1955 Lagonda 3-Litre

The Lagonda 3-Litre was made between 1953 and 1958 as a four-door, five-seater saloon, a two-door, four-seater coupe, and a two-door, four-seater drophead coupé. A front-mounted engine drove the rear wheels and the 3-Litre was renowned for the standards of its finish.

When the 3-Litre was unveiled in late 1953 it was offered in Tickford-built coupe or drophead forms with bodies along the lines of the earlier 2.6-Litre Brooklands. The Frank Feely styling gave the Lagondas an elegant yet contemporary appeal with integrated front wings and the 3-Litre was eight inches longer than the previous model. One slightly anachronistic detail was the doors hinged from the B-pillars. Unlike its 2.6-litre predecessor, there were no special coachbuilt versions of the 3-Litre.

The Lagonda’s aluminium body was supported by an ash frame mounted on a separate cruciform braced chassis with all round independent suspension – front coil springs and rear torsion bars with a swing axle. The steering was by rack-and-pinion, and there was servo assisted drum brakes front and rear. The extremely extensive list of standard fittings included an adjustable steering column and door armrests, and aircraft-style air inlets in the front footwells. A four-door saloon, again with Tickford coachwork, was added to the range in April 1954 and the Lagonda 3-Litre was updated as the Mk II in October 1955. The windshield was altered and the earlier steering column gear change was now replaced by a floor lever and only a small number of Mk II dropheads were built until 1956. A sliding roof was an attractive optional extra on the saloon but the lack of a left-hand-drive version strongly limited its export potential. The Lagonda 3-Litre ceased production in 1958.

The engine for the Lagonda 3-Litre is a 2,922 cc DHOC S6 unit with twin SU Carburettors married to a four-speed gearbox with synchromesh on the top three ratios. A Mk II saloon is believed to have been made with two-speed Borg Warner automatic transmission.

Any Lagonda 3-Litre is an exclusive motor car, especially in Mk II drophead form. The coupes and particularly the open topped versions command very high prices. The weight of the 3-Litre means that they are not especially fast by mid-late 1950s standards but they all pair dignity and luxury to an engine with a strong racing pedigree and very adroit handling. Some owners prefer the Mk II’s floor gear change for its precision.

As with the 2.6-Litre, the Lagonda 3-Litre can suffer from timber body frames that have deteriorated and the steel chassis can suffer from corrosion. Refurbishment of the beautifully trimmed hide interior and the drophead’s hood will not be a cheap process.

Alternative grand tourers to the Lagonda 3-Litre include the Alvis TC21 and TC108G, the Bentley R-Type and S1, the Bristol 405, the Daimler Regency and 104, and the Jaguar Mk VIIM and Mk VIII.