To celebrate the British International Motor Show this year we picked our 100 best British cars. Check out our selection to help you choose your favourite home-grown motor.
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37 Lagonda 4.5-Litre (page 12 of 25)
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Lagonda, founded by an American in Staines, made good-value sporting tourers in the 1920s, when they were regarded as the poor man's Bentleys. The 4.5-litre M45, however, proved itself in head-to-head races and bagged the big one: the 1935 Le Mans 24 Hours, outrunning teams from Bugatti, Alfa Romeo and Duesenberg. Lagonda had run out of money, though, and went into receivership; it was rescued by an enthusiastic consortium, which hired WO Bentley - who had sold his own firm to Rolls-Royce - as chief designer. Road-going M45R Rapide models were updated, but a new V12 was curtailed by World War II; Lagonda was bought by Aston Martin owner David Brown in 1947.
