Location
| Los Angeles, California
2009 Aston Martin Lagonda LUV Concept
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Offered Without Reserve
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- A unique “luxury utility vehicle” concept built to celebrate the centennial of Lagonda
- Debuted at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, years ahead of the current ultra-luxury SUV trend
- Powered by a 5.9-liter Aston Martin V-12 and built on Mercedes-Benz GL-class underpinnings
- Hand-crafted aluminum coachwork, with a plush four-seat interior
- A striking, one-of-a-kind concept car not designed for road use
Today it is practically a given that ultra-luxury and performance marques will have at least one SUV in their lineup; in 2009, that was still a bold idea. An unlikely preview of what was to come arrived at that year’s Geneva Motor Show, when Aston Martin revealed the concept Lagonda LUV—or “luxury utility vehicle”—which is now offered here.
Intended to preview a luxurious all-wheel drive vehicle with an eye toward developing markets, Aston Martin also pitched the LUV as a 100th anniversary celebration of the Lagonda marque (although 1906 is generally recognized as the year of Lagonda’s founding). Its aluminum bodywork, however, was unlike anything made by the company before or since. Though the exterior was rather polarizing, the concept’s underpinnings were surprisingly production-plausible. The chassis was sourced from a Mercedes-Benz GL-class vehicle, and power came from Aston Martin’s excellent naturally aspirated 5.9-liter V-12—here given special Lagonda branding.
The concept was designed to move under its own power, but it was not intended for road use, and the drive gear is selected via a cabled remote control unit. The cabin is, however, richly trimmed, with a plush four-seat configuration that predicted the comfortable luxury off-roaders of today.
Aston Martin retained the concept for some time, after which it was sold to a private collector. In 2023, the Lagonda was acquired by The Boeckmann Collection, where it has remained ever since. Though the LUV did not ultimately go into production, the Lagonda marque did return in 2015 with the exclusive Taraf, a four-door luxury car of which only 200 examples were built—a vehicle very different than the concept offered here. Aston Martin, meanwhile, began producing its DBX luxury crossover in 2020, over a decade after this the LUV made its debut.
A one-of-a-kind showpiece, as prescient in its aims as it is unconventional in appearance, this Lagonda concept would be a truly unique addition to any collection that seeks to tell the full story of the Aston Martin and Lagonda marques.
