Lagonda
 |
1937 Lagonda LG45R Rapide. |
Lagonda, the British car maker, was founded in 1906 in
Staines, Middlesex by the American Wilbur Gunn. He named the company after a river near his home town of
Springfield, Ohio. The company was purchased and integrated into
Aston Martin in
1947.
Wilbur Gunn had originally built
motorcycles on a small scale with reasonable success including a win on the 1905
London—
Edinburgh trial. In 1907 he launched his first car, the 20 hp 6 cylinder Torpedo, which he used to win the
Moscow—
St. Petersburg trial of 1910. This success produced a healthy order for exports to Russia which continued until 1914. In the pre war period Lagonda also made an advanced small car, the 11.1 with a four cylinder 1000 cc engine, which featured an anti-roll bar and a rivetted
monocoque body and the first ever fly-off handbrake.
After the end of the war the 11.1 continued with a larger 1400 cc engine and standard electric lighting as the 11.9 until 1923 and the updated 12 until 1926. The first of the company's sports models was launched in 1925 as the 14/60 with a twin cam 1954 cc 4 cylinder engine and hemispherical combustion chambers. The car was designed by Arthur Davidson who had come from
Lea-Francis. A higher output engine came in 1927 with the 2 litre Speed Model which could be had supercharged in 1930. A lengthened chassis version, the 16/65, with 6 cylinder 2.4 litre engine, was available from 1926 to 1930. The final car of the 1920's was the 3 litre using a 2931 cc 6 cylinder engine. This continued until 1933 when the engine grew to 3181 cc and was also available with a complex 8 speed
Maybach transmission as the Selector Special.
A new model for 1933 was the 16-80 using a 2 litre
Crossley engine with
pre-selector gearbox from 1934. A new small car, the Rapier came along in 1934 with 1087 cc engine and pre-selector gearbox. This lasted until 1935 but more were made until 1938 by a separate company,
Rapier Cars of
Hammersmith, London. At the other extreme was the near 100 mph, 4.5 litre M45 with
Meadows 6 cylinder 4467 cc engine. An out and out sporting version the M45R Rapide, with tuned M45 engine and a shorter chassis led to a
Le Mans victory in 1935. Also in 1935 the 3 litre grew to a 3.5 litre.
All was not well financially and the receiver was called in in 1935 but the company was bought by Alan Good, who beat out
Rolls-Royce, and who employed
W. O. Bentley as designer. The 4.5 litre range now became the LG45 with lower but heavier bodies and also available in LG45R Rapide form. The LG45 came in 3 versions known as Sanction 1,2 and 3 each with more Bentley touches to the engine. In 1938 the LG6 with independent front suspension by torsion bar and hydraulic brakes came in.
Bentley's masterpiece the V12 was launched in 1937. The 4480 cc engine delivered 180bhp and was said to be capable of going from 7 to 105 mph in top gear and to rev to 5000 rpm.
In 1947 the company was taken over by David Brown and the company moved in with
Aston Martin, which he had also bought, in
Feltham, Middlesex. Production restarted with the last model from W. O. Bentley, the 1948
2.6-Litre with new chassis featuring fully independent supension. Its new
2580 cc twin overhead cam straight 6 became the basis for the Aston Martin engines of the 1950s. The engine grew to 3 litres in 1953 and continued to be available until 1958.
Many thought that the marque had disappeared but in 1961 the
Rapide name was resurrected with aluminium body by
Carrozzeria Touring of Milan and 3995 cc engine capable of taking the car to 125 mph. By this time, Aston Martin-Lagonda as it now was, had moved to
Newport Pagnell in Buckinghamshire. The Rapide lasted until 1965.
Between 1974 and 1976, seven Lagonda saloons were produced on the basis of the
Aston Martin V8.
One more car was to appear with the large and futuristic
Aston Martin Lagonda of 1976 designed by
William Towns. This low, rather square, wedge shaped car was built on Aston Martin V8 components and was available, at least in theory, until 1989.
Aston Martin produced a concept car called the Lagonda Vignale at the 1993
Geneva motor show.
In
1994, a handful of Lagonda 4 door saloons and
shooting brakes were built on the basis of the
Aston Martin Virage. Although these are the most recent cars to wear a Lagonda badge, the Rapide name is expected to be revived for 2008 as the
Aston Martin Rapide saloon.
| Year | Type | Engine | Production | | 1906-1913 | 20 | 3052 cc side valve 4 cylinder |
| 1911-1913 | 30 | 4578 cc side valve 4 cylinder | |
| 1913-1921 | 11 | 1099 cc inlet over exhaust valve 4 cylinder | 6000(inc 11.9 and 12) |
| 1920-1923 | 11.9 | 1421 cc inlet over exhaust valve 4 cylinder | 6000(inc 11 and 12) |
| 1923-1926 | 12 and 12/24 | 1421 cc inlet over exhaust valve 4 cylinder | 6000 (inc 11 and 11.9) |
| 1925-1933 | 14/60 and 2 litre Speed | 1954 cc ohv 4 cylinder | 1440 |
| 1926-1930 | 16/65 | 2389 (later 2692) cc ohv 6 cylinder | 250 |
| 1928-1934 | 3 litre | 2931 cc ohv 6 cylinder | 570 |
| 1926-1930 | 16/80 | 1991 cc ohv 6 cylinder Crossley | 260 |
| 1933-1938 | Rapier | 1087 cc twin ohc 4 cylinder | 470 + app 45 by Rapier Cars |
| 1926-1930 | M45 | 4467 cc ohv 6 cylinder Meadows | 410 + 53 M45R Rapide |
| 1935 | 3.5 litre | 3619 cc ohv 6 cylinder | 65 |
| 1936-1937 | LG45 | 4467 cc ohv 6 cylinder Meadows | 278 + 25 Rapides |
| 1938-1940 | LG6 | 4467 cc ohv 6 cylinder Meadows | 85s |
| 1938-1940 | V12 | 4480 cc double overhead cam V12 | 189 |
| 1948-1953 | 2.6-Litre | 2580 cc double ohc 6 cylinder | 510 |
| 1953-1958 | 3-Litre | 2922 cc double ohc 6 cylinder | 270 |
| 1961-1965 | Rapide | 3995 cc double ohc 6 cylinder | 55 |
| 1976-1989 | Aston Martin Lagonda | 5340 cc ohc V8 | |
* http://www.lagonda-club.com: Based in the UK, the club's aims are to preserve and develop the interest in and traditions of all types of Lagonda vehicles. It has members from across the world.
* http://www.lagondanet.com: Roger Ivett's site dedicated to the Aston Martin Lagonda.
More information about Lagondas can be found in the following books:
* Aston Martin and Lagonda; Frostic, Michael; ISBN 0901564-24-9
* Lagonda Gold Portfolio 1919-1964; ISBN 1-85520-1550: Collection of reprints of articles from early motoring magazines
* Lagonda Heritage; Bird, Richard; ISBN 1-85532-363-X: Collection of colour photographs
* Images of Motoring Lagonda 1899-1999; Davey, Arnold; ISBN 0-7524-1713-4: A short history of the company and marque by the UK Lagonda club historian
* Lagonda: An Illustrated History 1900-1950; Seaton, Geoffrey; ISBN 1-85223-107-6
