1938 Lagonda V-12 Drophead Coupé
- Engine
- 4.5L SOHC V-12, ~195 bhp
- Colour
- British Racing Green
Chassis 14054 is a 1938 Lagonda V-12 drophead coupé bodied in the factory's streamlined coachwork, finished originally in Valspar Jewelescent Grey and delivered in late 1938 to a Leicestershire owner. Designed by W.O. Bentley after his arrival at Lagonda in 1933, the V-12 represented the pinnacle of his engineering ambition. This example was later exported to California, where it spent nearly three decades with a long-standing CCCA member, before moving to the East Coast and receiving a mechanical rebuild and bodywork refinish.
Ownership
- —Auction saleEstimate US$375,000 – US$475,000
- 1939-03-03 →Factory deliveryR.S. Loewensteinfull documentation
Based in Leicestershire; registered the car as FLM 700. The vehicle was laid up in 1940 due to wartime conditions and appears not to have been used again under his ownership.
- 1946-06-14 →Acquisition unknownRon Galwayfull documentation
London-based owner; had the car serviced by the manufacturer in August 1946, at which point the odometer showed 7,329 miles.
- 1956-02-01 →Acquisition unknownPerformance Cars of Brentfordpartial documentation
Dealer that advertised the car for sale in a motoring publication; the vehicle was subsequently exported to the United States.
- 1958-11-01 → 1988-05-01Private saleWilliam J. Hodgesfull documentation
Los Angeles-based long-standing West Coast member of the Classic Car Club of America; held the car for nearly three decades and ran it on California plates as NLE 939.
- 1988-05-01 →Private saleEast Coast private ownerpartial documentation
Undertook a mechanical rebuild through a respected New York-area firm and had the bodywork stripped and refinished in British Racing Green by staff at a local Ferrari dealership; drove the car regularly in fair weather over roughly 25 years of ownership.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1946ServiceLagonda
Routine servicing carried out by Lagonda at 7,329 miles, shortly after the second owner took possession.
- —Engine rebuildMotive Parts Corporation
Full mechanical rebuild undertaken by a well-regarded specialist after the car was acquired by the East Coast owner in 1988.
Workshop located in Port Washington, New York.
- —BodyworkLocal Ferrari dealership
Bodywork stripped to bare metal and refinished in British Racing Green by staff at the owner's local Ferrari dealership.
Work carried out during the East Coast owner's tenure, which began in May 1988.
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