Lagonda - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Lagonda is a British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

luxury car marque, founded as a company in 1906 in Staines

Staines

Staines is a Thames-side town in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey and Greater London Urban Area, as well as the London Commuter Belt of South East England. It is a suburban development within the western bounds of the M25 motorway and located 17 miles west south-west of Charing Cross in...

, Middlesex

Middlesex

Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...

by a former opera singer from Ohio, but of Scottish ancestry, named Wilbur Gunn (1859–1920). He named the company after a river near the town of his birth, Springfield, Ohio

Springfield, Ohio

Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River, Buck Creek and Beaver Creek, approximately west of Columbus and northeast of Dayton. Springfield is home to Wittenberg...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The marque has been owned by Aston Martin

Aston Martin

Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...

since 1947.

Establishment

Wilbur Gunn had originally built motorcycle

Motorcycle

A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...

s on a small scale in the garden of his house in Staines with reasonable success including a win on the 1905 London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

—Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...

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

Monocoque

Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...

body and the first ever fly-off handbrake.

The ratchet control button on the end of a fly-off handbrake is designed to work in the opposite way to what is normally accepted. If the lever is lifted or pulled back to the "on" position, on letting go it immediately releases unless the end button is pressed and held in place before letting go of the lever. Once set, the brake is released by lifting the handbrake lever (not pushing the button) in the setting direction (up or back). This mechanism was traditionally fitted to sports cars to facilitate a racing get-away, such as at traffic lights. It can also be used to help the back wheels to slide, without the worry of the ratchet leaving the brake on.

During World War I Lagonda made artillery shells.

Between the wars

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. Following Wilbur Gunn's death in 1920, three existing directors headed by Colin Parbury took charge. 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

Lea-Francis

Lea-Francis was a motor manufacturing company that began life building bicycles.- History :Richard Henry Lea and Graham Inglesby Francis started the business in Coventry in 1895. They branched out into car manufacture in 1903 and motor cycles in 1911. Lea-Francis built cars, under licence, for the...

. 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 1920s 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

Maybach

Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH is a German luxury car manufacturer. It was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son. The company was originally a subsidiary of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH and was itself known as Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH until 1912.Today, the ultra-luxury car brand is owned by...

transmission as the Selector Special.

A new model for 1933 was the 16-80 using a 2-litre Crossley

Crossley Motors

Crossley Motors was a British motor vehicle manufacturer based in Manchester, England. They 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.Crossley Brothers, originally...

engine with pre-selector

Preselector gearbox

A preselector or self-changing gearbox is a type of manual gearbox used on a variety of vehicles, most commonly in the 1930s...

gearbox from 1934. A new small car, the Rapier came along in 1934 with 1104-cc engine and pre-selector gearbox. This lasted until 1935 but more were made until 1938 by a separate company, David Napier

David Napier (automotive engineer)

This article is about the automotive and aero-engine manufacturer. For other people of the same name see David Napier David Napier was a Scottish engineer, notable for founding Napier & Son, an early automotive and aero-engine company.-Life:David Napier was born in Dumbarton to a family of ...

and Son of Hammersmith

Hammersmith

Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...

, London. At the other extreme was the near 100-mph, 4.5-litre M45 with Meadows-supplied

Henry Meadows

Henry Meadows of Wolverhampton, England were major suppliers of engines and transmissions, to the smaller companies in the British motor industry...

6-cylinder 4467-cc engine. An out and out sporting version the M45R Rapide, with tuned M45 engine and a shorter chassis achieved a controversial Le Mans

1935 24 Hours of Le Mans

The 1935 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 13th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 15 and 16 June 1935.-Official results:-Did not finish:-Statistics:* Fastest Lap – #10 Earl Howe – 5:47.9* Distance – 3006.797 km...

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 1935, but the company was bought by Alan P. Good, who just outbid Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce Limited

Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....

. He also persuaded W. O. Bentley

W. O. Bentley

Walter Owen Bentley, MBE engineer; designer of aero engines, designer and racer of motor cars, founder of Bentley Motors Limited in Cricklewood near London.He was known as "W.O." without any need to add the word Bentley....

to leave Rolls-Royce and join Lagonda as designer along with many of his racing department staff. 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 180 bhp and was said to be capable of going from 7 to 105 mph in top gear and to rev to 5000 rpm. The car was exhibited at the 1939 New York Motor Show: "The highest price car in the show this year is tagged $8,900. It is a Lagonda, known as the "Rapide" model, imported from England. The power plant is a twelve-cylinder V engine developing 200 horsepower."

