Description
1936 Coachcraft Sports Coupe Ex Woolf Barnato
Registration: DMP 372
Chassis no: GBK 8
Body no: 631
The introduction of a smaller Rolls-Royce - the 20hp - in 1922 enabled the company to cater for the increasingly important owner-driver market that appreciated the quality of Rolls-Royce engineering but did not need a car as large as a 40/ 50hp Ghost or Phantom.
The 'Twenty' proved eminently suited to town use, yet could cope admirably with Continental touring when called upon. Its successor, the 20/ 25hp, introduced in 1929, updated the concept with significant improvements, featuring an enlarged (from 3, 127 to 3, 669cc) and more-powerful cross-flow version of the Twenty's six-cylinder, overhead-valve engine. The latter's increased power allowed the bespoke coachbuilders greater freedom in their efforts to satisfy a discerning clientele that demanded ever larger and more opulent designs.
Produced concurrently with the Phantom II, the 20/ 25 benefited from many of the larger model's improvements, such as synchromesh gears and centralised chassis lubrication, becoming the best-selling Rolls-Royce of the inter-war period.
The Rolls-Royce 20/ 25hp was, of course, an exclusively coachbuilt automobile and most of the great British coachbuilding firms offered designs, many of them unique, on the 20/ 25hp chassis. The example presented here wears two-door, coupé coachwork by Coachcraft Ltd.
GBK 8 was completed on test by Rolls-Royce on 29/ 11/ 35, the Chassis was sold to Barker LTD with the Coachwork designated to Coachcraft. This unique coachwork work was the only Coachcraft body fitted directly to a new Rolls-Royce chassis, the styling has to been some of Coachcrafts finest work, the proportions are exceptional and the body lines simply flow. The Sports Coupé is stylish and elegant from every angle and certainly is hard to fault. The first owner was Captain R O’Neil-Butler of London, he owned GBK 8 for 11 years before selling to non other than Wing Commander Woolf Barnato who was the custodian for just over 2 years.
A full nut and bolt restoration was undertaken by the world renowned Jack Barclay Limited in 1997, the outcome was incredible and this 20/ 25 is still offered in near concours condition some 22 years after the restoration. The original colour was a plain and somewhat dull black all over, during the restoration it was decided to truly highlight the magnificence of the coachwork with a 2-tone combination. Primrose and Black were chosen and the change has certainly been effective. This 20/ 25 truly has been restored to the highest of standards. Straight out of restoration GBK 8 was awarded an elegance prize in the 1997 RREC annual rally.
GBK 8 is equally as magnificent on the road, she benefits from all the necessary upgrades such as an aluminium head and a Tim Payne overdrive. The engine is strong and smooth, their has been an excellent standard of maintenance
The interior is a splendour of Wood and leather creating a stunning place to sit and drive such a wonderful car.
It will be sold with a significant spares package which includes bespoke tools and fixtures specific to 20/ 25’s , manuals and database of maintenance workshop data. It carries an underslung spare propshaft for continental touring duties and is fitted with an optimate battery maintenance system
A visually and mechanically remarkable car, and just as satisfying to drive, suitable for continental touring. Coachcraft 20/ 25 designed as a one off car on a brand new RR chassis in 1936 for the use of the Coachcraft Chairman . Arguably one of the finest body designs created on a 20/ 25 platform
Owned by Wing Commander Woolf Barnato , one of the fabulous Bentley Boys and the custodian of the car for 2 years before his untimely death.
The beauty and history of this car makes it a quality investment potential for a collector or a driver.
