Lagonda saloon car built in Middlesex in 1957 by Aston Martin. Features a three litre six-cylinder twin-overhead-cam engine, a cruciform chassis and independent suspension. 

Much of early British car manufacturing was intrinsically tied up with motor racing, with developments tested out on the track and in trials making their way into market versions of the cars. Lagonda produced its first car in 1907, which founder Wilbur Gunn used to win the 1910 Moscow to St Petersburg trial. In 1935, Lagonda’s M45R Rapide car brought the team victory at the Le Mans 24-hour race. This 1957 saloon highlights this link between motorsport and the car industry through its racing-level specification in a luxury car body. The engine was designed by W O Bentley, a prolific racer and race car designer, founder of Bentley Motors and former Rolls-Royce designer.