The Classic DB Lagonda
The evolution of the 3.0 litre car is interesting, given that it was such a significant jump and change in styling from the previous 2.6 litre car. The earlier car had design and styling queue's taken from the pre-war V12 and LG6 cars, all designed by the inhouse Lagonda stylist, Frank Feeley. However, by 1953, this car looked very dated, with the new slab-form cars already appearing n the USA from the late 1940's onwards, and appearing in Europe from ca. 1952-53 onwards. Sales were suffering, car performance was not adequate (although this was was addressed by the 3.0 litre engine) and it was clear that drastic action had to be taken.
The origins of the dhc and 2-door 3.0 litre car design have been atributed to a private customer submitting a design for very similar body-work to Tickford for building on a non-Lagonda chassis. This was designed by one of the key men at Tickford, Bert Thickpenny, and it was completed in early 1953. A letter was written to The Motor in 1953, by the gentleman who penned the sketches, complaining that AML had pirated his design, with no royalties given. Clearly implausible, it was Mr. Thickpenny who did the real work, converting some simple sketches into one of the high-points of 1950's automotive body design, the Tickford 3.0 Lagonda, a drop-dead glorious car. REFERENCE REQUIRED
Brooklands of Bond Street who had a strong connnection with Tickford, must have seen or been told about this new body shape, and liked what they saw. They purchased the last sixteen 2.6 mk 2 chassis's from Lagonda directly which they had bodied by Tickford, who were still independent of AML at this period in 1953. The design was for 2-door coupes or dhc's, with 6 coupes made and 10 dhc's built.
The DB 3.0 Lagonda