Lagonda Rapiers

4 minute(s) of a 484 minute read

Hello all Lagonda Rapier owners

Please don't be shy I do not want to carry the whole thread! Some of you must use your cars if only occasionally. I have been going through some old photographs that may inspire you into action. The first is of Helen with KG at the historic pit counter at Reims, France in 1999. the other shows our daughter Anna and son Paul playing in the mud on a VSCC Observed Section Trial. This section of "road" is usually reserved for 4WD only. All the smoke that you see is not from the exhaust but tyre smoke. Our next visit to Europe is planned for 2014.

5-25-2013

It seems that we must be the only Lagonda Rapier owners that actually use their car on a regular basis. No one else has added anything to this thread since our last post in November 2012. This does not mean that we have not had KG (CH1998) out but we have been busy with other things. Last Sunday saw us out despite the cold and wet. (it is late Autumn here in Australia) for the VSCC of Victoria, Australia's Day Navigation Trial, we covered 233 miles door to door leaving home a 8.45 am and returning at 6.45 pm. The Rapier went extremely well and averaged 23 Miles per (imperial) Gallon. Not too bad considering for much of the day the speedo did not fall very far under 60mph and frequently went well above this and much of the route took us on winding, narrow secondary roads, mainly through hill country.

Bj.

5-26-2013

Sometime I have to remind my self, the owners of lesser vehicles often have no conception of what constitutes a GOOD car. Given that the Lagonda Rapiers are all almost 80 years old and the entire production did not exceed 400. That is right FOUR HUNDRED in total, they can be excused if they have not even seen one, let alone have been lucky enough to own one. Most people having once owned a Rapier will never go very long without one. As a very limited production car they are virtually totally hand built with what for the time (1934) was an incredibly sophisticated specification for a four cylinder 1100cc car. Two overhead camshafts, a crankshaft that the owners of lesser vehicles would die for. 4 Speed close ratio preselector gearbox. Girling brakes that made the Rapier the first car to stop in less than 30 ft from 30 mph. A fully balanced engine capable of being consistently run to 5,500-6,000 rpm. Depending on the final drive ratio this translates to 70mph in third gear and over 90 mph in top. All this with handling to match. Every Rapier chassis to leave the Lagonda factory was fitted with an individual coachbuilt body making every Rapier unique. Thanks to the Spares service supplied by the enthusiastic members of the Rapier Register (Spares) in England, Lagonda Rapiers have a survival rate that is unsurpassed by any other car.