1939 Lagonda V12

Lagonda was founded in England in 1899 by American Wilbur Gunn. Lagonda is the Shawnee Indian name for Buck Creek in Gunn's native Springfield, Ohio. Automobile production began in the early 1900s, focusing on the luxury automotive segment, with continual development, improvement, and size throughout the years. The engines became more refined, culminating with the 4.5-liter, 6-cylinder Lagonda Rapide that was shown at the London Motor Show in 1934.

In 1935, lawyer Alan P. Good successfully outbid Rolls-Royce for control of Lagonda. Additionally, he was able to recruit W.O. Bentley as chief engineer followed by many of his former engineering staff from Rolls-Royce, the firm that had previously gained control over Bentley Motors Ltd in 1931. W.O. had been kept on as customer relations and testing advisor.

At Lagonda, W.O. and his newly formed team were tasked with improving the existing six-cylinder M45 chassis while simultaneously designing a new model. He improved the ignition and manifold on the M45 model and a new L45 model introduced in 1934. In October of 1936, the new LG6 was announced, featuring a torsion bar independent front suspension, a hypoid rear axle, and hydraulic brakes. The new V-12 model was also announced at the Olympia Motor Show, and the car's chassis were similar, with factory bodies offered on either chassis. Production did not begin until October 1937 and would continue until the outbreak of war in 1940. Customers favored the larger 12-cylinder engine over the six, with 189 examples of the twelve sold and just 85 of the six.

The Lagonda V-12s of 1937 to 1940s ranked among the finest automobiles and rivaled the contemporary multi-cylinder products on the market. The heart of the new Lagonda was its V12 engine by W.O. and engineer Stuart Tresilian, whom Bentley had recruited from Rolls-Royce. It had a 60-degree veed angle, and modern overhead-valve cylinder heads with a single overhead camshaft per cylinder bank. It had a short and compact stroke unit, with cylinder blocks cast in unit with the crankcase and side-by-side connecting rods. It was strong and lightweight thanks to leading-edge metallurgy and materials, with every component rigorously tested for reliability. The standard setup included a pair of new-design SU downdraft carburetors, helping to produce 180 horsepower at 5,500 engine revolutions. The engine was fitted into a robust box-section frame that had cross members and cruciform bracing making it strong enough to carry the most luxurious coachwork. Braking was handled by modern hydraulic drum brakes and the suspension was comprised of an advanced independent torsion-bar front setup. Top speed, depending on coachwork, was in the neighborhood of 105 mph.

A sportier version of the V12 was called the Rapide. It rested upon a shorter 124-inch wheelbase and came with a four-carburetor engine offering upwards of 210 horsepower at 5,500 engine revolutions. Coachwork included a drophead-coupe penned by Lagonda designer Frank Feeley and built in-house. Just 17 examples of the V-12 Rapide were built, including two 1939 Le Mans racing cars and three or four with external coachwork.

At the LeMans 24 Hour race in 1939, Lagonda claimed 3rd and 4th overall and 1st and 2nd in Class.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2019

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