1937 Lagonda LG45 Rapide

Lagonda's history is filled with a long list of accomplished sports cars, a succession of high-profile race victories, and culminated with a win at Le Mans in 1935. Founded in 1906 in Staines, Middlesex, by the American Wilbur Gunn (1859-1920), who named it after a river near his hometown of Springfield, Ohio, production began with motorcycles in the garden of Gunn's house. Success was immediate, with a victory at the 1905 London to Edinburgh Trial. His first car was launched in 1907, and in 1910, its reputation was firmly established by winning the Moscow - St Petersburg Reliability Trial of 1910 with a 30hp six. The road-going vehicles it produced concentrated mainly on light cars before reverting to sporting and luxury models in the mid-1920s with the introduction of the four-cylinder, 2-liter 14/60 model. In 1929, the 14/60 was joined by the first of Lagonda's own sizes - the 3-Litre.

Lagonda's manufacturing began a new path in 1933 when it introduced the M45 at the Olympia Show. Based on the preceding ZM 3-Litre model, it was powered by a 4.5-liter, twin-plug six-cylinder engine by Meadows. The succession of six-cylinder models that followed, including the 3.5-liter (1935), the LG45 (1936-1937), and the LG6 (1938-1940) came equipped with engines by Meadows.

A team of three cars prepared by Lagonda's main agents, Fox & Nicholl, with highly tuned engines, Girling drum brakes, and short chassis, contested the 1934 RAC Tourist Trophy, finishing in fourth, fifth, and eighth place. The following year, one of these TT cars, driven by John Hindmarsh and Luis Fontes, won the 24-Hours of LeMans. These cars were the basis for the Lagonda M45 Rapide, and became even more refined with its successor, the LG45.

Walter Owen Bentley

English engineer Walter Owen (W.O.) Bentley founded Bentley Motors Limited in London in 1919. From small premises in London, the company would quickly evolve into one of the most respected automobile manufacturers of its era, securing victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930. W.O.'s motto was 'To build a good car, a fast car, the best in class.'

Although successful, Bentley fell on hard times in the early 1930s and the company entered voluntary liquidation in July 1931. Bentley's arch-rival, Rolls-Royce, outbid Napier at the last minute and acquired the company. W.O. was obliged by the court to join Rolls-Royce under a contract that began in March 1932 and continued to the end of April 1935. The Lagonda M45R Rapide with a Meadows engine won the 1935 Le Mans 24-hour race on June 16, 1935 (putting an end to Alfa Romeo's four consecutive win streak). The following week, Lagonda was saved from receivership by Alan P. Good. Shortly thereafter, W.O. became part of the new Lagonda board, serving as Technical Director. He was joined by the majority of Rolls-Royce's racing department staff. Although W.O. was unable to persuade Harry Grylls to join his engineering staff, he was able to recruit Stewart Tresilian, Frank Stark, Reg Ingham, and Donald Bastow. Tresilian became the chief designer of the V12 project that was introduced in 1937. The 4,480cc engine initially produced 180 horsepower and offered top speeds in excess of 100 mph. When Tresilian left in early 1938 for a Hawker Siddeley subsidiary, the development of the V12 stalled, and progress was eventually canceled due to Lagonda's financial difficulties, prompting more staff to leave.

After World War II, Lagonda was acquired by David Brown in 1947 and moved in with Aston Martin (another purchase by Mr. Brown) in Feltham, Middlesex. Production resumed with the final prototypes from Bentley, the 1948 Lagonda 2.6-Liter twin overhead camshaft straight-six engine, which became the basis for the Aston Martin engines of the 1950s.

The Lagonda LG45

Under W.O. Bentley's technical direction, the Lagonda LG45 gained numerous improvements over its M45 predecessor, including flexible engine mounts, synchromesh gears, and centralized chassis lubrication. The LG45 came in three versions known as 'Sanction' (improvements) 1, 2, and 3, each with more Bentley refinements. By 1938, the LG6 had gained hydraulic brakes and an independent front suspension by torsion bar.

The 4,453cc single overhead camshaft inline six-cylinder engine with twin SU carburetors produced 120 horsepower at 3,400 RPM. Output varied depending on configuration, with 1937 models delivering upwards of 150 horsepower at 5,500 RPM. The engine was paired with a four-speed manual transmission with a single dry plate clutch, and stopping power was by four-wheel Girling hydraulic drum brakes. The chassis was suspended by semi-elliptic leaf springs, with a solid front and live rear axle. The standard wheelbase size measured 129 inches.

It is believed that 278 examples of the LG45 were built, plus an additional 25 higher-specification Rapides. This was lower than the 410 M45s (plus 53 M45 R Rapdie) and the 470 Rapiers (plus 45 higher specification examples).

Following the LG45, the 4,467cc six-cylinder Meadows engine powered by the LG6, which was produced from 1937 to 1940. It used the chassis of the V12 model but lengthened by 3.5 inches to accommodate the longer inline engine. Sixty-seven examples had a wheelbase size of 127 inches, and eighteen measured 135 inches.

by Dan Vaughan

Boattail Convertible Coupe
Chassis number: 12245/G10S
Engine number: 12245

Having left his name behind but not his talent, W.O. Bentley would apply all his skills to make Lagonda into the automotive company it could be. Lagonda was already proving itself on the track and on the road, but Bentley's final touches would help to create a masterpiece.

