Tim Schofield
Head of UK Business Development, Motoring
LOT 209
The ex-Alan Fearnly 1934 Lagonda M45 4½-Litre Two-Seater Tourer Chassis no. Z10374
Sold for £69,000 inc. premium
Lot 209
1934 Lagonda M45 4½-Litre Two-Seater Tourer Chassis no. Z10374
The ex-Alan Fearnly
1934 Lagonda M45 4½-Litre Two-Seater Tourer
Chassis no. Z10374
1934 Lagonda M45 4½-Litre Two-Seater Tourer
Chassis no. Z10374
• One of the fastest British sports cars of its era
• Originally a saloon
• Rebuilt by marque specialists Alan Brown and Jack Buckley
• Attractive two-seater tourer
• Originally a saloon
• Rebuilt by marque specialists Alan Brown and Jack Buckley
• Attractive two-seater tourer
Footnotes
"Lagonda cars have always upheld a reputation for effortless fast touring and the pride of ownership which fine detail work and distinguished coachbuilding can give. The 4½-Litre model retains these characteristics, but scores considerably over its forebears by its high power-to-weight ratio. The chassis is no bigger than the three litre car, and there is no suggestion of clumsiness, heavy steering or the other drawbacks which often accompany the large engined car." - Motor Sport, January 1934.
The 4½-Litre Lagonda was one of the most accomplished sports cars of the 1930s, as a succession of high-profile race wins, culminating in victory at Le Mans in 1935, amply demonstrates. In 1934 a team of three specially prepared short-chassis cars (effectively the soon-to-be-announced M45 Rapide) prepared by Lagonda main agents Fox & Nicholl performed creditably at the RAC Tourist Trophy at Ards, and the following year one of these TT cars driven by John Hindmarsh and Luis Fontes won the Le Mans 24-Hour endurance classic outright.
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. Gunn had started out building motorcycles in the garden of his house in Staines with some success, including winning the 1905 London to Edinburgh Trial. In 1907 he launched his first car and in 1910 won the Moscow to St Petersburg Trial driving a 16/18hp model. 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.
"A short run on one of the first of the 4½-Litre Lagonda models, with an open four-seater body, left a vivid impression not only of brilliant acceleration and sheer performance, but of a car delightfully silent and easy running in a way that can be achieved to the fullest extent only by a big-engined machine working well inside its limits," reported The Autocar in 1933. As the foregoing contemporary quote clearly demonstrates, these exceptionally handsome big-engined Lagondas created a considerable impression when new.
Lagonda Club Registrar Arnold Davey advises us that this M45 was originally a pillar-less saloon. Its first owner known by the Club was fellow committee member André Kenny (1947-1960s), who had enjoyed a distinguished career during WW2 in Reconnaissance and post-war in the Foreign Office. 'BGO 681' was found as a bare chassis in November 1978 by marque specialist Alan Brown of Lancashire, and was restored with a T7 replica body by Jack Buckley. Ownership then passed to the motoring artist Alan Fearnley, who had the car's coachwork modified into the present and very attractive two-seat tourer design. The Lagonda has seen little use since its purchase by the enthusiast vendor a few years ago. Offered with a V5C document.
Saleroom notices
Please note the correct Chassis Number is 10874
Additional information
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