Lagonda LG45 / LG45R Rapide History
Catalog record
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History
After Alan Good's rescue of the company in 1935, W. O. Bentley was given charge of development. His first act was to refine the existing M45 into the LG45, progressively improving the 4,467 cc Meadows six through three 'Sanction' iterations — each with more Bentley engineering touches. Bodies were lower but heavier than the M45's.
The short-chassis LG45R Rapide carried the same Sanction treatment in competition form; only 25 were built, making them the rarest and most coveted of all pre-war Lagondas. With time the LG45R Rapide has become the most desirable model the marque produced in the pre-war era.
The LG45's two-year run (1935–1937) bridged the old Meadows cars and Bentley's entirely new project — the V12 — which he had been quietly developing concurrently.
Body styles
- Tourer
- Saloon
- Drophead coupe
Notable special editions & performance variants
LG45R Rapide
Short-chassis Rapide with three Sanction levels of Bentley engine work; only 25 built — the rarest and most valuable pre-war Lagonda.
Related models
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