Lagonda at war

Richard Watney was managing director of Lagonda at the start of the Second World War:

"He was Rootes' retail sales manager for the London area until 1935, when he became managing director of Lagonda, Ltd. He is a production expert, who during the war organised and controlled for Lagonda one of the largest British gun production plants, and also plants which produced 50,000 25lb
Ordnance QF 25 pounder
The Ordnance QF 25 pounder, or more simply, 25-pounder or 25-pdr, was introduced into service just before World War II, during which it served as the major British field gun/howitzer. It was considered by many to be the best field artillery piece of the war, combining high rates of fire with a...

shells a day. Watney also developed and produced the "Crocodile
Churchill Crocodile
The Churchill Crocodile was a British flame-throwing tank of late Second World War. It was a variant of the Tank, Infantry, Mk VI Churchill Mark VII, although the Churchill Mark IV was initially chosen to be the base vehicle....

" and "Wasp" flame-throwing equipment for armoured vehicles."

Watney finished second at Le Mans in 1930

1930 24 Hours of Le Mans

The 1930 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 8th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 21 and 22 June 1930. The pairing of Odette Siko and Marguerite Mareuse would go in history as the first women to compete and finish in the race.-Official results:...

driving a Bentley. He returned to Rootes in 1946, and posted to Australia, was killed in a car accident in Melbourne in 1949.

Aston Martin ownership

In 1947 the company was taken over by David Brown

David Brown (entrepreneur)

Sir David Brown was an English entrepreneur, managing director of his family firm David Brown Limited and one time owner of shipbuilders Vosper Thornycroft and automobile manufacturer Aston Martin....

and moved in with Aston Martin

Aston Martin

, which he had also bought, in Feltham

Feltham

Feltham is a town in the London Borough of Hounslow, west London. It is located about west south west of central London at Charing Cross and from Heathrow Airport Central...

, Middlesex. The old Staines works passed to Petters Limited

Petters Limited

Petters Limited , were a maker of stationary petrol and diesel engines from 1896 onwards.In 1915 Petter founded Westland Aircraft Works ....

, in which A.P. Good had acquired the controlling interest. Production restarted with the last model from W. O. Bentley, the 1948 2.6-Litre

Lagonda 2.6-Litre

The first new automobile produced by Lagonda after its purchase by David Brown in 1947 was the 2.6-Litre. It was named for the new high-tech straight-6 engine which debuted with the car...

with new chassis featuring fully independent supension. Its new 2580 cc twin overhead cam straight 6

Lagonda Straight-6 engine

The Lagonda Straight-6 is a famous automobile engine used by Aston Martin and Lagonda marques in the 1950s. Designed by Walter Owen Bentley of Bentley Motors Limited, it vaulted Aston Martin to fame as a maker of desirable sports and racing cars.-History:...

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

Lagonda Rapide

The Lagonda Rapide was a 4-door GT car produced from 1961 until 1964. Based on the Aston Martin DB4, it was David Brown's attempt to revive the Lagonda marque which he had purchased in 1948. It marked a revival of the Rapide model name which had been used by Lagonda during the 1930s...

name was resurrected with aluminium body by Carrozzeria Touring

Carrozzeria Touring

Carrozzeria Touring is an automobile coachbuilder established on March 25, 1926 in Milan, Italy by Felice Bianchi Anderloni and Gaetano Ponzoni...

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

Newport Pagnell

Newport Pagnell is a town in the Borough of Milton Keynes , England. It is separated by the M1 motorway from Milton Keynes itself, though part of the same urban area...

in Buckinghamshire. The Rapide lasted until 1965.

Between 1974 and 1976, seven Lagonda saloons were produced on the basis of the Aston Martin V8

Aston Martin V8

The Aston Martin V8 is a two-door coupé automobile manufactured in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.Aston Martin's customers had been clamouring for an eight-cylinder car for years, so Aston Martin designed a larger 2-door saloon for V8 applications. The engine was not ready, however, so in...

.

One more car was to appear with the large and futuristic Aston Martin Lagonda

Aston Martin Lagonda

The Aston Martin Lagonda was a luxury four-door saloon built by Aston Martin of Newport Pagnell, England, between 1974 and 1990. A total of 645 were produced. The name was derived from the Lagonda marque that Aston Martin had purchased in 1947...

of 1976 designed by William Towns

William Towns

William Towns was a British car designer.Towns began his training as a designer at Rootes in 1954, where he was mainly involved in the styling of seats and door handles. Later he was also involved with the styling of their Hillman Hunter. He moved to Rover in 1963 and worked there for David...

