Aston Martin shocked the world in 1976 when they unveiled the sensational Lagonda Saloon at the London Motor Show. The spectacularly futuristic, Avant Garde styling was penned (with a straightedge, we imagine) by the great designer William Towns. The chassis was unique to the new car, utilizing the existing Tadek Marek-designed 5.3 liter V8 engine, which was backed by a Chrysler-sourced Torque-Flite automatic transmission. Looking back at other luxury saloons of 1976, it is particularly amazing that Aston took such a gamble with the styling, and even more so that it paid off. Not only did Aston Martin push the envelope in terms of style, they also pushed the boundaries of technology with a highly ambitious LED instrument panel with gas-plasma touch screen controls. The system seemed straight out of science fiction, and despite being beautiful to look at, proved to be horrifically unreliable.