Powerful and reliable prewar supercar. A perfect long distance tourer.
Powerful and reliable prewar supercar. A perfect long distance tourer.
The Lagonda car company was founded in 1906 in Staines, Middlesex by the American Wilbur Gunn (1859-1920) who named it after a river near his home town of Springfield, Ohio. Having established its reputation, Lagonda concentrated mainly on the production of light cars before reverting to sporting and luxury models in the mid-1920s with the introduction of the 14/60. This four-cylinder, 2.0-litre model was joined in 1929 by the first of Lagonda's own sixes - the 3-Litre - but by the mid-1930s the Meadows-engined cars were seen as the way forward. Introduced at the 1933 Olympia Show and based on the preceding ZM 3-Litre model, the M45 deployed Meadows' 4½-litre, twin-plug six to good effect, saloons being capable of reaching 90mph and tourers 'the ton' under favourable conditions. These exceptionally handsome big-engined Lagondas created a considerable impression when new, and here we offer a fine example of this elegant and very British post-Vintage thoroughbred.
Chassis number 'Z10646' was sold new in April 1934 and registered in the UK as 'LJ 9777'. The first owner's name is recorded in various forms, but he is believed to have been naval officer Commander Hugh Stewart Shaw, DSC, RN. The car enters the Lagonda Club records for the first time in July 1961 when owned by Commander H S Shaw, who kept it until at least 1966. By the end of 1979 the Lagonda was in Belgium having been bought at Paradise Garage in London. It was registered on a Belgian numberplate in November 1980. It changed ownership in 1997 and since then the Lagonda has been maintained with no expense spared and has participated in numerous events with the then owner, including the National Classic Tour where it won in Division 1. The car was sold in 2019 again to a well known Belgian collector, who prepared the car for the Yangtze River Delta International Classic Cars Open, a long distance event which went straight through China. The Lagonda did it perfectly, and when returned to Belgium it was sold to another enthusiast who used it several times in the Flying Scotchman. The engine was completely rebuild in 2021 by Van Giersbergen, a well known engine builder in Holland, and the car has just been serviced and completely checked by Jansen Restorations. It is now ready for a new owner who is looking for a perfect prewar car to participate in any event worldwide.
Driving this Lagonda is fantastic. The high-torque Meadows engine is very powerful, making it a very fast pre-war car. The accompanying engine sound is fantastic, and the long wheelbase also makes this a very stable car. In addition, the Lagonda has a lot of ground clearance, making it very suitable for long-distance rallies such as Peking to Paris and many other wonderful events. There is a great deal of documentation accompanying the car, including many photographs of foreign events in which the previous owners participated. All the rally stickers on the inside of the bonnet speak volumes about the versatility of this vehicle as a grand tourer.
The Lagonda M45 is one of the finest British pre-war sports cars and a perfect driver's car in which long distances can be covered in a comfortable yet sporty manner. What's more, a Lagonda M45 is still relatively affordable, especially when compared to other British powerhouses such as Bentley or Invicta. A test drive with this marvellous machine can only confirm this.
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