1935 LAGONDA
Type M35 R T9
Chassis n° Z11336
Engine no. 3084
Tourer 3 L ½
English registration document
To be cleared through customs
120 000 / 180 000 €
Wilbur Gunn was an American of Scottish descent who moved to the UK in 1891. A former opera singer, Wilbur had a passion for engineering and worked as a motorbike and steamboat engineer. The name ‘Lagonda’ comes from the Shawnee name of his home town in Ohio. He drove a Lagonda 16/18 to victory in the 1910 Moscow-St Petersburg race. Lagonda won many races but the main one came in 1935, when Lagonda won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Johnny Hindmarsh and Luis Fontes ahead of Alfa Romeo and Bugatti.
Model presented:
This Lagonda M35 R was bought by Mr Vokes in England at the end of the 1930s. He was the founder of the Vokes Group of Companies, a pioneer in the science of fluid filtration. A lover of the brand, he owned 6 Lagonda cars. His son Tony wrote: ‘Thefirst time I drove this car (in 1940), my father gave me strict instructions on how to drive it properly’.
In 1952, the car officially became his property. He tells us that in ‘1962 the Lagonda was 100% roadworthy’. He kept it until 1998. It was then sold by Brooks to Bruno Vendiesse, who sold it to the current owner in 2000.
The current owner commissioned a full restoration from specialists between 2002 and 2007. More than €100,000 was needed to give it a new lease of life.
We started with the mechanics in 2002 at Morisse Nayrat (76) with a rectification of the block, then the complete mechanics and all the accessories. The bodywork was done at Automobiles d'Antan in Chatillon (92), and the upholstery, soft top and tonneau cover at Bâches 27.
This rare M35 R was built on the Rapide chassis (shorter) and is still fitted with its original T9 Tourer bodywork.
This car is ready to take part in numerous rallies and concours d'élégance events. Its T9 Tourer bodywork, with its elegant lines, conceals astonishing performance.