Lagonda Car History

The entity which was to become Lagonda initiallybusiness, Wilbur Gunn, passed away in nineteen
began its life in a garden of a house in Staines,twenty, leaving existing board directors in control of
producing motorbikes. Wilbur Gunn manufactured thethe automaker. The 14/60 was released, a twin cam
motorbikes on a very small scale, but an indication ofsports model, with a capacity of 2 litres. The car was
his workmanship and ability was illustrated by successinnovative for Lagonda, being its first sports model
in competitions in which he entered his bikes.produced, and was penned by Arthur Davidson.
Wilbur Gunn began to create his first car nineteenThe 16-80 and the Rapier were born in the nineteen
zero seven - the Torpedo, which produced twentythirties, both equipped with pre-selector gearboxes.
brake horsepower from a six cylinder engine. TheLagonda produced the highly fast M45, which was
Torpedo was extremely successful, finishing first infitted with a 4467cc engine which produced top
the Moscow to St Petersburg trail. The successfulspeeds just short of one hundred miles per hour.
performance of the Torpedo in Russia resulted in aAnother variation was born, the M45R Rapide, a
stream of orders from the country for Wilbur toshorter but more powerful tuned version of the M45,
Gunn to export. Lagonda also began to produce thewhich won at the nineteen thirty five Le Mans race.
11.1, a 1 litre compact car, which was relativelyThe mid nineteen thirties were turbulent years for
innovative. Production of cars ceased with the onsetLagonda, with financial problems resulting in the
of World War One, where Lagonda began toreceiver being called in. Luckily, there were bids on
produce shells for the war effort.the table from Rolls-Royce, as well as Alan Good,
11.1 was updated post World War One, with a largerwho managed to outbid RR. Alan Good took over
engine and upgraded components, now named thethe business, and brought in W.O Bentley as a
11.9, later followed 12 model. The founder of thedesigner.