Lagonda Rapide

1963 Lagonda Rapide

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | December 6, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Lagonda was an automobile marque that was founded in 1906 by Wilbur Gunn and acquired by Aston Martin in 1947. It disappeared after 1958 and then re-appeared in 1961 for this four-door sedan called the Rapide. The model lasted through 1964 and the marque disappeared again. The name was then used on a few Aston Martin models up through the the 1980s. It appeared as a marque again in 2014.

This very British-looking sedan is powered by a 4.2-liter straight-six while the original engine was a 4.0-liter straight-six making 236 horsepower. This one was enlarged during restoration. The chassis is a stretched version of the one used under the Aston DB4. The body is aluminium and was designed by Touring.

These cars cost 25% more than a contemporary Aston Martin DB4. Perhaps this incredible price is why a mere 55 of these were built. Aston Martin bought this example at a Bonhams auction in 2010 and restored it themselves – so you really aren’t going to find one in better shape. It should bring between $530,000-$610,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Mathilda. A Lagonda LG45 Rapide

1936 Lagonda LG45 Rapide

Offered by Bonhams | Goodwood, U.K. | July 12, 2013

1936 Lagonda LG45 Rapide

Although it has had a long association with Aston Martin (after being purchased by them in 1947), Lagonda was once an independent manufacturer. Lagonda car construction goes back to 1907, but it wasn’t until the inter-war period where their design and fame really took off.

In 1935, the company was going through hard times. But it was saved and W.O. Bentley was brought aboard to help build some fantastic cars. And in 1936, the LG45 was launched. It uses a 4.5-liter straight-six. The cars were heavy and beautiful but a little removed from sportier Lagondas of earlier days.

And thus the Rapide was conceived – it was to be a four-seat sports car based on the LG45. The car was lighter and featured a “Sanction 3” engine (the motors were available as Sanction 1, 2 or 3 – the higher the number, the more tweaks applied by W.O. Bentley). Total output was about 133 horsepower. The cars were attractive and all shared the same Lagonda-built bodywork. Only 25 were built – 24 remain.

This particular car was owned originally by the chairman of Lagonda at the time, a Mr. Alan P. Good, who nicknamed the car “Mathilda.” He sold it in 1938 and the next owner  after that acquired the car in 1954 and owned it until 1997 in the U.S. It spent the following two years in Canada before the present owner acquired it in 1999. The restoration is at least as old as 1979 and has been well cared for since. The engine was freshly rebuilt in 2009. “Mathilda” is expected to bring between $860,000-$940,000 at auction. Check out more here and more from this sale here.

Update: Sold $932,942.

Bonhams’ 2012 Aston Martin Sale

Bonhams’ almost exclusively Aston Martin sale (there were a few Lagondas), held on May 19, 2012, was a huge success. The sell rate was very high and some cars brought a lot of money – and by a lot of money I mean some cars sold for up to five times the amount of the high-end of their estimate. Such as our featured 1971 DBS Estate. The upper end of the estimate was $110,000. It sold for $533,000. Wow.

The top sale of the auction was a 1991 DB4GT Zagato. While not one of the original 1960s DB4GT Zagatos, this was one of a handful of DB4s that were upgraded by the factory in the late-80s/early-90s. It sold for $1,896,720. But look at it. If there was a “perfect shape,” this is about as close as I’ve seen.

The second highest-sale was a 1962 DB4 Vantage Convertible with single-family ownership from new. It sold for $967,000.

Other interesting sales included a pair of sedans. First was a 1963 Lagonda Rapide – one of only 55 produced. It brought $90,800. The second was a Series I Aston Martin Lagonda from 1975. It is one of only seven made and it sold for $533,000.

And our other feature car, the 1952 DB2 Drophead Coupe, sold for $427,000. For complete results, click here.