Rolls-royce 20/25 HP Cabriolet Fernandez & Darrin - Commandée Neuve P, 1934
Rolls-Royce 20/25 I
Rolls-Royce 20/25 I•
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Chassis No.: GNC
Not Sold
AR LA COMTESSE CHARLOTTE VAN LIMBURG STIRUM One of the two 20-25 convertibles bodied by Fernandez & Darrin Six owners, car never left France! Clear history and rare condition Unique model worthy of shining on the world's greatest competitions French registration Chassis n° : GNC 40 - Engine : F7M The model we present is exceptional in its elegance, its history and its origin. A model of balance and refinement, out of the eight Rolls-Royce chassis of our type bodied by Fernandez & Darrin, only two were convertibles, the one presented here being the first one, slightly different from the second. If these two exceptional examples still exist, this one is the only one that never left France.
When his company Hibbard & Darrin closed in 1932, the latter took the Parisian banker Fernandez, originally from Argentina, as a partner. Taking advantage of new workshops in Boulogne and a showroom located on the Champs Elysées, Fernandez & Darrin equipped the best chassis of the time in a refined style and with high quality finishes. Among the most remarkable cars of this coachbuilder, some Hispano-Suiza, such as the J12 and the K6 for Antony Rothschild, the K6 for a time in the Jean Tua museum, Delage, Duesenberg and other cars dedicated to the great ones of this world. Our Rolls-Royce has the chassis number GNC 40. It has been equipped with engine number F7M since it left the factory.
The French importer of the time, the Franco-British company based in Levallois, placed the order with the manufacturer on February 2, 1934, on behalf of the Fernandez & Darrin coachbuilder acting on behalf of Countess Charlotte Van Limburg Stirum. Residing at 3 rue Taitbout near the Opera, the Countess wanted a three-position convertible, which was very fashionable at that time. The chassis was shipped to France on April 9, 1934, after the tests were completed on March 26. The final invoice included as notable extras: a speedometer in km/h, a fuel gauge in liters, an extension of the hood louvers on the canopy and a spare wheel on each side of the body.
The ivory-colored car was registered 3333 RJ in Paris on May 20, 1934, and was entered on June 22 of the same year among 367 other contenders in the Concours d'Elegance automobile organized by the magazine Fémina and the daily newspaper l'Intransigeant in the Bois de Boulogne. Under the number 337, the young and very beautiful Countess Van Limburg-Stirum was awarded the Grand Prix d'Honneur. Used on rare occasions to join a family castle in the South Finistère, we know that in May 1936, it still belonged to the Countess who had it maintained by the importer before it was repainted in midnight blue a few months before the Second World War.
At the beginning of 1944, GNC 40 is registered 803 RN4 in the Seine, then on October 25, 1951 it is registered again in Paris (9357 AS 75) in the name of a certain Jean Le Niollet who will keep it only a few months. Indeed, it is the great collector Alexis Dreye in Cambrai who will register it on February 19, 1952 under the number 5515 AN 59. Garage owner and owner of a collection of more than 200 cars, he will exhibit it in his private museum until 1980. At that time painted in a grey-green colour, its penultimate owner managed to convince Alexis Dreye to sell it to him. A complete restoration will then start between 1989 and 1998.
From the chassis to the bodywork, including the mechanics, a former mechanic of the Franco-British company will come to lend a hand given the specificity of the model. Having only covered about 40,000 km, the condition of the whole was particularly sound. The very sound body was simply stripped, restored and repainted in a navy blue colour highlighting its elegant curves. The dashboard and the original woodwork, then in very good condition, were simply varnished. The upholstery was redone as well as the carpets in a matching beige. The alpaca hood, the chromes and the wiring harness received the same care. The result is a success.
The latter kept it for almost 32 years before Claude Gratzmüller decided to buy it in 2012. A discreet gentleman and a keen collector, Claude Gratzmüller was keen to include these two unique convertibles signed by Fernandez & Darrin in his collection. Kept side by side in impeccable condition for almost ten years, GNC 40 has a prestigious provenance, a clear and perfectly documented history. Adorned with a solid silver radiator mascot, this Rolls-Royce with an incredible destiny has never left France and has a history of almost 90 years in the hands of six personalities and collectors who see in it a
https://www.aguttes.com/lot/167328/7439256d-4155-4d4f-a6b2-98be2a9c6dbd
