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How much would a 1930s Lagonda V12 have cost when new?
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The 1938-1939 Lagonda V-12 was one of the 1930s fastest British cars, which was impressive at a formidable 5000 pounds. Learn about this classic car.
the above was the first item on a Google search. I put in 'Lagonda V12 1930'
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Thank you for that Westy.
I did a Google too, but couldn't find any sensible references to price. Just curiosity. I know someone who has one of these delightful cars.
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can you not get a guide from eBay.... :-)
JH
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According to the September 1939 Motor the price of the short saloon was £1550, the Rapide C £1600, the sedanca de ville £1625 and the 7 passenger limousine £1850. A secondhand short saloon with 5000 miles was on offer at £1050.
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So your £1,550 Lagonda costs about £73,000 in today's money (if the BoE's inflation multiplers are correct).
I'd rather have a low-chassis S-type Invicta, though....
Davros
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In my hitch-hiking days from 1957 to 61 or 62, I once got a lift in a Lagonda V12 with a rather inelegant and home-made-looking post-war, probably mid-fifties, lightweight cabriolet body, four seater I think but can't really remember. It took me from outside Reading to Theale in Berkshire where it lived at the very sporting Halfway Garage. The driver was deaf but beatific, and put it up to eighty-odd which it maintained all the way in relaxed fashion, making the lift all too short. Muted thunder is the image, wind noise rather than exhaust.
One of a number of privileged brushes with automotive, not exactly greatness, but something along those lines.
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drbe: do you know the V12 owner well enough to have had a ride in it? The body one used to see on the advertised examples was that lush curvaceous luxury-supercar thing, usually a four-seater convertible, heavy looking although made of aluminium I believe.
The really nice Lagondas are the much starker, earlier 4,5 litre sporting ones.
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I transported a green V12 saloon to Harwich for export in the mid 80s. I think it was quite a famous car having been in some competitions. I think I have a photo of it on the transporter.
My main memory of this trip was overtaking an artic on the A1 near Sawtry. Looking in my mirror to pull back in and being horrified to see it on its side coming down the road towards me. I got to the Little Chef and turned out the services. No mobile phone then. I think the driver was killed sadly. The police thought he may have fallen asleep, it was about 5am.
Ted
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drbe: do you know the V12 owner well enough to have had a ride in it? .
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'Fraid not. I have had a sit in it, but that's all. Next time I see him - which is infrequently - I could ask!
The owner has a number of fine cars - including several Lagondas. [Makes you sick, doesn't it? ;-) ].
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So your £1 550 Lagonda costs about £73 000 in today's money (if the BoE's inflation multiplers are correct).
My parents married in 1939 - brand new semi bungalow was £225 but my grandpa got it for £210 CASH!!
It is still lived in but I have no idea of the value today but certainly in 6 figures so the BoE inflation figures are just a measure not the measure of values in 1939 compared with today. Their car was a Morris which cost £120.
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My parents married in 1939 - brand new semi bungalow was £225 but my grandpa got it for £210 CASH!! It is still lived in but I have no idea of the value today but certainly in 6 figures so the BoE inflation figures are just a measure not the measure of values in 1939 compared with today.
Inflation figures cover a wide range of goods and services, to get an average, and some prices rise much more than the average, while others rise less. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_price_index
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The £1500 Lagonda is, very roughly, 8 to 10 years wages of a working man in the '30s.
Makes you think - what!
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I use this site for thes esorts of comparisons, uses avariety of benchmarks:-
www.measuringworth.com/ukcompare/
1500 quid in 1930 calculates out as around 67grand against RPI, but a stonking 280 grand against tha chnage in average wages ( arguably the more meaningful)
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I believe the short stroke V12 engine produced a horsepower figure, for taxation purposes, knocking on 50. At the 1939 rate of 25 shillings per hp, the annual tax would have been about £60. Using Spamcan 61(P)'s multipliers, the road tax in 2008 would be either £2700 or £7800.
Incidentally, Leslie Charteris was said to own a Lagonda Rapide (not the V12) which was the basis for the red and silver Hirondel driven by his fictional hero, The Saint.
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silver Hirondel driven by his fictional hero, The Saint.
Heh heh... "... a mere whispering sixty, for the Saint was in no hurry.' Sixty was a good lick on thirties roads, tyres, suspension and brakes.
He had another car called a Furillac, sometimes driven by his Chicago hood sidekick Hoppy Uniatz, a man both willing and competent with a couple of .45 automatics...
Pretty well unreadable now but loved those books when I was about 14.
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By the way, I have said this before, but the casting of Roger Moore and a Volvo for the Saint and his Hirondel was the most ridiculous bit of TV producer rubbish ever...
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Yes, Ian Ogilvy and his XJS was far better. :-)
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Without my glasses on I thought this thread was about a Laguna V12... Imagine that.
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