History of the Lagonda V12
The Lagonda V12 is a big automobile manufactured by the British firm Lagonda from 1938 to 1940. It debuted at the 1936 London Motor Show, although manufacture did not begin until 1938. W. O. Bentley created an all-new 4480 cc 60-degree V12 engine for the V12 model. The engine features an iron cylinder block and upper crankcase, as well as a light alloy lower crankcase. Between the engine blocks are twin downdraft SU carburettors. At 5000rpm, 180 horsepower is produced.
The chassis had independent torsion bar front suspension and a live rear axle with a hypoid final drive. Lockheed hydraulic braking is used. The engine is coupled to a four-speed transmission with a centrally positioned shift lever. Coachwork could be done by Lagonda or a variety of other coachbuilders, and a wheelbase of 124 inches, 132 inches, or 138 inches could be ordered to suit various body styles. Only 10 vehicles with the longest bodywork were manufactured. The automobile could exceed 100 mph even with a saloon body. Two modified V12s with four carburettor engines finished third and fourth in the 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans.