1938 Lagonda V12 Brockman, Coachwork by Brockman

1938 Lagonda V12 Brockman
Coachwork by Brockman
Chassis no. 16019
Engine no. V12/151
4,480 CC SOHC V-12
195 bhp
Four-speed manual transmission
Four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes
Independent front suspension with torsion bars
Live rear axle with semi-elliptical springs

Mighty V-12 restored by Dick Brockman
Superb condition throughout
Lovely Royal Blue over tan leather interior
Exhibited at the San Diego Automotive Museum, 'The British Invasion', 2016

THE LAGONDA V12

Wilbur Gunn, an American opera singer living in England, established the Lagonda motorcar company in 1906 in Staines, Middlesex, with the 20hp six-cylinder Torpedo, which successfully ran the Moscow to St. Petersburg trail in 1910. Named for a Shawnee settlement in Springfield, Ohio, where Gunn was born, the Lagonda name became synonymous with high speed luxury automobiles. By 1938, the Lagonda had evolved into a large 4.5 liter tour de force with a 12-cylinder engine on a 3,150mm wheelbase summonsing almost 200 hp. The mighty V12 was entered into the Brooklands 500-mile race and beat out all comers – including the Bentleys – with a top speed reported in excess of 100mph. Only 187 of these Lagonda's were hand-built and each one cost £2,500 new – quite the handsome sum for an automobile in 1938.

THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

This stunning Lagonda comes to us from a private collector complete with a fascinating and well-documented history. The paperwork included within the portfolio trace the car from its first registration in 1938 all the way through its provenance and restoration by Dick Brockman, the fabled Lagonda guru and coachwork master extraordinaire of Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England.

The British Registration Book #7830 clearly states that Lt. Marten of Wimborne, Dorset, first registered chassis 16019, a black saloon 2-axle rigid body sports car with license plate CKW444, on August 16, 1938. It appears that Marten kept the car until May, 1950, when it was sold to a fellow military man, Cpt. E.S. Coppen of Polzeath, Cornwall. The registration record goes on to list several owners over the next few years, until February 4, 1957, when the automobile was last registered to the current family of ownership.

The new owner, an American Lagonda enthusiast, purchased only the original engine, chassis and frame without any of the body panels. Enthused with the challenge to rebuild the Lagonda, he assigned the car to Dick Brockman of Vintage Car Specialist, and through a series of transatlantic correspondence, consisting of many sketches and typed letters between the two gentlemen, the 1938 Lagonda V12 was totally rebuilt. As is stated by a family member, 'Dick Brockman and (the owner) designed the body that is currently on the car in the style of the French coachbuilders of the 1930s.'

The process began in October, 1990, when Brockman sent an invoice to the owner for £667 to 'cut body profile templates', 'cover templates with paper for photography to give idea of shape' and purchase fiber board and lengths of steel. Body panels were shaped by hand-beating aluminum over wooden templates fitted to the chassis, while hinges and bolts were created from scratch when they couldn't be sourced from various suppliers, to ensure the period correct installation.

Some £36,000 later, the Lagonda was fully fitted with a new body and painted in royal blue. Meanwhile Robinson Engineering of Bournemouth, Dorset, completed a full engine rebuild without modification and the Lagonda was fitted with racing tires and a superb tan full leather interior.

As testimony to Brockman's superlative work, the Lagonda was invited to the San Diego Automotive Museum in the Spring of 2016, to be exhibited in the museum's special presentation of 'The British Invasion', which was visited by more than 25,000 people.

This fabulous 1938 Lagonda V-12 comes with a complete restoration record including invoices, correspondence and photographic documentation, plus the original UK registration book. The accompanying Registration and Eligibility form of 1995 from the Vintage Sports Car Club clearly confirms that the car had the correct engine, gearbox and brakes for the chassis number 16019 with registration license CKW444.

Sadly, Dick Brockman passed away, but this superb Lagonda, with the Brockman Midas touch, is a unique representation of his excellence melded with the magnificence of the Lagonda marque. It has been owned by the current family since 1957 and presents today in superb condition, offering a great opportunity to own a fabulous and one-off automobile.