1939 Lagonda V12 news, pictures, and information

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Drophead Coupe
Chassis Num: 14069

This 1939 Lagonda V12 Drophead Coupe was offered for sale at the 2007 RM Auctions held in Amelia Island, Florida. It is powered by a 4480cc overhead valve V12 engine capable of producing 180 horsepower. There is a four-speed manual gearbox and Lockheed drum brakes. The elegant body rests atop a 124-inch wheelbase.

There is an independent front suspension which eliminated the solid front axle. This allowed the engine to be placed much lower in the chassis and decrease its center of gravity.

This is a right-hand drive vehicle with seating for four. It is finished in British Racing Green with dark green accent belt moldings. There is a green leather interior and the drop top cloth is black. There are dual spare covered side mounted tires, with one of the cases containing the tool kit and jack. The disc wheels are comprised of polished aluminum.

This car was shown at the 1997 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where it was awarded a First in Class. There were 190 examples of the V12 Lagonda's constructed, with this example shown being one of the last.

At auction, the vehicle surpassed the estimated value, selling for $451,000.

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Drophead Coupe

This 1939 Lagonda V12 Rapide was on display at the 2006 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. It is in two-door configuration and has no side-mounted spare tire nor running boards. There is a generous use of chrome throughout the vehicle and an elegant two-tone paint scheme.

At the Pebble Beach Concours, the car was awarded a Third in Class in the European Classis 1936-1939 Open Late Category.

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Drophead Coupe

This model was designed and developed by W.O. Bentley after he left Rolls-Royce in 1935. It was introduced at the 1936 Olympia International Automobile Exhibition in London and went into production in 1937. With a shortened LG6 chassis and a 4480cc V-12 engine with dual overhead camshafts, the car was capable of 180 bhp and speeds of 100 mph. The coachwork was designed by chief designer Frank Feeley and built in the Lagonda factory, which was known for its superb quality and attention to detail. World War II eventually ended the car's production, so just 189 cars were produced in this series.

Wilbur Gunn constructed his first self-propelled vehicle in 1899; it was a motorized bicycle with an engine of his own design that powered the front wheel. Soon, his backyard greenhouse had been converted into a factory used for constructing belt-driven motorcycles. Gunn, an American opera singer living in England, had selected the name 'Lagonda' from an Ohio creek. The creek had been named after a Shawnee Indian phrase.

By 1907, the first Lagonda vehicle had been constructed. By the mid-1920s he had created an engine that utilized an overhead valve with a hemi-head. The engine displaced two-liters and had twin cams high in the block. The cars powered by these engines were called the 14/60. The cars quickly gained a reputation for their potent engines and their equally impressive brakes.

The first true sports car created by Lagonda appeared near the close of 1927. It was based on the 14/60 and given two-liter engine with twin carburetors and a higher compression ratio. Top speed was in the neighborhood of eighty miles per hour.

Within a year, a larger version of the engine was introduced, now displacing three-liters. The engines gained a reputation for their durability and longevity which helped in longer endurance races.

The Type M45 was shown at the 1934 London Motor Show. Under the bonnet was a Meadows six-cylinder pushrod engine. The M45R was formed by applying modifications to the engine. This version was used in the Rapide models and powered the winning car of the 1935 LeMans 24-Hour race for Lagonda. Two modified M45s were entered in the 1934 Tourist Trophy with each finishing rather well.

Britain imposed a new 30 mph speed limit which had sales plummeting for the Lagonda marque. They offered six different Lagonda models which stretched the company beyond their means and were forced to declare bankruptcy a short time later. The company was reformed as LG Motors.

With the help of W.O. Bentley, the first LG-Series car made their appearance in 1935. The engine size and performance continued to grow throughout the years. Soon, the engine was displacing 4.5-liters. In 1939 two specially bodied V12 Lagonda's finished 1st and 2nd in Class at the 24-Hours of LeMans. They had finished the race in 3rd and 4th position overall.

A Lagonda V12 was entered in a 500 mile race at Brooklands where it emerged victorious and beat the Bentley entered cars. Top speed was reported to be over 100 mph.

The LG45 was available in two chassis lengths and four engine choices. There were a total of 278 examples constructed. 25 of these were the Rapide. During World War II, there were 100 examples ordered by the British Navy. They were never used and sold as scrap once the war concluded.

In 1944, a German V-1 flying bomb hit Lagonda's production facilities and put the company out of business.

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