Lagondaforum

Subject: V12 Saloon De Ville with Cotal Gearbox

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My car, chassis and engine number 16027, was well documented as the only factory built V12 with the Cotal gearbox.
My total renovation is going well and I hope will be finished by the end of the year.
Do any archives exist which mention the conception, testing or development of this particular "special".
I,m well aware the factory build card is not available but do any other period publications mention this car?

Subject: Re: V12 Saloon De Ville with Cotal Gearbox

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Is your car, the ex. W.O. Bentley car ?

If it is, have you checked his biography or any materials of his that have survived ?

1. You may want to take a look at this reference, with a fair bit of WO detail :

http://books.google.co.uk/...gearbox.&f=false

You may also want to check with :

2. W O Bentley foundation

3. Also the National Archives, hold some of his papers.

Best of luck !

Simon

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Subject: Re: V12 Saloon De Ville with Cotal Gearbox

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Thanks, I bought W O Bentley book "The cars in my life" but could find no reference, it seems that he must have used it and I was told he did a tour round France in it, but no proof .
When I was an apprentice in the Petters (old Lagonda ) factory in Staines in the early 60's I worked with several ex Lagonda employees and there were many lovely old stories about the V12 particularly and the wooden mock ups at the car exhibitions, particularly a guy called Chasemore (?) who claimed he was the liaison man between W O and the sales dept. They were interesting times.