Lagonda Rapiers

3 minute(s) of a 484 minute read

Hello Mike

Right now I either have forgotten or have never known Tim Ashcroft's age when he was first enployed by Lagonda. It should not take more than a day or two to rectify this. I suspect that his job with Lagonda may have been his first professional engagement. Some people use the Alfa valve clearance shims but I prefer not to as they have a comparitively short skirt and have been known to jump out at high revolutions. 

The big thing about those cam followers is that in addition to taking oil where it is most needed that they can be moved sideways giving access to the buckets/shims making tappet adjustment relatively quick and simple. No need to disturb the timing or lift the camshafts.

One of the two prototype Rapiers became Tim Ashcroft's personal transport. 

Bj.

Hello Mike

My good friend and Rapier Register brains behind the Spares Scheme, Mike Pilgrim tells me that Ashcroft was employed by Lagonda specifically to design the Rapier.  This is referred to at the bottom of page 263 of "Lagonda - a History of the Marque" by Arnold Davey and Anthony May.  It says that Ashcroft was an engineering consultant to an iron foundry at the time.
Irvin Thomas Ashcroft was born at Northampton, England, on 13th July 1895.  On 16th September 1914 he applied to join the Royal Engineers, but on 19th October 1914 their Motor Cycle Section discharged him as "unlikely to make an efficient soldier".  His name appears on a Royal Flying Corps list, and  he is also listed as having Service Number F1349 in the RNVR (Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve).

That makes him in his late 30's when he joined Lagonda when he was employed specifically to design the Rapier engine.
When the Lagonda Company went into receivership towards the end of 1935, Ashcroft along with ex Lagonda Co Director, Bill Oates and Nevil Brockelbank, who provided some of the necessary finance, setup the Rapier Car Ltd to acquire the remaining Rapier parts and continue assembly of the cars which were then "badged" as Rapier as distinct from Lagonda's. In total about 40 "Rapiers" were sold between 1936 and 1938. The Lagonda name was removed from the cam covers, the top of the chassis plate with the Lagonda name etc was guillotined off and new badge with the name "Rapier" designed for the Radiator. Naturally the Rapier Register caters for both Lagonda Rapiers and Rapiers. 

Bj.

1-16-2016

The attatched scan of a lapel badge illustrates the two different Radiator badges. Over the years there has been a number of variations on the Lagonda Badge. The one shown here is the correct one for the 1930s. If you have a "Rapier" badge it is a very rare item with something less than 80 cars being built between 1936 and 38.

There is absolutely no connection between Lagonda, Rapier and the Hillman Minx based Sunbeam Rapier from the 1950s & 60s

Bj.