1936 Lagonda LG45 4½-Litre Fox & Nicholl Le Mans Team Car Replica

• Originally a saloon bodied by Lagonda
• Replica Rapide body fitted over 60 years ago
• Extensively restored during the present ownership
• Known to the Lagonda Club

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 'Team Car' has been a popular conversion for 4½-Litre Lagondas ever since.
Chassis '12070' started life as a saloon by Lagonda, first registered on 8th May 1936. It had the replica Rapide body fitted at sometime between 1959 and 1963. In 1963 it belonged to one G M Harris, who lived at Fitzjohn's Grange, Rugby. In 1993 the Lagonda featured in the TV programme Claret & Classics, repeated in 1995. In 2015, the Lagonda Club issued an ID plate saying (under 'Type') 'S B' (for saloon body) to avoid any misrepresentation.

The Lagonda was somewhat neglected when the vendors took delivery. They had it inspected by Jeremy Brewster of Brewster Mudie Ltd and as a result had the engine completely rebuilt. At the same time the gearbox received new bearings and seals. Jeremy was of the opinion that the cylinder head had been performance modified, probably by the factory.

The chassis was stripped, straightened to remove a minor kink in the left front spring mount, and repainted. The springs were reset to equalise and lower the car by 25mm, and the Armstrong hydraulic front shock absorbers rebuilt. The front axle was modified to reduce the positive camber.

The wheels were rebuilt with new splined hubs and/or replaced with new correct offset ones. All four axle hubs were replaced due to warn splines, and new spinners fitted. The brakes were all relined and the drums skimmed, and the linkages replaced with new. The steering box was rebuilt with new bearings, and adjusted. A complete new period-style wiring loom was made and fitted, complete with additional indicators, and the headlights were re-silvered.

The bodywork was stripped to bare aluminium and any dents removed before being etch-primed and repainted. The front seat leather was cleaned up and kept original, while the rears were re-trimmed in matching leather. Accompanying documentation consists of restoration bills and a V5C Registration Certificate.