Lagonda — An Illustrated History 1900-1950

Lagonda — An Illustrated History 1900-1950

by Geoffrey Seaton. 318pp. 10.1/2″ x 8.1/2″. (The Crowood Press, Crowood House, Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 211E. £25.00

The Lagonda “bible” remains the excellent coverage by Arnold Davey and Anthony May, which David & Charles published back in 1978, but to supplement it addicts of the famous Staines make can now enjoy a new book.

The author himself owns a fine 3-litre 1930 Lagonda tourer which he bought in 1951, and has restored a 4.1/2-litre 1934 saloon. A belief in properly-restored cars which keep to original concepts rather than in turning closed Lagondas into specials, he has chosen carefully the 500 or so well-presented photographs with which his book is stacked, mainly of contemporary cars.

This pictoral history benefits from hitherto unseen pictures contributed by the Oates, Hammond and Davies families, among other sources, and the text is sufficient for those unable to obtain the previous Lagonda book.

Denis Jenkinson provides a long foreword telling of his associations with the make, which started when he saw Peter Hull with the Le Mans-winning 4.1/2-litre in south-east London in 1939. I too have my Lagonda memories, ranging from the run I was given as a schoolboy in a blown 2-litre Speed Model, through road-testing pre-war 4 1/2-litre saloon and post-war V12s, 2.6 and 3-litre WO cars, to driving Arthur Jeddere-Fisher’s 11.9hp light-car in an MCC Land’s End Trial.

So I am very glad to recommend a book with so many fine photographs, reproductions of old advertisements, Press accounts and factory pictures. The Lagonda Clubs, who are remembered therein, should love it! WB