1934 Lagonda 4½-Liter M45 Tourer

The body on this car is “reputedly new old stock from the factory” and mounted in the early 1950s. It’s handsome and correct, but still a rebody

by Donald Osborne

If the best British workmanship and the finest materials appeal to you, and if character, sweet running, and a maximum speed… are qualities that attract you, there is no need to look further; you will find them in this British car.”

So read Lagonda’s sales brochure announcing the M45, a powerful model boasting 4 1/2 liters and regarded as one of the most desirable of all post-vintage thoroughbred cars. Launched in 1933, it was powered by the 6-cylinder, 4,467-cc, OHV engine designed by Henry Meadows, which had been progressively developed since 1928.

Like all of Meadows’s engines, it was robust and, if anything, over-engineered, enabling the more sporting enthusiast in later years to tune it to good effect without serious consequences. At the time of its launch, it was the largest-engined British sports car available; even Bentley was left on the starting grid with its relatively new 3 1/2-Liter model.

Unlike Bentley, which did not produce...