Lagondaforum » Other » Restoration of a 12/24 Lagonda

Colin M34	Feb 03, 2008 3:26 pm
Subject: Restoration of a 12/24 Lagonda Dear All, The 12/24 category of this forum looked empty and lonely so I have ventured to post some pictures of my first Lagonda. I found this car in 1975 - or rather I found the derelict remains of what had been turned from a saloon into a pick up truck during WW2 and was then abandoned some time in the 1950's. The first photo shows what I found. This is taken on the drive of my 1936 semi-detached house. I bought the car from a local blacksmith called Bob Norman. He first got the car in 1929 when it was 4 years old! Sadly Bob is no longer with us. The second photo was taken about 1980 and shows me sitting with utter disblief in the body I had just found through meeting somebody at the Beaulieu Autojumble. It came off a 1923 10HP Hillman and it fitted! In fact it fitted so well that the price went up - and I had to sell the 1932 Morris Minor in the picture to pay for it. This is the other end of the drive of my semi and we had just lifted the body off the trailer which was parked outside. By the way this is a much younger me and those who know me will have to judge whether I have aged gracefully or not... The third picture was taken some months later and as you can see, it's coming together nicely. The garage behind was where I did all the work through the winter after I had found the body. A few weeks later it passed the MOT test and it was on the road! Later that year I found the rambling 18th century house I still live in and car restoration had to take a back seat whilst the house had to be restored. It caused immense amusement to visitors that at one stage the house had half-demolished walls and scaffolding round the roof whilst the Lagonda engine had been removed and was on a trolley in the living room! Once it was finished, I used the car a great deal. This included taking it to France a couple of times and winning the Lagonda Club Fox and Nichol trophy with it in 1988. These are very rare cars and a delight to drive, though very slow. I sold it in 1991. The house is now secure and warm. Maybe I will post more about this car later. Colin
Attachments: Car as found.jpg (Filesize: 91.27 KB) 12-24 Lagonda body.jpg (Filesize: 134.94 KB) Restoration underway.jpg (Filesize: 90.78 KB)

Colin M34

Feb 03, 2008 3:26 pm

Subject: Restoration of a 12/24 Lagonda

Dear All,

The 12/24 category of this forum looked empty and lonely so I have ventured to post some pictures of my first Lagonda. I found this car in 1975 - or rather I found the derelict remains of what had been turned from a saloon into a pick up truck during WW2 and was then abandoned some time in the 1950's. The first photo shows what I found. This is taken on the drive of my 1936 semi-detached house.

I bought the car from a local blacksmith called Bob Norman. He first got the car in 1929 when it was 4 years old! Sadly Bob is no longer with us.

The second photo was taken about 1980 and shows me sitting with utter disblief in the body I had just found through meeting somebody at the Beaulieu Autojumble. It came off a 1923 10HP Hillman and it fitted! In fact it fitted so well that the price went up - and I had to sell the 1932 Morris Minor in the picture to pay for it. This is the other end of the drive of my semi and we had just lifted the body off the trailer which was parked outside.

By the way this is a much younger me and those who know me will have to judge whether I have aged gracefully or not...

The third picture was taken some months later and as you can see, it's coming together nicely. The garage behind was where I did all the work through the winter after I had found the body. A few weeks later it passed the MOT test and it was on the road!

Later that year I found the rambling 18th century house I still live in and car restoration had to take a back seat whilst the house had to be restored. It caused immense amusement to visitors that at one stage the house had half-demolished walls and scaffolding round the roof whilst the Lagonda engine had been removed and was on a trolley in the living room!

Once it was finished, I used the car a great deal. This included taking it to France a couple of times and winning the Lagonda Club Fox and Nichol trophy with it in 1988. These are very rare cars and a delight to drive, though very slow.

I sold it in 1991. The house is now secure and warm.

Maybe I will post more about this car later.

