Dampness can also affect electrics and interior upholstery.
These cars don't like living outside, he warns. 'There are too many ways for water and damp to get in.' Look for corrosion on sills, underneath, door shuts, the bottom of the A-posts, door bottoms and around lights.
The interior - head lining, leather, veneers, and carpets - should be dry, clean and undamaged. 'Avoid cars with obvious neglect' says Ivett.
Engines are tested and pretty bullet-proof although, obviously, very expensive if they do go wrong in a big way.
'The digital dashes are not as bad as they are made out to be and can be fixed. Early ones are probably the most temperamental due to neglect or lack of use.'
'Of course' say Ivett, 'I didn't take any of this advice and bought mine on impulse… but it's a huge amount of car for the money. There are plenty of rough examples out there, as you might expect - mine included - but if you can find a good one, buy it and enjoy it: it will never fail to turn heads because of the design.'