. 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

Aston Martin

produced a concept car called the Lagonda Vignale at the 1993 Geneva motor show

Salon International de l'Auto

The International Geneva Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show is hosted at the Geneva Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport...

.

In 1998, a handful of Lagonda 4-door saloons and shooting brakes were built on the basis of the Aston Martin Virage

Aston Martin Virage

The Virage was Aston Martin's replacement for the decades-old V8 models. Introduced at the Birmingham Motor Show in 1988, it was joined by the high-performance Vantage in 1993, and the name of the standard car was changed to V8 in 1996....

. The Rapide name was revived in 2010 as the Aston Martin Rapide

Aston Martin Rapide

The Aston Martin Rapide is a four-door, high-performance sport saloon, which British luxury marque Aston Martin introduced in early 2010. It was first presented as a concept car at the North American International Auto Show in 2006. The Rapide name is a reference to the Lagonda Rapide, a saloon car...

saloon.

Revival

Aston Martin said on 1 September 2008, as reported by Automotive News Europe that it will relaunch its Lagonda brand to help it expand into new markets such as luxury sedans and celebrate Lagonda's centennial anniversary in 2009.

"The Lagonda brand would allow us to develop cars which can have a different character than a sports car," said CEO Ulrich Bez in a statement. "Lagonda will have its own niche with luxurious and truly versatile products suitable for both existing and emerging markets".

"Lagonda models would be vehicles that could be used all year round in markets such as Russia where specialized sports cars such as Aston Martins could only be used for three or four months each year", said Aston Martin spokeswoman Janette Green.

Aston Martin confirmed the revival of the Lagonda brand on March 9, 2011. The new range will initially consist primarily of high-end SUVs.

Lagonda concept

At the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, Aston Martin unveiled a 4WD, 4-seat SUV to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first Lagonda car. It includes a V12 engine and 22-inch wheels.

Models

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
1932–1934	16/80 Lagonda 16/80 The Lagonda 16/80 was a sports touring car introduced by Lagonda in 1932, replacing the company’s 4-cylinder 2-litre model.The first part of its name referred to its Fiscal horsepower rating of 16 . Under naming conventions common at the time, the second number in its name might have referred to...	1991 cc ohv 6 cylinder Crossley	260
1933–1938	Rapier Lagonda Rapier The Lagonda Rapier was a small car produced by the British Lagonda company from 1934 to 1935. A few more were subsequently produced by the independent Rapier Car Company....	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	85
1938–1940	V12	4480 cc single overhead cam V12	189
1948–1953	2.6-Litre Lagonda 2.6-Litre The first new automobile produced by Lagonda after its purchase by David Brown in 1947 was the 2.6-Litre. It was named for the new high-tech straight-6 engine which debuted with the car...	2580 cc double ohc 6 cylinder Lagonda Straight-6 engine The Lagonda Straight-6 is a famous automobile engine used by Aston Martin and Lagonda marques in the 1950s. Designed by Walter Owen Bentley of Bentley Motors Limited, it vaulted Aston Martin to fame as a maker of desirable sports and racing cars.-History:...	510
1953–1958	3-Litre Lagonda 3-Litre The 1953 Lagonda 3-litre was the second Lagonda of the David Brown/Aston Martin era. It used a higher displacement 2.9 L 140 bhp version of the twin overhead camshaft Lagonda Straight-6 engine which was designed by Walter Owen Bentley....	2922 cc double ohc 6 cylinder Lagonda Straight-6 engine The Lagonda Straight-6 is a famous automobile engine used by Aston Martin and Lagonda marques in the 1950s. Designed by Walter Owen Bentley of Bentley Motors Limited, it vaulted Aston Martin to fame as a maker of desirable sports and racing cars.-History:...	270
1961–1965	Rapide Lagonda Rapide The Lagonda Rapide was a 4-door GT car produced from 1961 until 1964. Based on the Aston Martin DB4, it was David Brown's attempt to revive the Lagonda marque which he had purchased in 1948. It marked a revival of the Rapide model name which had been used by Lagonda during the 1930s...	3995 cc double ohc 6 cylinder	55
1976–1989	Aston Martin Lagonda Aston Martin Lagonda The Aston Martin Lagonda was a luxury four-door saloon built by Aston Martin of Newport Pagnell, England, between 1974 and 1990. A total of 645 were produced. The name was derived from the Lagonda marque that Aston Martin had purchased in 1947...	5340 cc ohc V8	645

Establishment

Between the wars

Lagonda at war

Aston Martin ownership

Revival

Lagonda concept

Models

See also

Further reading