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. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (823x565, 63 KB)1937 Lagonda LG45R Rapide photographed at the start of the 1976 Manchester Blackpool run by Malcolm Asquith. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (823x565, 63 KB)1937 Lagonda LG45R Rapide photographed at the start of the 1976 Manchester Blackpool run by Malcolm Asquith. ... Staines is a Thames-side town in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey and part of the London Commuter Belt of South East England. ... Springfield is the county seat of Clark County in the State of Ohio. ... Official Aston Martin logo (since 2003) Aston Martin logo (1987 - 2002) Aston Martin logo (before 1987) Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Establishment

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. Imme R 100,Germany, 1948/1949 A 125 cc motorcycle, the Italian-manufactured Cagiva Planet. ... The Houses of Parliament and the clock tower containing Big Ben Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. ... Edinburgh (pronounced ), Dùn Èideann () in Scottish Gaelic, is the second-largest city in Scotland and its capital city. ... Moscow (Russian: Москва́, Moskva, IPA: (help· info)) is the capital of Russia and the countrys principal political, economic, financial and transportation center, located on the river Moskva. ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924), is a city located in Northwestern Russia on the delta of the river Neva at the east end of the Gulf of Finland... Monocoque (French for single shell) or unibody is a construction technique that uses the external skin of an object to support some or most of the load on the structure. ...

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. Lea-Francis was a motor manufacturing company that began life building bicycles. ... Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH, founded by Wilhelm Maybach (pronounced my-ba:h) and his son Karl, was a German manufacturer of engines for zeppelins and later large and luxurious automobiles. ...

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. Crossley Motors, based in Manchester, England, produced approximately 19,000 high quality cars from 1904 until 1938, 5,500 buses from 1926 until 1958 and 21,000 goods and military vehicles from 1914 to 1945. ... A preselector gearbox is a gearbox used on a variety of vehicles, more commonly until around the 1950s. ... The Lyric theatre is just one of the arts and entertainment venues that have made Hammersmith a worthy rival to the West End. ... Henry Meadows of Wolverhampton, England were major suppliers of engines to the smaller companies in the British motor industry. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

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. The Rolls Royce logo Rolls-Royce is a set of several companies, all deriving from the British automobile and aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Henry Royce and C.S. Rolls in 1906. ... Walter Owen Bentley (September 16, 1888 - August 3, 1971) was the founder of Bentley motors, however initially started life as a railway engineer. ...

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.

Aston Martin

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. Official Aston Martin logo (since 2003) Aston Martin logo (1987 - 2002) Aston Martin logo (before 1987) Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. ... Feltham is a place in the London Borough of Hounslow. ... The first new automobile produced by Lagonda after its purchase by David Brown in 1947 was the 2. ... The Lagonda Straight-6 is a famous automobile engine used by Aston Martin and Lagonda marques in the 1950s. ...

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. The Lagonda Rapide was a 4-door GT car produced from 1961 through 1964. ... Touring redirects here. ... Map sources for Newport Pagnell at grid reference SP873437 Newport Pagnell is a town in the traditional county of Buckinghamshire, England. ...

Between 1974 and 1976, seven Lagonda saloons were produced on the basis of the the Aston Martin V8. See also: Aston Martin V8 (disambiguation) The Aston Martin V8 is a two-door saloon-type automobile manufactured in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1990. ...

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. The Aston Martin Lagonda was a luxury four-door saloon built by Aston Martin of Newport Pagnell, England, between 1976 and 1989. ...

Aston Martin produced a concept car called the Lagonda Vignale at the 1993 Geneva motor show. Official Aston Martin logo (since 2003) Aston Martin logo (1987 - 2002) Aston Martin logo (before 1987) Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. ... The Geneva Salon International de lAuto (or Geneva Motor Show) is an annual auto show held in March. ...

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. 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... Estate car body style (Saab 95) A station wagon (United States usage), wagon (Australian usage) or estate car (United Kingdom usage) is a car body style similar to a sedan car but with an extended rear cargo area. ... The Virage was Aston Martins replacement for the decades-old V8 models. ... The Aston Martin Rapide is a four-door, four-seat coupe, which would be produced by Aston Martin from 2008 to compete with the Porsche Panamera, Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class and Maserati Quattroporte. ...

Models

The first new automobile produced by Lagonda after its purchase by David Brown in 1947 was the 2. ... The Lagonda Straight-6 is a famous automobile engine used by Aston Martin and Lagonda marques in the 1950s. ... The second Lagonda of the David Brown/Aston Martin era was the 1953 3-Litre. ... The Lagonda Straight-6 is a famous automobile engine used by Aston Martin and Lagonda marques in the 1950s. ... The Lagonda Rapide was a 4-door GT car produced from 1961 through 1964. ... The Aston Martin Lagonda was a luxury four-door saloon built by Aston Martin of Newport Pagnell, England, between 1976 and 1989. ...

External links

• 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.

References

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