EVER heard of a car called a Lammas-Graham?
Some old-timers might recall it, but the name won’t register for most people – because only about 30 of the classy Anglo-American machines were ever made.
Back in the 1930s, several British car companies used engines sourced from the US companies, among them Railton, which in 1933, used a Hudson engine for its high performance cars and two years later the Brough Superior arrived with most of its models also using Hudson power.
Sydney Allard used Ford V8 engines in his early sports and hillclimb cars as did Jensen with their upmarket S-Type and White Lady models.
In 1936, motoring enthusiast Eric Lubbock, better known as the third Lord Avebury, launched his Lammas-Graham.
He felt there was a place for a powerful car with smart English styling and bespoke coachwork, and did a deal with Cleverly’s, the London agent for the American Graham cars, to supply the respected US brand’s chassis and engine.
He set up the company after appointing several key staff from Lagonda
Lubbock thought that combining a locally built body with the Graham chassis and engine from the USA might be a winning formula.
The 3.2-litre Graham straight-six engine with a supercharger produced 128 bhp (95kW) and it could propel the car to 100 mph (160km/h).
Lammas-Graham bodies were made by various firms — the four-door saloons mostly by Ranalah, the dropheads by the Carlton Carriage Co, and there were two dropheads by Bertelli.
But the cars were quite pricey.
The tourer cost £675, the sports-saloon and drophead £735 each.
By comparison, the Railton saloon cost £628, the Brough Superior £596 in saloon form and £665 as a drop-head.
There was also a short list of ‘extras’ for a buyer to consider: the wheel-discs could be had in special colours, a special paint job or leather upholstery cost a mere £2.10s, an inside mirror was 10s 6d, and a licence-holder 7s 6d.
Lord Avebury drove a green Lammas-Graham at the 1936 October Meeting at Brooklands, losing a Mountain race by only 3.4 seconds to an MG Magnette which had started six seconds before him.
And at a Brooklands meeting, Charles Follett lapped at 96.52 mph.
He then ran a Lammas-Graham for a three-hour observed run in a stripped tourer doing 260.76 miles at an average of 86.92 mph, with a best hour of 95.78 miles and a best lap at 97.65 mph.
So it was clearly a very fast car.
Lord Avebury’s mother, Lady Wardington, had two of his cars, his uncle another, and his aunt, the Hon Mrs Pitt-Rivers, owned a Mayfair-bodied saloon.
The first production car, chassis No 1001, a Ranalah saloon driven by Avebury and used for development and publicity purposes, was later sold to Dennis Poore, a leading post-war racing driver, who also funded the setting up of the famed Autosport magazine.
Another prominent buyer was British and Empire heavyweight boxing champion Tommy Farr, who featured in some Lammas-Graham advertising.
Also in the press ads was actor Bobby Howes.
However, as with most of its rival brands and despite the apparent appeal of its cars, Lammas-Graham lasted for only two years.
In 1938, times were tough and with a war looming, Lord Avebury decided to call in the receivers.
But he did set up Lammas Service Ltd to look after his few customers.
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