Drawing the name from a Shawnee settlement located near Springfield, Ohio, Lagonda would be the brain-child of former opera singer and Scottish-American Wilbur Gunn. Becoming a British national just before the beginning of the 20th century, Gunn would start out building motorcycles but would soon turn his efforts to automobiles.

By the 1920s, Lagonda was becoming a more viable competitor to the Bentley and Rolls Royce automobiles that populated Britain at the time. However, the company still lacked that certain something or someone.

Financial troubles would see the company purchased by Alan Good, and he would persuade W.O. Bentley to leave Rolls Royce to come and help make Lagonda into the success it could always be.

It wouldn't take long before Bentley began tweaking and building what was to become its best engine yet—the V-12. The 4.5-liter engine would produce some 180bhp and could rev to an impressive 5,000rpm.

The more powerful engines would be mated to heavier bodies that were also positioned closer to the ground. This would actually increase the car's handling characteristics, though it did hinder performance a bit. Nonetheless, the combination would come together to help the company achieve victory at Le Mans with a shortened M45R chassis.

Perhaps the grandest of Lagonda's pre-World War II vehicles would have to be the pricey Rapide. Combined with Bentley's tweaked V-12 engine and the low-slung body, the car had aggressive looks, but also looked very elegant at the same time.

This particular example, chassis 12245/G10S, would be among those LG45 Rapide's greatly desired among the sporting elite of the day The fact that only 25 examples would ever be produced would make them greatly desired even today.

The third from the last to ever roll out of the factory, this car would be completed in September of 1937 and would be fitted with a right-hand change gearbox. Its first owner was believed to be a Mr. Jones living in Surrey.

Mr. Laurence Mitchell bought the car just before the outbreak of the Second World War and would retain ownership of the car right up through the mid-1950s. Then, in 1955, the car was sold by Mitchell. Josh Shirman, a vendor who opened his own garage in London following the war, would purchase the car from Mitchell and would take great care looking after the car, only using it on very special occasions and in good English weather.

The car would be retained by Shirman for more than three decades. In fact, the car would remain with him longer than that as it would be years before he actually registered the Rapide. More than three decades with Shirman and the car would never be more than walking distance away from the original Lagonda factory.

Shirman would go to great lengths to take care of the car, keeping it as original as possible In fact, as late as 1993, the car would be described by Lagonda experts as highly original and un-restored.

Shirman really started to let the Lagonda out in his latter-years. He and the car would make appearances at charity shows and charity events. The car would take part in charitable runs and would even appear in shows at Rickmansworth and The Princess Royal hospital.

Tested annually, the car remained in good working order with only light overhaul and modifications being undertaken. At the time of its sale in 2008, the car remained highly original.

Since coming to its new owner, 12245 has undergone some rather extensive restoration efforts, but maintaining originality has been a major focus. Now completed in a green finish, the chrome brightwork accents the color sharply and the Lagonda is now complete with show book and extensive images from the restoration process.

One of just 25 LG45 Rapides to be built, and show-ready, this 1937 Lagonda would be made available for sale through the 2015 Gooding & Company Pebble Beach auction. As a result of the restoration efforts and the sheer reputation of the brand, estimates prior to the auction had the sale price falling somewhere between $900,000 and $1,200,000. When the bidding came to an end, a sale price of $880,000, inclusive of the buyer's premium, would be realized.

by Jeremy McMullen

Boattail Convertible Coupe
Chassis number: 12245/G10S
Engine number: 12245

Lagonda, founded in 1906, was purchased by Alan Good in 1935, who also hired W.O. Bentley. Lagonda's in-house designer Frank Feely styled the LG 45 Rapide and W.O. Bentley turned it into a luxury sports car. This car is one of the 25 examples built between 1936 and 1937 and has an overhead valve 4.5-liter in-line 6-cylinder engine developing 119 horsepower and a top speed of 100 mph.

Drophead Coupe
Chassis number: 12224

Alan P. Good and Dick Watney rescued Lagonda from receivership in the mid-1930s, outbidding Rolls-Royce to acquire it. They quickly reorganized the business as LG Motors and recruited W.O. Bentley as chief engineer, along with most of his former engineering staff at Rolls-Royce. Bentley re-developed the existing M45 in the improved LG45, offered in two wheelbase lengths measuring 129- and 135-inches. Improvements and modifications included softer springs, updates to the M45's 'twin-plug' 4.5-liter Meadows engine, and new Girling brakes.

Production of the LG45 lasted from 1935 through the end of 1937 in four batches or 'sanctions.' The Sanction 1 LG45 engines were similar to the M45. A twin-magneto ignition was added to the Sanction 2 cars, and the Sanction 3 introduced a completely redesigned cylinder head with directly-mounted carburetors. The Sanction 4 featured essentially the same engine as found in the Sanction 3. Gearboxes included the 'right hand' G9, Lagonda's first with synchromesh on the third and top, followed by the 'center change' G10, which added synchromesh to the second gear.

