'The Lanchester was unique among early British cars in that it owed nothing to foreign designs such as Benz or Panhard, but was planned from first principles by one of the most original minds of his age, Frederick William Lanchester.' – The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile.

Post-WWI Lanchesters were in the main large, well-appointed, high-speed conveyances aimed at the luxury car market.

The company's 1930 merger with Daimler (itself part of the BSA conglomerate) brought with it a change of policy, subsequent Lanchesters being smaller and cheaper cars.

Lanchester's last model to enter production prior to WW2 was the Fourteen Roadrider De Luxe, which superseded the 1½-litre Roadrider that had been introduced in 1937.

A derivative of the contemporary Daimler DB17/18, the Roadrider De Luxe was powered by a 1,809cc six-cylinder overhead-valve detachable-head engine coupled to the marque's traditional fluid flywheel and Wilson pre-selector gearbox.

A conventional synchromesh 'bo...