1935 ROLLS-ROYCE 20/25 SEDANCA LIMOUSINE

COACHWORK BY WINDOVERS

細節
1935 ROLLS-ROYCE 20/25 SEDANCA LIMOUSINE
COACHWORK BY WINDOVERS
Registrtion No. tba
Chassis No. GLJ 38
Engine No. G27T
Prussian blue/black wings with beige leather/cloth interior.
Engine: six cylinder in-line, overhead valve, 3699cc; Gearbox: manual four-speed with synchromesh on upper two ratios; Suspension: beam axle to front, live axle to rear, half elliptic springs all round; Brakes: servo assisted mechanically operated four-wheel drum. Right-hand drive.
Under the dedicated direction of Claude Johnson, Rolls-Royce had been well served by its magnificent 40/50hp Ghost since its introduction in 1907. But in the early 1920s it became clear that demand for a rather smaller luxury car was strong and likely to grow. In response, in 1922 the company introduced the Twenty, a very refined 3.2 litre overhead-valve 53bhp six-cylinder model, initially offered with a three-speed gearbox. As was the Rolls-Royce practice, though painstakingly built and lovingly finished, it was quite a conventional automobile. But there was scope for the customary programme of regular improvements. Four-wheel brakes came along in 1924, together with a four-speed gearbox controlled by a right-hand gate gear lever. The twenty was given an extra half-litre of swept volume in 1929 to become the 20/25. It sold briskly thoughout the increasingly difficult late 1920's and provided the basis for a whole family of six-cylinder motors which lived on into the post war Silver Wraith era.

Factory records preserved by the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club show that this 20/25 was delivered late in 1935 by Windovers of Conduit Street, London W1, to its first owner the Earl of Winchelsea and Nottingham, who specified that it was to be used in the United Kingdom, town and country. The Windovers enclosed limousine coachwork was finished, as was customary, with leather seats to the front compartment, but Bedford cord to the rear. A particular requirement was that the bonnet side ventilator rear ends be sloped at an 11° angle. The first owner is recorded as 'deceased' in February 1939; and the car's subsequent history prior to the present owner remains to be researched.

Offered in unrestored condition, this attractive small Rolls-Royce appears to be complete and in basically sound order. It offers the appealing feature of a typical Windovers folding sedanca head over the front compartment. The car will benefit from attention to the paintwork; full and careful recommissioning would be prudent.