Twin o.h.c.

Sir,

Your correspondent, Mr. Blight, has made a sweeping statement which I must challenge. Without any reservation he says that Sunbeam made the only serious attempt before Jaguar to design a twin cam engine for a touring car.

In 1934 the “Smiths and Joneses” were offered a small luxury touring car with a twin o.h.c. engine of classic design. Although the capacity of this little power unit was a mere 1,100 c.c. it developed 45 b.h.p. at 4,500 r.p.m. The motor car I am talking about is a Lagonda, type named “Rapier,” designed from scratch by that talented engineer, the late Tim Ashcroft. I am old enough to remember these fine little cars in the days when their lucky owners were running them in. Those engines were quiet and amazingly smooth for four-cylinder units. Possibly they were far too good for “Smith” and “Jones,” but the Rapiers were offered as fully equipped cars for all to buy.

I have heard it said that Jaguars took a hard look at the Lagonda Rapier before the XK120 was designed. Mr. Blight should have done the same before making that sweeping statement.

Sunninghill. K. W. Kerridge..