Colin

Attachments:
Car as found.jpg (Filesize: 91.27 KB)
12-24 Lagonda body.jpg (Filesize: 134.94 KB)
Restoration underway.jpg (Filesize: 90.78 KB)

Patrick1	Mar 03, 2008 1:18 pm
Subject: Re: Restoration of a 12/24 Lagonda Hi, Thats a Lagonda.

Patrick1

Mar 03, 2008 1:18 pm

Subject: Re: Restoration of a 12/24 Lagonda

Hi,

Thats a Lagonda.

Roger Seabrook	Apr 29, 2008 12:28 pm
Subject: Re: Restoration of a 12/24 Lagonda Hello Patrick, My first Lagonda was a 12-24 Reg No YM 221. I have some pictures of it somewhere and will try to find them and scan them. A picture of the car was in a fairly recent Lagonda Club Bulletin. Someone restored it - thay must have spent a fortune because it was in dreadful condition. I couldn't get any spares for it so I sold it and bought a Riley sidevalve instead. This was almost as gutless as the 12-24. I last heard of it in teh Lagonda Club when it was owned by a person living in Kingham Oxfordshire. It's possible the chassis and engine numbers are recorded in an old Membership List. Mine was the monocoque version because it was the LC tourer. Colin was luckier in getting an ex-saloon because this had a separate chassis. Kind regards, Roger

Roger Seabrook

Apr 29, 2008 12:28 pm

Subject: Re: Restoration of a 12/24 Lagonda

Hello Patrick,

My first Lagonda was a 12-24 Reg No YM 221. I have some pictures of it somewhere and will try to find them and scan them. A picture of the car was in a fairly recent Lagonda Club Bulletin. Someone restored it - thay must have spent a fortune because it was in dreadful condition. I couldn't get any spares for it so I sold it and bought a Riley sidevalve instead. This was almost as gutless as the 12-24. I last heard of it in teh Lagonda Club when it was owned by a person living in Kingham Oxfordshire. It's possible the chassis and engine numbers are recorded in an old Membership List. Mine was the monocoque version because it was the LC tourer. Colin was luckier in getting an ex-saloon because this had a separate chassis. Kind regards, Roger

Patrick1	May 05, 2008 10:09 am
Subject: Re: Restoration of a 12/24 Lagonda Dear Roger, I am looking forward to the pics of the 12/24 LC you had. (THANKS !) I didn't know about this one and I am happy someone restored it. Regards, Patrick

Patrick1

May 05, 2008 10:09 am

Subject: Re: Restoration of a 12/24 Lagonda

Dear Roger,
I am looking forward to the pics of the 12/24 LC you had. (THANKS !) Happy

I didn't know about this one and I am happy someone restored it.
Regards,
Patrick

Colin M34	May 05, 2008 11:42 am
Subject: Re: Restoration of a 12/24 Lagonda Hello every body I had been following the fortunes of YM221 for many years. I first saw it about 1976, presumably after Graham had passed it on to a nice man called Tim. I seem to recall it had been advertised it in Exchange and Mart. I later saw it about 1988 in North Norfolk - in pretty dreadful state - where it was sold in a country auction to a dealer who was going to restore it. A few months later the car now looked very smart and was sold at one of these posh London auctions. Someone fell in love with it and paid a huge price for it. Unfortunately it was not drivable and the car then turned up at very competent restorer in the Cotswolds. I spent quite a lot of time advising them on various technical matters, and I also supplied the owner with a complete spare engine and gearbox. I should explain that in the late 1980's, everybody wanted a vintage Lagonda and prices went mad. Even 12/24s sold for undreamt of riches – they are after all a ‘genuine’ Lagonda. Not only had this couple paid a record price at auction for YM221 but they must have spent a fortune with the restorer as well! When it was finished it drove very well. The car has subsequently disappeared – or rather hopefully it is now the pride of someone’s private collection. It may resurface in the future. I hope it does. By the way, Patrick and I can share a secret with you all – 12/24’s are REALLY nice to drive. The handling is precise and the steering light, but oh boy are they slow! There are other Lagonda Club members who also share this view! I once drove mine for 10 hours at a stretch. I also took mine on a Lagonda Club jolly to France in 1988 when it appeared on the front cover of the Club magazine. Another member took his round the Le Mans race track… I believe there are a LOT of early Lagondas that survive. Although the 2006 Club Members’ List only shows 3, I reckon that if we looked hard we could probably find nearly 20 – particularly if you add the 11.9 and 12/24 numbers together. Bear in mind that the Lagonda company made 4025 11.9s and 2550 12/24s, so the combined volumes account for almost half the total number of Lagondas made up to 1940! The reason so few survive relative to the bigger cars is that the early cars became obsolete very quickly – even in the late 1920’s they were outdated, which is why the Lagonda company had to produce the 2 and 3 litre models. As a modern day parallel example...would anyone like my 1992 Apple Macintosh PowerBook 170, which boasts a huge 40 Meg (no not 40 Gig) hard drive? In the 1940’s and early 1950’s, early Lagondas were in exactly the same category, so when Hamish Moffat found his one to drive across the Sahara desert, he would not have paid very much for it! My message to all the readers is that if you have enough space in your garage to have a 12/24 in your collection, you should have one! They are so much fun! I hope the current owner of YM 221 agrees! Cheers Colin M34

