Lot Ended
Description
1934 Lagonda 3-litre Tourer
Well presented
later example with 3.2-litre engine; recent clutch; excellent weather
equipment
Lagonda’s
founder, Wilbur Gunn, was an American opera singer who had the sense to realise
that his real talents lay elsewhere. In 1906 he left the stage and, with help,
produced and marketed a very competent motorcycle under the Lagonda brand, named
after a creek in his native Ohio but produced from a factory in Staines,
Middlesex.
After
spending the war years producing munitions, Lagonda was well placed to expand
its car making operation and took the shrewd decision to move the brand upmarket
rather than fight with the mass production offerings of Austin and
Morris.
To this
end, they appointed Arthur Thomas from Lea-Francis who designed the 14/60 model,
which sported powerful Rubery four-wheel brakes and was particularly attractive
and sporting, especially as by 1930 (renamed the 2-litre) it could be had with a
Cozette supercharger.
In 1928
the chassis was stretched and a 2.4-litre six-cylinder engine with conventional
pushrods was introduced in the 16/55. This was all a bit heavy but performance
was brought back up to specification when the capacity was increased to 2,931cc
as the 3-Litre. Boasting a robust seven-bearing crankshaft with overhead valves,
this smooth and robust unit produced some 80bhp and gave the car a top speed of
80mph.
In 1932
the chassis was stiffened and strengthened to ZMBS specification with improved
axles and it was this chassis which was developed into the 4.25-litre M45. The
engine was also enlarged to 3,181cc with a 75mm bore and 120mm stroke, along
with improved Bishop-cam steering and Perrot shaft-operated
brakes.
Testing a
Lagonda 3-Litre in 1929, The Motor marvelled at the flexibility
of the engine (capable of accelerating from 5mph to 80mph in top gear) and
stated that it was “difficult to imagine a car nearer an ideal than one which
combines the full performance of a speed model with the top gear performance of
the best modern touring car.” Sentiments echoed by Motor
Sport who declared the 3-Litre to be “a very pleasant car of very high
quality and possessing that indefinable but very definite character which stamps
the thoroughbred in every walk of life.”
In total
some 580 3-Litre models were made before it was replaced in 1934 by the new M45
(with the improved ZMBS chassis and Meadows 4.25 6ESC engine) of which only
around 150 are thought to survive today.
Delivered new to a customer in Victoria Australia, this 1934
3.2-litre Lagonda was originally fitted with ST24A saloon coachwork. It was
owned by the Williams family and would have been a very expensive purchase back
then. By the late 1940s, it was in the hands of Bill Brooks who sold it to Don
Frazer in Adelaide in 1961 who ran an engineering business.
It was he who rebodied the car to its current form, a sporting
four-seat tourer using the original scuttle, bonnet and wings. He kept it until
1972, passing it to Gordon Lindsay who was to enjoy the car for another few
years before it moved to Tasmania to a new owner Bart Hutchings. He soon sent it
to local restorer Nigel Grace for attention, the bodywork being refurbished and
repainted green with black wings – the livery it wears
today.
A change of hands again and a trip to
New Zealand followed, before arriving back in the UK in 1989 when it was
registered MSU 895.
Purchased by the vendor in
2005, he has enjoyed it very much and has kept on top of care and maintenance.
Around three years ago, the door cards were retrimmed and a new hood and tonneau
fitted, along with sidescreen restoration. In May 2020, he had a new clutch
fitted, the invoice remaining on file for the parts from the Lagonda Club. It
also comes with a copy handbook and manual.
Described by the vendor as in nice but not concours condition, it
looks a good usable example with attractive coachwork offering performance to
match….
For more information – contact [email protected]
* All charges are subject to VAT