A NEW 41/2-LITRE LAGONDA
A NEW 44-LITRE LAGONDA
THE OLD NAME REVIVED IN A RE-DESIGNED CAR WHICH PROMISES OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE
A car which is able to win the Grand Prix d’Endurance at Le Mans and to perform so magnificently on the two occasions at which it has run at Ulster was obviously too good to be allowed to disappear. The new Company took over the Lagonda works at Staines at the beginning of July, and under the technical direction of Mr. W. 0. Bentley, whose name is too well-known to readers of
Motor Sport ” to need further qualification, a completely designed 44-litre model now makes its bow.
Under the old regime, it will be recalled, there were two 41-litre models, the Standard and the Rapid,. The new car has the same wheelhasc as the Stanthird, which was 10 ft. 9 ins., which will allow full five, seater coachwork to 1.. fitted without overhahg at the back. Particular attention has been Raid to the springing and the new cars will be comfortable to ride in without losing any of that road-holding which one associate with the cars which Mr. Bentley has d.. signed.
The powerful Girling brakes which were such a feature of the Rapide will be used on the new car, while the engine has been modified and the power output raised to 140 h.p. which will ensure a certain 100 m.p.h. with open coachwork. At the moment two styles of coachwork have been decided on, the open four seater, which will cost complete £975, and a four-door saloon which is priced at £1,050. As will be seen from the illustrations, both of these are graceful yet essentially practical designs, which should appeal to the man who wants to use his
car for hard driving and finds it difficult to reconcile himself to the exaggerated tail and other “embroidery ” which disfigure so many of the vehicles of the presentday. On the tourer the wheels will be carried in wells in the wings and a locker for two large suitcases is concealed in the tail. The back panel hinges down and can be used as a luggage platform for carrying a trunk. On the saloon a large
luggage compartment is provided in the usual position.
The dimensions of the six-cylinder engine are bore 88.5 mm., stroke 136.4 mm., giving a capacity of 4,453 c.c. and an R.A.C. rating of 29.13 h.p. With a compression ratio of 6.8 to 1, 140 horsepower is produced at 3,800 r.p.m. The engine has a detachable cast-iron
head with two valves per cylinder, operated by push-rods and rockers. The pistons are of special alloy and are fitted with three compression and two scraper rings. The crank-shaft is carried on four main bearings. Magneto ignition is used, with automatic advance and retard in conjunction
with a lever on the steering column. Two S.U. carburetters are standardised, with a mixture control for easy starting.
The oil is pressure-fed to all parts of the engine, and the sump holds 24 gallons. The characteristic Lagona. radiator with its thermostatically-controlled shutters is retained, and cooling is assisted by a water pump and a fan. The engine is mounted on slightly flexible supports.
• The clutch is a single dry-plate unit, and the gear-box, which is mounted separately from the engine, has synchromesh mechanism on third and top gears. The ratios are 3.66, 4.76, 6.5 and 11.49 to 1 and a right-hand gear lever is used. The transmission is by an open propelior-shaft fitted with a needle-bearing universal joint at each end and the final
drive through the semi-floating rear axle is by spiral bevel. The petrol tank holds twenty gallons and a quick-opening filler cap is provided on each side of the car. Electric pumps feed the petrol to the carburetters, and there is a reserve of two gallons which can be turned on from the driving compartment.
The suspension is by means of long semi-elliptic springs of special design, with hydraulic shock absorbers controllable from the driving seat. The brakes are of the Girling type, working in drums almost as large as the wheels. These latter, incidentally, are 3.62 by 18 ins., and carry Fort Dunlop tyres measuring 6 ins. by 18 ins.
Worm and lever steering is used with adjustment for rake, and a longer column can be supplied to order.
The chassis is automatically lubricated by means of a Tecalemit pump, while the Jackal] hydraulic jacking system is another item which will be appreciated by the owner-driver.
The wheelbase is 10 ft. 9 ins., and the track 4 ft. 94 ins. The weight of the chassis, which is priced at £795, comes out at 27i cwt, while the tourer and the closed cars weigh respectively 34 and 37 cwt. The drop-head coupe will cost £1,125.
Unfortunately the new Lagonda was produced too late to allow its being exhibited at Olympia, but one of the new cars may be seen in London at the showrooms of Messrs. Kevill-Davies and March at 28, Berkeley Street, W.1. The 4i-litre Lagonda as originally produced already had many admirers amongst sporting motorists and this faster and better-sprung successor should command . even greater favour.
then the tinkle of the bell as he passed the crossing, and almost simultaneously he was at the first corner. He brought the car round perfectly, snaking through the cutting at the top and crossed the finishing line amid applause, further improving his time to 40.4 seconds.
