1938 Lagonda V12

Wilbur Gunn was an American opera singer who was living in England. He established the Lagonda motorcar company in 1906 in Staines, Middlesex. The name Lagonda was inspired by a Shawnee settlement in Springfield, Ohio, where Gunn was born. By the late 1930s, the Lagonda name had become synonymous with high-speed luxury automobiles, and its engine had grown to 4.5 liters. The 12-cylinder engine was mounted in a 3150mm wheelbase, offering nearly 200 horsepower. Designed by W.O. Bentley, the Lagona short-stroke V-12 engine helped propel the Lagonda team to a third and fourth-place finish at the 24 Hours of LeMans in 1939. In road-going guise, it challenged the Rolls-Royce Phantom III in performance despite its unequal displacement size (the Phantom's had an 8,338cc while the Lagonda measured 4,480cc).

The chassis was equally advanced and sophisticated as the engine, with a hypoid rear axle, torsion bar front setup, large Lockheed hydraulic brakes, and an X-braced frame.

Just 187 examples of these Lagondas were hand-built.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2018