Colin M34

May 05, 2008 11:42 am

Subject: Re: Restoration of a 12/24 Lagonda

Hello every body
I had been following the fortunes of YM221 for many years. I first saw it about 1976, presumably after Graham had passed it on to a nice man called Tim. I seem to recall it had been advertised it in Exchange and Mart. I later saw it about 1988 in North Norfolk - in pretty dreadful state - where it was sold in a country auction to a dealer who was going to restore it.

A few months later the car now looked very smart and was sold at one of these posh London auctions. Someone fell in love with it and paid a huge price for it. Unfortunately it was not drivable and the car then turned up at very competent restorer in the Cotswolds. I spent quite a lot of time advising them on various technical matters, and I also supplied the owner with a complete spare engine and gearbox.

I should explain that in the late 1980's, everybody wanted a vintage Lagonda and prices went mad. Even 12/24s sold for undreamt of riches – they are after all a ‘genuine’ Lagonda. Not only had this couple paid a record price at auction for YM221 but they must have spent a fortune with the restorer as well! When it was finished it drove very well.

The car has subsequently disappeared – or rather hopefully it is now the pride of someone’s private collection. It may resurface in the future. I hope it does.

By the way, Patrick and I can share a secret with you all – 12/24’s are REALLY nice to drive. The handling is precise and the steering light, but oh boy are they slow! There are other Lagonda Club members who also share this view! I once drove mine for 10 hours at a stretch. I also took mine on a Lagonda Club jolly to France in 1988 when it appeared on the front cover of the Club magazine. Another member took his round the Le Mans race track…

I believe there are a LOT of early Lagondas that survive. Although the 2006 Club Members’ List only shows 3, I reckon that if we looked hard we could probably find nearly 20 – particularly if you add the 11.9 and 12/24 numbers together. Bear in mind that the Lagonda company made 4025 11.9s and 2550 12/24s, so the combined volumes account for almost half the total number of Lagondas made up to 1940! The reason so few survive relative to the bigger cars is that the early cars became obsolete very quickly – even in the late 1920’s they were outdated, which is why the Lagonda company had to produce the 2 and 3 litre models.

As a modern day parallel example...would anyone like my 1992 Apple Macintosh PowerBook 170, which boasts a huge 40 Meg (no not 40 Gig) hard drive? In the 1940’s and early 1950’s, early Lagondas were in exactly the same category, so when Hamish Moffat found his one to drive across the Sahara desert, he would not have paid very much for it!

My message to all the readers is that if you have enough space in your garage to have a 12/24 in your collection, you should have one! They are so much fun! I hope the current owner of YM 221 agrees!

Cheers

Colin M34