1932 Lanchester 30hp Tourer
Chassis no. 8083
Engine no. 8080
•One of only 168 built
•Known ownership history
•Present ownership since 1994
•Replica coachwork
•Little used for the last three years
Footnotes:
One of only 126 built, this last of George Lanchester's celebrated straight-eights dates from the final year of production. By this time Lanchester had been acquired by the BSA Group, after which all Lanchester-badged cars were made by fellow group member Daimler. Lanchester's 30hp car was powered by a 4.4-litre overhead-camshaft engine boasting ten main bearings and twin-plug ignition, the latter supplied with sparks by a BTH magneto and battery/coil. The engine went into a 142' wheelbase chassis costing a not inconsiderable £1,250, and with a maximum of 82bhp available at a lowly 2,800 revs, these 30hp cars, when fitted with lightweight bodywork, were capable of close to 90mph. Other notable features included temperature-controlled radiator shutters and a Clayton Dewandre brake servo.

The Lanchester's first owner was a Mrs Van de Meyer of Bournemouth, Hampshire, and after her ownership it passed to a funeral director's business in Newbury before being bought by the previous owner, a dedicated Lanchester enthusiast, in 1965. The previous owner immediately commenced an extensive restoration, which would take the next 30 years to complete. The rebuild included having the car re-bodied as a replica of that built for Nancy Lanchester (George's daughter), using original factory drawings. Although he had completed the bodywork, the previous owner had not driven the car on the road when he sold it in 1994, the engine having recently been rebuilt. The vendor had the car roadworthy in 1995, and that same year participated in the Lanchester Centenary celebrations where it was very much the star. Classic Car Weekly featured the Lanchester on their front cover. The vendor also had the pleasure of driving Betty Mobbs (Frank Lanchester's daughter) during the rally at her request, as his Lanchester was her favourite among those attending.

Since acquiring the car the vendor has made some changes. He has redesigned the windscreen, which improved the look of the car and provided a more secure location for the hood, while a Vintage Auster Screen has been added to provide some protection for the rear seat passengers. The dashboard was redesigned and some additional instruments fitted: a Tapley meter and a water temperature gauge. The dashboard instrument lighting is unique to the Lanchester and relies on a sheet of Perspex which acts as a light guide (similar to the way fibre optics work today). Unfortunately, the Perspex masks the instrument bezels, which are magnificent. The car was rewired and fitted with some discreet indicators for safe driving in modern traffic, while the headlamps changed to double dipping (the original set-up dipped one headlight and turned off the other). The brakes were reconditioned with new shoes and linings, and the silencer outer casing replaced by Franklin's of Northampton (the internal baffles were still in excellent condition).
Another unique feature of this car is the spark plug caps used by Lanchester (very few surviving cars have a complete set). This car did not, necessitating their re-manufacturing. The caps are designed to clip onto the plugs, which are fitted with a spherical nut. Several other Lanchester owners were supplied with these plug-cap sets.

The vendor has used the Lanchester for events and shows both locally and further afield. It is always driven to these events, being well able to cope with the mileage involved. The car has also been used for holidays and tours, letting down its owners only once when the Autovac failed 300 miles from home - a spring costing all of 30p had failed! The recorded mileage of circa 55,000 is believed correct.

For various personal reasons, the Lanchester has not been used much in the last three years and the vendor wishes to pass it on to another appreciative owner. The Lanchester Archive at Coventry University has an extensive collection of information about the company's cars, including copies of the original factory drawings, all of which have been copied digitally for sharing purposes. Accompanying history files contain a quantity of marque-related literature; various photographs; old/current registration documents; and numerous expired MoTs, etc, etc.

For Condition Images, please use the below link.




https://we.tl/t-4uJH5DPqa9




If you have any further questions about this lot or would like to discuss the vehicle in more detail, please contact the consigning Specialist for this lot at the details below.




Louis Frankel
+44 7867 901583
louis.frankel@bonhams.com