Description
H&H Classic Auction @ The Imperial War Museum, Duxford/ Cambridgeshire
9th October, 2024 13:00
1934 Rolls Royce 20/ 25 Limousine
Coachwork by Mulliners of Birmingham
Estimate
£18, 000 - £24, 000
Registration No: JR 1662
Chassis No: GLB 5
MOT: Exempt
Understood to be one of only two 20/ 25s bodied in this style by Mulliners Ltd of Birmingham
Recently recommissioned and detailed after a period of lay up
Supplied with a healthy history file with chassis cards, invoices for maintenance and more
Said to be a 'well-maintained' example with matching chassis and engine numbers
Rolls-Royce introduced the 20/ 25 in 1929 as a successor to the outgoing 20. Though the newcomer was primarily aimed at owner drivers, many examples were nevertheless sold to customers with chauffeurs. Power came from an enlarged version of the straight-six unit used in the 20. Now of 3, 699cc, it made for swifter acceleration and a higher top speed of up to 75mph. Bodywork for the 20/ 25, was to the taste of each individual customer, and Freestone & Webb, Gurney Nutting, Park Ward, Thrupp & Maberly, Mulliner and Hooper were among the many coachbuilders selected to clothe these fine motor cars. Nearly 4, 000 20/ 25 chassis were ultimately produced, making it the company’s best-selling model between the wars.
According to copies of the Rolls Royce chassis cards supplied within the history file, chassis GLB 5 was delivered to coachbuilders Mulliners Ltd of Birmingham on the 28th February 1934 and is believed to be one of only two bodied to the six-light, Limousine style. By the 9th March 1934, the car was complete and was supplied to the original purchaser Sir Joseph Reed of Seaton Burn, Northumberland; a well regarded newspaper magnate who was part-owner of the Newcastle Chronicle. Little is known of how long Sir Joseph would keep GLB 5, but there is record on file that it was owned by British Paints in 1947, who were also based in the North East. In 1949, the Rolls Royce would be purchased by Sir Robert Chapman who was Lieutenant of County Durham and the car would be used in connection with his duties, which included ferrying Mary Princess Royal (daughter of George V) around whilst she visited in 1953. In 1962, Sir Robert sold the car to his former window cleaner, William (Billy) Leech after much pestering - in the 1930's when Billy was Sir Robert's window cleaner, he convinced his employer to lend him £200 to enable him to begin building houses in South Shields. The Leech building business thrived pre and post war, became a substantial public company and Billy became a respected figure in the North East - perhaps the Rolls Royce reminded him of where he came from?
By 1977, Billy passed the car to his grandson who sold it to Sir David Chapman, grandson of Sir Robert in 1983. The car passed to McKenna funerals for a short time (for the obvious purpose) and a gentleman in Norfolk purchased the car in 1986 and would have the 20/ 25 repainted and retrimmed before being sold to long term owner, Mr G Inman who would own the car from 1990 - 2020 and keep it regularly looked after by Norfolk based specialist, David Wall. The current registered keeper bought the car in 2020 and used it sparingly, eventually storing it for a short period before the vendor purchased it earlier this year with the intention of recommissioning it. Having got the Rolls Royce running again, he had the wire wheels blasted and freshly powder coated to black which he feels has tidied the whole car up, and has detailed it extensively which included a thorough polishing of even the inside of the engine bay. The vendor states that the car's paintwork and bodywork is in 'very fine' order with only very small areas of paintwork needing correction to be show quality. Internally, the leatherwork is in need of some attention due to cracking, however there are no rips or tears to mention. The carpets are in 'good' order and the car retains its original match box, clothing brush and scent jars. The vendor has advised that the electric partition works well, however he has not attempted to open the electric sun-roof and neither does it appear that anyone else has for many years. The intricate woodwork is also intact, but may benefit from relacquering. Mechanically, the Rolls-Royce is said to be in 'good order' by the vendor - and a drive to the photograph location confirmed its fine running.
Overall, this well appointed 20/ 25 would make a fine motorcar for any prospective pre-war Rolls-Royce owner and represents extremely good value for what for many was considered (and still is) 'the finest motorcar in the world'.
