Lot Ended
Description
Expertly restored in 2014 and in superb condition throughout;
Ranalah coachwork; one of only around 320 made; huge history file; FIVA papers;
attended the Fougeres rally in Normandy last year; driven 15 miles to the
sale; find a better one!
Established
in 1906, Lagonda are best known for their range of large sports and touring
cars, but in the early 1930s they decided to revisit the Light Car
market.
In 1932 they approached engineer Tim
Ashcroft with a brief to produce ‘Britain’s finest 1,100cc engine’ while Charles
King was appointed to look after the chassis design. Ashcroft was known to be
something of an eccentric genius, a contemporary account describing him as: "A
tall, distinguished-looking man, wearing a monocle, and with the disturbing
habit of stopping any conversation he was not interested in by pulling the front
of his trousers forward and letting his monocle drop down into the
void."
The engine he came up with was a real gem
and featured twin overhead camshafts (virtually unheard of in a road car at the
time) and a massive fully-balanced crankshaft running on three main bearings of
2” diameter – the same as those in Lagonda’s 4.5-litre engine. The ingenious
valve gear followed race car principles, opposed at 90deg in the crossflow head
and using curved finger followers to give plenty of low-down torque without
compromising high speed power (an early form of variable valve
timing).
Four beautifully engineered
hemispherical combustion chambers, with a 7.5:1 compression ratio and fed by
twin SU carbs, completed the package, delivering 50bhp and driving through an
ENV pre-selector gearbox. Georgano describes it as: "An unburstable engine with
a 6,000rpm potential", making it the highest-revving road car engine of its
day.
King’s chassis had an 8ft 4in wheelbase and
was bolted together to avoid residual stresses caused by welding. Immensely
stiff and strong, it was worthy of at least a 3-litre car and was also one of
the first to be fitted with Girling brakes, whose 25ft stopping distance at
30mph was a remarkable figure for the time.
The
chassis price was fixed at £270 and customers could choose from a range of
coachbuilt bodies which added another £100 - £140 to the cost. John Charles
of London offered a Drop Head Coupe, Abbott of Farnham a Saloon and a Tourer
while other coachbuilders catered for more bespoke requests. Around 80% of
customers opted for Abbott bodies, half choosing open tourers and half
saloons.
Making its showroom debut in early 1934,
the Rapier light sporting car received a rapturous welcome from press and public
alike. Praised for its excellent handling, braking and performance, a waiting
list was quick to form.
"So lively is the engine
that it gains revs almost as though supercharged, but it does not become fussy,
5,500rpm being a rev counter reading which can be frequently attained", reported
Autocar. "It feels somehow like a larger car. There is nothing in the
least flimsy about it and the way in which it sits on the road is quite
exceptional". They went on to record a top speed of 77.6mph and a 0-50mph
time of 13 seconds, although Motor squeezed 80.3mph out of their test
car. To prove the Lagonda’s sporting credentials. Edward Southwell Russell. 26th
Baron de Clifford, came home 16th in his Rapier at Le Mans in
1934.
Unfortunately, Lagonda’s demanding
production requirements and over-complex model range proved unsustainable and in
April 1935 the receivers were called in. By August a buyer had been found, the
solicitor and corporate wheeler-dealer Alan Good, but at 6ft 5in tall and
weighing 20 stone, he instinctively responded to larger cars and decreed that
Rapier production should halt after about 320 had been sold, preferring to
concentrate his resources on the new 4.5-litre LG45 and V12 models instead. The
manufacturing rights were sold to Tim Ashcroft who set up Rapier Cars Ltd in
Hammersmith, where a further 46 Rapiers were completed before production ceased
for good in March 1938.
First registered in
Birmingham in October 1935, this Rapier comes with a large and interesting
history file which will take the next owner many happy hours to digest. We can
only give the briefest summary here, and if you want an even briefer one, just
look at the last photo which encapsulates the history
succinctly.
The fact that Lagonda never stamped
the Rapier chassis with an identifying number has resulted in a number of
mysteries over the years, but research by the Lagonda Rapier Register has
established that this chassis, D11173, was built by the Lagonda works in 1934
and was originally fitted with Fixed Head Coupe coachwork by Abbott of Farnham.