Dick Nash tried more air in his tyres this time and improved his time to 43 seconds, but he was beaten by 2-5 seconds by Fane on his aptly named Shelsley Frazer-Nash. Fane came up at a tremendous rate, fairly cast the car at the lower bend, recovered from a momentary skid thanks to the high-geared steering, and shot unperturbed to the summit. Miss Allen this time made better use of the sister car owned by ” Davies ” and clocked 47.6. Fay Taylour gave ‘a good display on Dixon’s 2-litre Riley and got within 2-5 seconds of Freddy’s own time, hut the best amongst the ladies was again Mrs. Petre. The car approached the corner with a real Mays note and after some wrestling with the wheel she got round and to the top with a time of 44.8 seconds, which was a dead heat with Miss Evans. Other improved times were Day-Dewdney (Bugatti) 47.8 secands and E. R. Hall (M.G.) 44.6 seconds. The It-litre class ended Vth an incident which caused a delay of close on half an hour. Mrs. Millington got as far as the first bend, stopped and started to return down hill. It was then found that some oil had been spilt on the corner, and at first attempts were made to remove it with brushes and sand. Then there was a call for petrol, which was set alight by Lord Howe who was one of the stewards of the meeting. More sand was Sprinkled as though some heathen rite was in progress, then the sweeping brooms caught fire, LeSlie
Wilson arrived to see that there should be no repetition of the disaster at Monza and so for a considerable Feriod the first bend took on the appeal ance of a camp fire meeting.
Returning to our muttons again, von der Becke came up well on his 2-litre Riley fighting it through the S-bend to the top in 44.2 seconds. Once again the E.R.A. The same tremendous dash right up to the S-bend, the car again lifted slightly as Mays turned and mounted the gradient leading up to the second corner. He was round the top corner like a flash, shot crabwise through the cutting to the finishing stretch, and crossed the line at tremendous speed to equal his record of the previous meeting, which was 39.6 secs. Really a tremendous performance with only one Eound arm to hold the car. John Bolster in his twin-engined special provided a good contrast with the
as far as the outside of his car was concerned, but in spite of the usual disturbing snaking he completed his climb in 44.6, a time which put many of the ” pukka Grand Prix ” cars to shame. Charlie Martin made a meteoric start on his 2.3 Bugatti and tore up the hill with his usual fury. The whole car skated across the road at the lower of the two bends but he held it perfectly and continued at speed round the last bend. His time on this run was a level 42 seconds, which made his the third fastest car in the meeting. The larger cars as usual came as something of an anti-climax, the only improvement being Lindsay Eccles, who climbed in 44.2 seconds. Hall lost a second at the start and got away with much wheel spin. He was steady on the higher stretches and but for losing time at the
start would have done better than 47.4. In order to settle the tie between Miss Evans and Mrs. Petre they were each given a third run. Miss Evans was very fast everywhere up to the lower part of the S-bend but then got into bottom instead of second gear and naturally pulled up rather short, her time nevertheless was 46 seconds. Mrs. Petre was just about as fast up to the corner but got her foot hard down on the last section and finished in 43.8 seconds with her car sliding about all over the road, well deserving her success. RESULTS
750 c.c. Racing.
1. R. Kohlrausch (740 c.c. M.G. S.), 448.
2. Miss D. Evans (746 c.c. M.G. S.), 44.8s.
3. A. N. L. Maclaehlan (747 c.c. Austin, S.), 45.88. 1.100 c.c. Racing.
1. R. J. W. Appleton (1,089 c.c. Appleton Riley S.), 445.
2. E. It. Hall (1,08(1 c.c. 31.(1. S.), 44.0s.
3. A. A. Rigby (1,086 c.c. M.O. S.), 47.28. 1,500 c.c. Racing.
1. It. Mays (1,488 (!.c. TO.R.A., S.), 40.4s.
2. A. F. P. Fane (1,496 c.c.. Frazer-Nash, S.), 42.4s.
3. R. J. G. Nash (1,496 c.c. Union Special, S.), 438.
Sports.
3. A. von der Beeke (1,406 c.c. Riley), 49.48.
“. A. F. P. -Pane (1,496 c.c. Frazer-Nash), 52.2s. 3. R. Davies-Millar (1,104 e.e. Lagonda), 59.3s.
2,000 c.c. Racing.
1. R. Mays (1,986 c.c. I.R.A., S.), 39.6s.
2. A. von der Berke (1,986 e.e. Riley), 44.2s.
3. 3. Bolster (1,962 c.c. Bolster), 44.68 3,000 c.c. Racing.
1. C. E. C. Martin (2,203 e.e. Bugatti S.), 42s.
2. A. G. ‘Balaton (2,263 c.c. 13up,atti S.), 44s.
3. A. C. Dobson (2,263 c.c. Bugatti S.), 40.6s.
Sports.
1. A. Powys-Lybhe (2,511 c.c. Alvis) 51s.
2. C. Follett (2,702 c.c. Alvis), 64s.
5,000 c.c. Racing.
1. A. H. L. Eccles (3,255 c.c. Bugatti S.), 44.28.
2. E. It. Hall (3,669 c.c. Bentley). 46.48.
3. R. Hughes (4,234 c.c. Vauxhall) 53.25.
Sports.
1. E. It. Hall 1(3,669 c.c. Bentley), 46.48.
2. It. R. K. Marker (4.168 c.c. Wilton). 49.2s.
3. S. H. Allard (3,622 c.c. Ford), 50.2s.