1937 Lagonda LG45 Rapide Sports Tourer (more photos 👇)
Styled by Frank Feeley (who would later design the Aston Martin DB2), the LG45 Rapide’s sweeping bodywork, squared-off radiator, outside exhausts, and sculpted boat-tail rear stood apart from the conservative saloons dominating British roads in the late 1930s.
Just 25 were built after the September 1936 debut, each finished at Lagonda’s Staines works.
Shared with the standard LG45, the chassis carried a 4,467cc Meadows straight-six in “Sanction 3” form, developed under W.O. Bentley after Lagonda narrowly avoided acquisition by Rolls-Royce in 1935.
Closely related to the engine that powered Lagonda to overall victory at Le Mans in 1935, it featured higher compression (around 7.0:1) and output of approximately 140 hp, placing the Rapide among the very few road cars then capable of 100 mph.
Curb weight was approximately 3,300 pounds (1,500 kg), contributing to its strong performance for the era.
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