At the Sharp End: Sampling the Rakish Lagonda Rapier

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The 1930s was not a good time to be building large, expensive, low-volume cars. The Great Depression saw Bentley summoning the receivers in 1931, followed by Invicta in 1933. Lagonda had to try everything to escape the same fate. An experiment was called for, a hitherto-untried entry into the small sports-car market.

Work began in April, 1933, and, by September, two prototypes of the new model, dashingly christened the Rapier, were presented to the press, which applauded the sophisticated engineering of its 1100cc, all-aluminium straight-four with hemispherical combustion chambers and an ability to rev at a sustained 5000rpm.

Alas, putting the car into production was not so straightforward, and its official launch did not take place until July, 1934. Still, it was a high-profile affair on the lawns of Great Fosters, a grand Tudor mansion. Malcolm Campbell was among the guests and he was particularly taken by the apple green two-seater which he took for a brisk spin.

That car was the very first Warwick Wright Special Two-Seater, one of 11 commissioned by Lagonda’s distributor for London and the Home Counties and bodied by E J Newns. Bought in 1935 by motoring and aviation artist Frank Wootton, it had several enthusiastic custodians before entering the present ownership in 2004 and being restored to its original appearance. Ultimately, the Rapier didn’t keep the receivers away, but it was a wonderful car all the same, as Zack Stiling discovers in the December issue of The Automobile, on sale now.

Words by Zack Stiling
Photographs by Tony Baker
 

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