Rolls-Royce 20hp Saloon, 1928
Rolls-Royce 20
Rolls-Royce 20•
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Chassis No.: GBM35
Engine No.: 220
Registration: YX3219
The Rolls-Royce Twenty, built between 1922 and 1929, was Rolls-Royce's 'small car' for the 1920s and was produced alongside the 40/50 Silver Ghost and the successor to the 40/50, the Phantom. It was intended to appeal to owner drivers but many were sold to customers with chauffeurs.
Chassis GBM 35 was ordered in April 1928 by the world famous coachbuilders Hooper who fitted their own Weymann bodywork. This consisted of a saloon with a division. The car was completed and then purchased by P.D. Griffith as described in John Fasals book ‘The Rolls Royce 20’. The story goes that in 1936 the car was part exchanged at Jack Barclay for a later model. In September that year Jack Barclay sold GBM 35 to coachbuilder J. Compton of South London. The original invoice for this sale of £162.10 shillings, signed by Jack Barclay himself, is included in the auction within the cars history file. Comptons rebodied the car to the design we see today with an up-to-date four door saloon style and enclosed spare wheel.
The car still has the original Compton door plates, full-size metal sunroof and working semaphores. Not much is known about the car during and after the war years but it appears to have been freshened up at some point. The last registered owner of 16 years, Mr Alan Duke, now sadly deceased, purchased the car from his neighbour and world renowned guru on Rolls-Royce 20HP, John Fasal. Accompanying this Rolls-Royce is a selection of tools, toolbox, owners’ handbook with the original order and build sheets. She is presented to auction with a current V5C registration certificate.
