"The Pale Horse". What was that car?

Manxman_in_exile

What was the car driven by the Rufus Sewell character in BBC's "The Pale Horse" adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel?

I wondered at first if it was a Jag but decided it wasn't.  Then wondered if it was an Alvis or something.  The reviewer in the Sunday Times said it was an Aston Martin Lagonda but the only one of that sort of vintage I know of was the Rapide and it didn't look like one of those.

Anyone able to identify it?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000f9xw/the-pale-horse

Stubod

...googling does suggest that it's a Lagonda Coupe 1956 vintage? (Lagonda being owned by Aston Martin)......

Goudy

I believe it's an Aston Martin Lagonda 3 litre drophead coupe built by Tickford, built between 1953 and 1958.
The Rapide came later, (1961 I think) it had twin headlamps and an ugly grill "mustache". 

Goudy

Prince Philip's old 3 litre
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/classic/prince-philips-1954-lagonda-car-sold-at-auction/

The Rapide
https://www.insidehook.com/article/vehicles/aston-martin-lagonda-rapide-for-sale

NBLondon

https://drive-my.com/en/test-drive/item/2615-lagonda-3-litre-tickford-drophead-road-test.html    I agree with Goudy
The Lagonda name was dropped in the late 60s - except for a handful of 4-door versions of the V8.  Then resurfaced in the 80s with the wedge-shaped Towns designs.   Then a few concept cars.  Then the Lagonda Taraf in 2015/16.

Manxman_in_exile

Thanks all.

Definitely a 1954 3 litre tickford drophead.

V. nice

lincroft1710

After Rolls Royce acquired Bentley, W O Bentley joined the Lagonda company and designed some very fine cars for them. However in 1947 David Brown bought both  Lagonda and Aston Martin. Both companies retained their separate identities but used the same engines in different states of tune.
 
After the relative success of the 1948 introduced 2.6 litre models, Lagonda replaced them with the more modernly styled 3 litre models (2 and 4 dr saloons and a convertible) in 1953 of which the car in "The Pale Horse" was an example. Only 270 cars were produced (just over half the total of the 2.6 litre) so the convertible would be pretty rare. Production ceased in 1958 (convertible in 1957) and no more Lagonda cars were built until 55 examples of the graceful 4 litre Rapide from 1961 to 1964.

It wasn't until 1974 that Aston Martin resurrected Lagonda to be used as a model name (rather than a make) on an extended wheelbase 4 dr version of the AM DBS V8 (7 built). The most famous Aston Martin Lagonda was the William Towns designed model introduced in 1976.