1962 Aston Martin Lagonda Rapide – Scale Model Review

From time to time Aston Martin, using their Lagonda brand, launched a four-door saloons. In 1961 they brought back the Lagonda name again with the Rapide saloon which was based on the then current Aston Martin DB4 but was the first car to use the new dual overhead cam 4-liter inline six which produced 236 bhp, at 5500 RPM and 288-foot-pounds of torque at a relatively high 3850 RPM. With this power unit, the car was reported to achieve 0-60 in 9.0 seconds, quite fast for the era, and a top speed of a very impressive 130 MPH. This was, however, the last Lagonda to use a six-cylinder engine although this engine was standard fitment in the DB5.

1962 Lagonda Rapide #5

The Rapide used a de Dion rear end and unlike many Astons of the era, used disc wheels. Most came with a three speed Borg Warner automatic gearboxes and all had quite advanced for the time, dual circuit brakes. Side and rear end styling were similar to the DB4 but the front styling differed substantially and was quite controversial with its four head lamps, two large 7-inch ones and two smaller 5-inch inner ones. Some with less reverence even saw a similarity to the discontinued Edsel.

1962 Lagonda Rapide #2

Body panels were pressed aluminum over what was known as a Superleggera tubular steel frame yet the car weighed in at just under 3700 US pounds. Production spanned four years but surprisingly only 55 were built perhaps due to the £4950 starting price which equates to about $140,000 in today’s dollars. For this, all were hand built to order.

1962 Lagonda Rapide 1

Forty-eight survive today making this a very rare Aston Martin product indeed. And for the really, really rare a one-off shooting brake, (station wagon) version was made by the Carrosserie Company Ltd. of Barnard Castle, England on a bespoke basis for some lucky owner. Buyers of these cars wanted something more exclusive and perhaps, sporty, than the much more common contemporary Jaguar Mark II or even the more stately V8 powered Bentley S3.

1962 Lagonda Rapide #3

Now in spite of the prototype car’s rarity, NEO, a prolific maker of 1:43rd scale models of American and foreign automobiles, is producing a model of this Rapide in silver metallic. NEO is based in the Netherlands but with production in the toy and model center of China about 60 miles north of Hong Kong. This replica measures 4.62 inches long with a wheelbase of 2.68 making it a pretty accurate 43rd scale.

The model is finished in a glossy silver color with a bright red interior and right-hand drive. Detailed observation will show a wooden steering wheel and a beautifully done burled wood fascia and instrument decals. As is typical of NEO’s resin replicas, there is no chassis detail with the exception of the twin chrome tailpipes exiting on the left-hand side. There are even two Superleggera photo etched badges beside the hood opening. And there are Lagonda winged badges on the nose and rear license plate plinth.

1962 Lagonda Rapide #4

Photos show a Vitesse model green Aston Martin DB4 coupe to illustrate the Rapide’s heritage. So if you are into collecting miniatures of elegant and rare British cars here’s one for your display case. Grab one while you can as NEO’s production will be decidedly more than the production of the real car but still pretty limited in number.

John F. Quilter
John F. Quilter is a long time British car fan and former employee of British Leyland in North America. He has a collection of over 2000 British car models, and that collection continues to grow. Originally from California, John now makes his own in Eugene, Oregon. Click here to see more about John and his cars.