The subsequent history of the car isn’t
immediately obvious from the documents on file but in c.2012 it was purchased by
the Rapier Club Registrar, Tony Wood, as a restoration project. This included
fitting the Ranalah body you see today which had come from another car (chassis
number D11479; registration number CYY 786). Mr Wood restored the chassis and
partially restored the body, while the engine was rebuilt by Mark Longmore and
the ENV 75 four-speed pre-selector gearbox by Bill Morris.
He then sold the car to another Register member, Mr P Elliot, who
followed the lead set by Mr Wood, continuing to get the job finished to exacting
original specification using the original vehicle parts where possible and
original manufactured parts where available.
The
major works took around two years to complete, with invoices showing ongoing
improvements up to 2019. The full extent of the work carried out over this
period is far too detailed to list in full here, but is amply covered in
correspondence, invoices, worksheets and photos on file. Rest assured, it was an
extremely thorough job which took countless hours and many thousands of pounds
to complete.
Highlights include: bodywork
restored; new plywood floor boards; brightwork rechromed; new wiring harness and
all associated electrical components; instruments refurbished; magneto rebuilt;
remote gear change specially fabricated; new windscreen; new radiator with
stainless steel slats; new wiper motor; powder coated hood frame, seat frames
and wheels; new tyres and inner tubes; reconditioned leaf springs plus much else
besides.
Non-original upgrades.were flashing indicators, a dash-operated
electric cooling fan, battery isolator switch, tonneau cover and LED
headlight bulbs (retaining the original mechanical dip beam
operation).
The bodywork was repainted to a very
high standard by Darren Sorenson of Ultimate Car Refinishers in Bucks in Bentley
K6A Barnato Green and Toyota 202 Black. The interior was fully retrimmed to
match the original specification by master trimmer Sean McGuire of Allon White’s
in Cranfield, including Muirhead Caledonian Chocolate leather and green Wilton
carpets edged in Chocolate leather. He also made a full set of weather equipment
in black Double Duck. The retrim alone cost over £9,300 but boy was it worth it,
because it still looks superb today.
Our vendor
acquired the car in July 2024 from Vintage car specialist Robin Lawton of
Southampton, the invoice showing that he paid substantially more than the guide
price suggested here. He has improved the car still further, including a
partial repaint by JD Automotive of Ludlow to address some minor dings and
scratches. This was done to the same high standard as Sorenson's work 10
years before, with a deep and lustrous shine.
There are also various invoices for routine servicing, plus FIVA
Papers issued in September 2024. The car has been used extensively for touring
in the current ownership, including attending the Fougeres Rally in Normandy in
2025. We are told that BOH 502 drives as well as it looks and was driven some 15
miles to Brightwells.
The history file also
contains a large amount of priceless technical literature, a selection of which
is shown in the photos. This includes engineering blueprints, period sales
brochures and road tests, press cuttings, magazine articles, dozens of Lagonda
Club and Rapier Register newsletters plus helpful tips on driving, starting and
tuning etc. Sundry useful spares are also included, the icing on the cake being
the original (transferable) BOH 502 number plate.
Eligible
for a wide range of prestigious historic rallies and hill climbs, the Rapier was
designed to keep up with much larger cars, earning it a reputation as a ‘giant
slayer’ in the 1,100cc class, so if you fancy a bit of motorsport, this could be
just the weapon for you. Drive it properly and you might even win some
silverware, as you may also do if you just prefer to take it to shows.
Parts and technical advice are readily available
from a friendly and active Rapier Register who host regular meets, so you don’t
just get a magnificent motorcar, you get the option of an enjoyable
social life too.
As you can see in the photos,
this Rapier is in fine condition above and below and you would be
hard pressed to find a better example, let alone at the guide price suggested
here (which is barely half what we got for a lesser example six short years
ago).
PLEASE NOTE: If you are planning on spending more than £25,000
during this auction, you will need to increase your spending limit by leaving
more than one deposit. Please refer to your account.
Consigned by James Dennison – 07970 309907 – james.dennison@brightwells.com