1930 Lagonda 3-Litre Tourer

Registration No: WB 3582
Chassis No: Z9632
MOT: Exempt

• The subject of much past restoration work, including overhauls of the engine, gearbox, suspension, brakes, and wiring, plus attention to the chassis and bodywork
• Reputed to retain its original Lagonda 'Semi Sports' open tourer coachwork
• Uprated with P-Type Laycock overdrive
• Very well used throughout the current ownership (since 2005), covering over 35,000 miles during this time
• A powerful and handsome six-cylinder Vintage Lagonda

PLEASE NOTE: This lot is offered with a full set of sidescreens.

A derivative of the earlier 16/65 model, the Lagonda Three-Litre was introduced in 1928. Progressively developed in line with its smaller Two-Litre sibling, it made the transition from High Chassis to Low Chassis specification early the following decade. A conventional ladder-frame design equipped with all-round semi-elliptic leaf-spring suspension and four-wheel drum brakes, it was nevertheless impeccably built. Powered by a 2931cc OHV straight-six engine allied with a four-speed manual transmission, the model was a true thoroughbred (a point reinforced by Lord de Clifford’s fine performances aboard a works Three-Litre on the 1932 RAC and Monte Carlo Rallies). Priced accordingly, it enjoyed muted sales success but remained in production until 1934.

Offered from long-term ownership having been purchased by the vendor at auction in 2005, our Lagonda appears for sale having been fully refurbished some 40 or 50 years ago to such a high standard that it still appears in excellent mechanical and cosmetic fettle, albeit with the paint and brightwork beginning to assume a delightfully ‘oily rag’ appearance. The dashing Sports Tourer coachwork is understood to be the original body constructed at the Lagonda factory in Staines, but the documented history of the car only goes back to the 1970s when the MOT record begins.

The Lagonda was first described in detail in 1988 when it appeared in the Christies Collectors’ Motor Cars sale at the Donington Collection. At that time, it was said to have ‘covered under 20,000 miles since a major engine overhaul that included the regrinding of the crankshaft, remetalled bearings, new piston rings with extra oil scrapers, renewed valve guides and springs and new head studs. The clutch was relined and a new seat of gear wheels fitted in the gearbox.’ The description also outlined how the chassis, suspension, brakes and instruments had been overhauled around the same time, and the interior was refreshed with new carpets while the exterior received a fresh coat of Connaught Green paint, with Black for the wheels, plus a new hood and tonneau cover. The wheels were respoked and resplined at the time, and we understand the body was repanelled where necessary, too.

While most 3-Litres were fitted with cycle wings, the wings on this car appear to be a non-standard type which harmonise very well with the coachwork. Some Lucas P100 headlamps complete the image of a large, powerful late vintage sporting car, and conjure visions of hell-for-leather drives on the Monte Carlo Rally, the golden beams scorching a path through the Alpine snow. While the exterior has been allowed to mellow gracefully in the present ownership, the vendor has spent generously on maintenance to keep the Lagonda in fine mechanical health. Such is obviously par for the course when a car is being well-used, and the vendor has never shied away from driving it. In fact, he has covered more than 35,000 miles in his 20 years of ownership, including several excursions to each of the Pau Classic, Le Mans Classic, and Goodwood Revival, and events such as Montreuil, Angouleme Race Circuit Event, the Gorden Bennet Rally Ireland, the VCC Main Event in Ireland, and the 1000 Mile Wolsey Rally Ireland.

During his ownership, the Lagonda was treating to a full engine overhaul with pre-war Lagonda specialist Bishopgray in 2019, which reached a total cost of £19,500. In 2010, the car was upgraded with the fitment of Laycock P-type overdrive, and in 2019 £900 was spent having the twin SU HV4 carburettors thoroughly overhauled by Burlen Ltd. More recently, the car was returned to Bishopgray in 2024 for further remedial work to the engine and ancillaries totalling more than £3,500. This second round of work included removing the sump and rocker covers to thoroughly clean them and the corresponding faces of the crankcase and cylinder head. The water, oil and Ki-Gass pumps were all overhauled, and a magneto coil conversion was undertaken at a cost of £722.

With every effort having been made to ensure that it remains not just roadworthy but a veritable joy to drive, the Lagonda appears today as a very capable, very useable open five-seater ideal for everything from Sunday lunch outings to Continental tours. The patinated exterior adds very much to the car’s visual appeal, in our opinion, and if it were down to us, we would like nothing better than to enjoy it just as it is. The car is sold with a large history file including the current V5C, a large collection of invoices, MOTs dating back to the 1970s, and rally entry information.

For more information, please contact:
Paul Cheetham
paul.cheetham@handh.co.uk
07538 667452