Lagonda sets the pace for online auction

THIS is one of the most desirable and sporty Lagonda cars ever made – and it is set to fetch between £100,000 and £120,000 at auction.

The 1934 M45 T7 Tourer is in largely original condition and still has its factory coachwork as well as other fixtures and fittings, including most of the leather upholstery.

Back in the 30s, it was among the fastest cars that money could buy, a 4.5-litre straight-six engine and four-speed gearbox enabling it to punch past 100mph.

Contemporary reports in Autocar and Motorsport magazines praised its “brilliant acceleration and sheer performance” as well as its “high power-to-weight ratio”.

Indeed, one specially designed and tuned racing model went on to win the 1935 24 Hours of Le Mans.

And Damian Jones, head of sales at auctioneers H&H Classics, confirmed: “The M45 impressed our team with its grunt during a recent airfield photography session.”

Understandably popular not just with sporting motorists but also racing drivers and celebrities, 410 Lagonda M45s (and 53 Rapide versions) were made from 1933 to 1935.

With a well-documented past, this particular car has been in the seller’s family since 1991 and dry stored for the last decade.

Old MOT certificates on file suggest that the M45 has covered a mere 2000 miles during the past 29 years.

It is coming up for sale with H&H Classics at their live online auction on June 24. Go to www.handh.co.uk to find out more.