Lagonda V12 owners

Two 1939 Lagonda V12 where purchased by Americans. Briggs Cunningham purchased one while touring England after his 3 1/2 Liter Bentley broke down. The other purchase in 1939 was by actor Robert Montgomery while filming in England the model he brought back to America was a short chassis cabriolet. The coach work being done by Vanden Plas. One English auto that Clark Gable owned for sure in 1939 was a Jenson. The Jenson purchased came equiped with a Lincoln Zephyr V12. The following information taken from the Kimes book The Classic Era.

The note about Clark Gable owning a 1939 Jensen (not Jenson) is almost certainly incorrect. He ordered a 1934 (from memory - maybe 1936?) Jensen and placed a deposit, but after driving it for a while he took it back to the dealer (Percy Morgan) and got his deposit back. He then bought a Duessenburg instead. He did pose for photographs with the Jensen and this has added fuel to the myth that he bought the car - a myth that has appeared in print several times. I own the only V12 Jensen (which left the factory in December 1938) and the names of both Gable and Montgomery have been mentioned, but I've seen no evidence at all. I would desperately like to know who did own the V12 Jensen. All I know is that he was a "Hollywood personality". Any ideas how I might research this, PLEASE. I am not familiar with the Kimes book - does it give any more detail?

Mike Williams

Further to my note above I've always wondered what the V12 Lagondas were like as practical road cars. I understand the con rods were made of alloy and had no separate bearings. Is the engine really for racing and not high-mileage, or is it reliable?

Mike Williams

1966 Jensen P66 fhc

1938 Jensen 4.5 litre drophead

the V12 lagonda is said to be reliable provided oil and filters are serviced every 1000 miles,and on a car covering little milage, more frequently,the oil galleries are very small and can easyly get clogged with sludge on a car covering little milage. yes the connecting rods are made of duralumin and are fixed directly on to a nitrided crank. while they are not entirely unreliable, they do suffer from metal fatigue and ageing.Lagonda specialist peter Whenman warned me about these and i take his warning very seriously, so i am very careful not to rev my engine when i drive my car. mine is possibly one of the last V12 lagondas in which the engine has never been opened.the current practice is to put in steel rods during engine rebuilds. i too hope to do the same some day when i am able to get the car out of india for restoration, as nobody in india is capable of rebuilding the V12 properly.

on the road the car is quite sweet,except somtimes the width of the car can be hard to handle,(60 inch track)it drives more like a fifties car rather than a thirties.and is quite quick even for modern day traffic.

Mr. Williams. I am sorry that I misspelled Jensen. About Gable returning the Jensen is true as far as I know. How ever the story about Gable going and purchasing a Duesy in not true. The truth is that in 1935 Gable was loaned the SSJ Dueasy for two month by the Los Angeles Duesenburg Dealership this loan for some reason stretched out to a year and half. Around 1939 Jensen produced (THREE CARS) with the Lincoln Zephyr V12 engine and according to Kimes, Gable purchased one the V12 Jensen's.