1934 LAGONDA M45 DROPHEAD COUPE

"1934 LAGONDA M45 DROPHEAD COUPE Serial number M45/60 Lancefield bodywork Very good condition of restoration Luxury and power Eligible for the Mille Miglia Pebble Beach in 1995 French title An American of Scottish origin, Wilbur Gunn was born in Ohio and returned to his native land to found the Lagonda automobile production company in 1906. Archetypal of the English sports car, Lagonda cars were fast, elegant and above all powerful, with imposing engines like Bentley, with which the brand is often affiliated. Fast, that's the word, and that's how Lagonda named one of its models in the 1930s equipped with a 4.5L engine and which took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1935. Although Alfa Romeo was considered the favorite of the competition after numerous victories, Lagonda took the trophy to the general surprise of the public and even of the Alfa Romeo drivers who had already reached the top step of the podium. However, after a calculation by the officials, the Lagonda driven by Hindmarsh and Fontes completed more laps than its Italian rival. At that time, the Lagonda was the fastest car in Great Britain, surpassing even the untouchable Bentley. If during the Second World War, the company is used for the war effort, the end of the conflict will not be a sign of joy for Lagonda which was forced to be bought by David Brown in 1947 who already had Aston Martin in his portfolio. This marriage gave birth to a few offspring modelled on those of Aston Martin and the Lagonda brand name sank into oblivion until the present day. The model we are presenting is a Lagonda M45 that rolled off the assembly line in 1934, one year before the brand's victory at Manche. With typical British accents, the beauty is revealed in an elegant body with its long hood and small windshield. It has a large hood that folds down behind the rear seats. Scrupulously well restored, the powerful mechanics start up after a simple press of the start button with a characteristic squeal. If the car is easy to drive, be careful to reverse the pedals: the middle one is the gas pedal and the right one is the brake. If this is confusing at first and you tend to play with the gas pedal when you want to brake, the handling of the M45 is relatively modern. A true concours d'elegance beast, this Lagonda won in its class at the 1995 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and still turns heads as the quality of restoration is undeniable.