Pick of the Day: 1950 Lagonda Drophead, a rare British luxury car

Few of these convertible models were produced under ownership of Aston Martin

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The Lagonda is a well-appointed example of British motoring style

When you consider the most-elegant British luxury cars, what comes to mind?  Rolls-Royce and Bentley, right?  But the Pick of the Day is another piece of top-drawer UK magic, and a rare one at that: a 1950 Lagonda 26L Drophead Coupe (the Brit term for convertible).

Believed to be one of just 10 survivors, the Lagonda drophead is a low-mileage example with a majestic presence that should surprise and impress anyone who sees it. 

“The red livery is nicely accented by a classic tan leather interior with rich woodgrain appointments befitting such a rare vehicle,” says the Jackson, Mississippi, dealer advertising the Lagonda on ClassicCars.com. “In every way, this car presents very well and is a remarkable example of a post-WWII British luxury car.”

The Lagonda is powered by a 2.6-liter inline-6 engine with a 3-speed manual transmission, and has just 51,154 miles showing on its odometer.  The 26L was part of a “very-limited” production run of drophead coupes with bodies designed by Tickford.

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The 26L models were produced from 1948-53 after Aston Martin acquired the company, which was founded in 1906 by American expatriate Wilbur Gunn. A total of 510 were sold during the five-year span, and just a faction of them were dropheads; the vast majority sold were 4-door sedans (or saloons, to the British) as Aston Martin attempted to expand its market with bigger luxury vehicles supplementing its lineup of sports cars and GTs.“Research leads us to believe this 1950 Lagonda Drophead Coupe is one of 10 vehicles known to exist,” the seller says.

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The Lagonda looks very, very British, upright and composed with full, flowing fenders pinched in at the rear for a sporty look, and a front end reminiscent of Jaguar designs.

The right-hand-drive interior appears beautifully rich with leather and yards of wood trim, and no doubt supremely comfortable. This was a pricey car in its day, and looks it.

While there’s no information in the ad about any restoration history, this Lagonda appears to have been properly refurbished, with a clean-looking top, shiny paint and chrome, and very nice seats and interior trim.  The wood dashboard glows with a deep finish.

The dealer advertising this Lagonda provides a great “fun fact” about the Lagonda brand.

“Although the name ‘Lagonda’ sounds Italian in origin, (founder Walter) Gunn actually named the company for a Shawnee settlement near his birthplace of Springfield, Ohio,” the seller notes.  Who knew?

The asking price for this unusual piece of British motoring history seems reasonable at $87,000.

 To view this vehicle on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day

3 COMMENTS

  1. A gorgeous car! However, I don’t think Gunn was an ‘ex-patriot’, which makes him sound like a turncoat in the Revolutionary War. More likely an ‘expatriate’. 😉

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