From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Article from 'The Autocar' magazine about a special streamlined Lagonda twelve-cylinder car.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 170\1\ img095 | |
| Date | 27th September 1940 | |
| September 27th, 1940. The Autocar. 377 "TALKING OF SPORTS CARS" A Streamlined Lagonda Twelve-cylinder Short Chassis With a Four-carburettor Engine ONLY recently an article was published in The Autocar dealing with a "refresher" run it was possible to make in one of the twelve-cylinder Lagonda short-chassis saloons. That, the production model, is a car of very high performance. Passing reference was made to the special four-carburettor type, of which examples have been built at intervals to individual order, and which are based on the racing machines that did so well at Le Mans and Brooklands in 1939. Since that recent occasion of re-establishing contact with the ordinary car I have been able to obtain details of a special streamline saloon twelve-der, which was being built just prior to the outbreak of war, and which it was possible to finish off. In fact, it has been subsequently bought by someone at present serving in the Forces, for use after the war, a state of mind which denotes cheering optimism. The idea was to evolve a machine for high-speed work in this country and abroad. It is no more than a half-secret that if things had gone on normally it would have very probably made an attempt on that unofficial but most interesting record which was developing nicely last summer, the sports-car hour run. Prediction in such matters is notoriously difficult, but it was hoped that up to 120 miles in the hour might be within reach. The machine certainly suggests itself as a capital type for that attempt, remembering the remarkable performance of the twelve-cylinder in any case, helped in this instance by the four-carburettor engine, a high back axle ratio of 4.09 to 1, and the very lightly constructed and carefully streamlined saloon body. In the ordinary course of events, it would have been offered as a special model for those who set ultra performance above maximum roominess. The price would have been about £1,900. The chassis is the normal short version of 10ft. 4in. wheelbase, with the rear springing stiffened up to suit the performance characteristics. The body, made by Lancefield, is something like four hundredweight lighter than the standard short saloon, and has Perspex instead of glass in all the windows. As will be seen, it is a two-door type, the wings and radiator are faired off, and the head lamps built in, while care has been taken to reduce wind resistance in detail as well as major items, for instance, by enclosing the door handles. It makes a perfectly practicable car for ordinary use on the road, hence the fitting of the current head lamp mask, and for the moment the engine has been detuned to suit Pool petrol. Incidentally, one of the noticeable features of the ordinary twelve-cylinder Lagonda engine is the almost complete absence of pinking on the wartime fuel, though all the performance anyone can reasonably want remains available. The streamlined saloon is understood to be capable of well over 100 m.p.h. even in the present modified state of tune. V.{VIENNA} Image caption 1: Car license plate JPG 492. Image caption 2: The special Lagonda. The rear wings are built integral with the body. At present the finish is matt grey. [Advertisement 1] AMAL FLOWMETERS JET CALIBRATING MACHINES CALIBRATED JETS FUEL PUMPS FILTERS CONTROLS BONNET FASTENERS PRESSURE REGULATORS FLAME TRAPS Parts to specifications, etc. As supplied to the aircraft, motor and marine industries. AMAL LIMITED Holford Works, Birmingham 20 Members of Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and Society of British Aircraft Constructors. [Advertisement 2] Have your Springs Sprayed at an OFFICIAL CAR VALETING STATION TECALEMIT | ||