Description

1954 Lagonda 3.0 Sports Saloon

Rare Tickford-bodied two-door model; one of only around 70 made and perhaps a dozen surviving; interesting project with lots of potential

As copies of the original factory records confirm, this Lagonda 3.0 was purchased new in June 1954 by a JEG Stevens of Hyde Park Gate, London SW7, from the well-known Aston Martin Lagonda agent, Brooklands of Bond Street. A rare Tickford-bodied two-door saloon (of which only around 70 were made and only a dozen are thought to survive), it was originally finished in Tudor Grey over Shell Grey and was registered as OYE 820, a transferable number which it retains to this day.
Copies of the factory service records show that the car had some teething troubles, needing a new gearbox almost immediately and then having a full engine rebuild at 16,703 miles in October 1955. The rear axle and propshaft were also rebuilt in July 1959 by which time the car was with a second owner, one R Hirst Esq. of the Direct Curtain Co. in Leeds.
The next recorded keeper was a Victor Johnson of Banstead, Surrey, who appears to have owned it for many years until it fell into the hands of Chelsea Cars of Wandsworth in May 1989. They sold it almost immediately to a Dik Samson of Stellendam, Holland, from whom our vendor acquired it in December 2014 to join his collection.
By this time the car had been off the road for many years and the vendor was planning a full restoration which, as you can see, he never got round to – hence its appearance in our sale today. Said to be 100% complete, the car sits well and rolls easily, with straight bodywork and doors which still open and close nicely. The grey leather upholstery is in good condition and should respond well to a thorough cleaning while the lavish interior woodwork also looks eminently restorable.
Being offered here as a straightforward restoration project, this exceedingly rare and handsome sporting saloon should amply reward the remedial works now required.
For more information contact James on 07970 309907 or email james.dennison@brightwells.com
MODEL HISTORY
Introduced in 1953 to rave reviews from the press, the new 3-litre Lagonda used an enlarged version of WO Bentley's 2.6-litre twin overhead-cam straight-six used in its predecessor, the 2.6 saloon and, of course, in the gorgeous Aston Martin DB2.
The second Lagonda to be offered in the David Brown era, it was sold as a four-door saloon, a two-door coupe and a drophead, the aluminium bodies being produced in-house by coachbuilders Tickford, a subsidiary of David Brown Engineering.
Built around a complex cruciform chassis, it used independent suspension all round with coils up front and torsion-bars and swing-axles at the rear. The chassis incorporated in-built hydraulic jacks. The 2,922cc 140bhp straight-six twin-cam engine delivered a top speed of 104mph, no mean figure in the early ‘50s for a luxury saloon, with particular note being made of its rapid acceleration in contemporary road tests. Capable of carrying five adults in comfort, there was also plenty of luggage space in the cavernous boot. With its leather upholstery, plentiful walnut and quality fittings, the interior stood comparison with the very best in the luxury car class.
Sold in limited numbers, just 270 were made in total, its hefty £2,993 price tag (around £90,000 in today’s money) putting it well out of reach of the average man. For those lucky enough to afford one, they got a very special car indeed, the Duke of Edinburgh being a noted owner and enthusiast of the model.