GAYDON, England — Aston Martin confirms it will bring out a new brand of luxury cars under the resurrected name Lagonda. The move should expand Aston Martin's global reach — and improve its worldwide sales — over the next few years.The first glimpse of the new Lagonda will come sometime in 2009, during the brand's 100th anniversary, when the first prototype should appear. A production model is expected by 2012. The announcement came Monday from Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez, who says he hopes that the new brand will allow the company to sell vehicles in more than 100 countries, compared with the 32 in which Aston Martin currently has a presence.'The revival of the Lagonda brand would allow us to develop cars which can have a different character than a sports car, and therefore offer a perfect synergy,' said Bez. 'Lagonda will use a unique design language, as Aston Martin does. We will take elements of DNA from the past but will be very future orientated as we are with Aston Martin.'Bez says Aston Martin volume is currently held back by the limited market demand for sports cars, but Lagonda will offer new opportunities with 'exclusive, luxurious and truly versatile products with high quality and usability and suitable for both existing and emerging markets.'The Lagonda brand has been owned by Aston Martin since 1947. The last major production model sold under the Lagonda name, the Rapide, ended production in 1965. The Rapide name will be brought back with a four-door sedan set to go on sale in 2009, but that car will be sold under the Aston Martin nameplate.What this means to you: Just 16 months after being cut loose from Ford, Aston Martin is showing it's still a major player by introducing a second brand. — Eric Tingwall, Correspondent