Racing versions of the LG45 won its class at the French Grand Prix for sports cars and the Spa 24 Hours. They finished second in the Tourist Trophy, and beat Bentley at the Brooklands 500-mile race.

During the LG45 models production lifespan, just 278 examples were produced and as few as 100 active and working examples are known to exist.

This particular example was ordered on March 24th, 1937, and purchased on June 18th, 1937, by Richard Riegel, an American from Wilmington, Delaware. The next owner was Walter Emery who was working in the engineering department at Princeton University, reputed to have acquired the car from a Princeton student behind on gambling debts.

This LG45 subsequently lost its engine and fell into dereliction. It was later found along with 12232 (another LG45 Drophead Coupe) by Rudy Wood-Muller, who purchased both cars from the McGowan brothers of Branford, Connecticut.

The decision was made to restore 12224 from the chassis up including the engine and body of 12232. The work was completed in 1991, and the Lagonda embarked on a maiden voyage to France. After a main-bearing failure, the engine was switched from 12241, which powers the Lagonda today. After its return to the United States, the Lagonda was preserved and shown by Mr. Wood-Muller.

by Dan Vaughan

Drophead Coupe
Chassis number: 12172/R
Engine number: 12172/R

The earliest known caretaker of this Lagonda LG45 Rapide Sport Tourer was 'Doc' Young. In 1959, it was acquired by an art teacher and vintage car enthusiast named John Whitehead of Pontypridd, Wales. Mr. Whitehead later stated in a Welsh newspaper article that he acquired it in Malaya, 'where it had been the property of an English doctor' - presumably Dr. Young.

From 1967 to 1974, the car was owned by D.R. Hine of Cheshire, and by 1993, it was in the ownership of Nicholas Jones of Hamilton, Bermuda. By 1999, it was owned by Christopher Hutchins of Bangor, Maine. By this point in history, it is believed that the car was fully restored and wore dark British Racing Green and black, with a tan leather interior and black cloth top. It retains most of its original structural wood and the body has its original wooden running board support as well as the original fenders.

Judge Joseph and Margie Cassini purchased the Lagonda in 2002 and sold it in 2006 to John O'Quinn, from whose vast collection it was acquired by the Academy of Art University in 2010.

by Dan Vaughan

Wilbur Gunn was born in 1859 and grew up in Springfield, Ohio. He arrived in England in 1891, where he met Mrs. Constance Grey, his future wife. She was a widower who had lost her husband in 1896. Constance and Gunn married in 1897. In 1898 Wilbur adopted a single-cylinder petrol engine to his bicycle. Within time, the Lagonda factory would be built on the property of their house. The name Lagonda was named for a creek near Gunn's home. The name 'Lagonda' is Shawnee Native American for a place now called Buck Creek.

Gunn's motorcycle proved to be successful in competition and international competition. Soon, he expanded his offerings to include three-wheeled vehicles with larger capacity engines. Over seventy examples were created. In 1908 Gunn won the London to England reliability trim which earned him the Gold Medal for that year. In 1910 the Moscow-St Petersburg reliability trial was won by Lagonda.

When World War I broke out, the Lagonda factory was morphed to accommodate the war effort. Their primary duties were in building shells. After the war, they returned to building automobiles and racers. Shortly thereafter, Gunn passed away, dying in 1920. Gunn's partner, Alf Cranmer, continued the operations. Cranmer had been with the company from 1904 until 1935.

At the 1925 London Motor Show, a two-liter hemispherical four-cylinder model was introduced. Its excellent braking and superior construction continued its reputation for power and performance. A more sporting version, the 'speed', was introduced two years later. In 1930 Lagonda adopted a supercharger to their 2-liter motor and achieved a 90-mph top speed.

In 1933 the Lagonda M45 was introduced at the London Motor Show. It came equipped with a Meadows engine of 4453 cc capacity. Lord de Clifford used a prototype to outrun a train traveling from London to Brindisi. The feat was done in 14 hours. Future versions of the M45 were later modified and entered into the 1934 Tourist Trophy and all three entrants finished in strong fashion. Road-going versions of these vehicles were later offered to the public.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans race was, and still is, one of the most prestigious races. It was grueling for driver, team, and automobile. During the 1920s and 1930s, Bentley and Alfa Romeo were the favored victors. In 1935 John Hindmarsh and Luis Fontes drove a Lagonda M45 Rapide 1,868.42 miles averaging 77.85 mph to an overall victory.

Sadly, this victory was not met with increased sales. Part of the decline was new speed restrictions of 30 mph across Britain. Declining sales sent the company into bankruptcy. The company was saved by Alan Good and the company was reformed as LG Motors and WO Bentley employed. Their first introduction was the LG45 which was based on the M45. It was given Girling brakes and a softer suspension. In total, 278 examples were offered.

There were only 25 examples of the LG45 constructed. It came in only one body style, a two-door four-seater tourer with cycle-type wings and chrome external exhausts. The series was given higher compression ratios and higher gearing, resulting in a higher top speed.

by Dan Vaughan