Rolls-Royce 20/25 Torpedo Tourer in the style of Barker, 1933
Rolls-Royce 20/25 I
Rolls-Royce 20/25 I•
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Chassis No.: GGA26
Engine No.: E2L
Registration: US Title
Location: Hershey, Pennsylvania
$38,500 USD | Sold
- Single-family ownership for the last 62 years
- First assembled with Park Ward Saloon coachwork, now wears a Torpedo Touring body in the style of Barker
- Handcrafted over a two-year period in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, by the consignor’s father
- Powered by a 3.7-liter straight-six mated to a four-speed manual transmission
- Accompanied by copies of the original order form and chassis build records
Addendum
Please note that this lot is titled as a 1932.
This Rolls-Royce 20/25, chassis GGA26, has enjoyed a cherished 62-year tenure under the stewardship of a single family. Per its factory build sheet, GGA26 was completed in October 1933 wearing elegant Park Ward Saloon coachwork and was delivered to its first owner, Captain C.H. Waring of Moyles Court, Ringwood, Hampshire, the following month. The car's historical journey saw it transition through several British owners before being rescued by Colin Black from a Yarnton, United Kingdom scrapyard in 1962.
Black meticulously restored the vehicle, using it extensively across the United Kingdom and Europe before relocating to Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, in 1965. Once in Africa, he continued to enjoy GGA26, reportedly traversing “hundreds of miles a day on little more than goat tracks.” By 1973, Black felt the car warranted a “grander” transformation and embarked on constructing an open touring body. After rounds of drawings and testing, he ensured the new body’s scale and proportions were to his liking, then employed a combination of Malayan hardwood, stainless steel, brass, and original Park Ward sheet metal in its final construction.
To endure the rugged Rhodesian roads, Black reinforced each rectangular space between uprights, including the doors, with piano wire and aircraft turnbuckles, which enabled him to fine-tune the coachwork as one would a musical instrument. For Christmas 1976, Black celebrated GGA26’s completion by driving his family and a trailer laden with sailboats over 600 miles to Cape Town, South Africa—a task GGA26 accepted with no complaints.
In a 1985 article for the Rolls-Royce Enthusiast Club newsletter, Black praised the 20/25’s robustness and endurance, noting he had added “over 90,000” kilometers during his ownership, including “many hours at full speed, fully laden, in 115-degree African heat.”
Now offered with copies of the original order form, chassis build records, and correspondence from Black detailing his methods, this remarkable 20/25 awaits a custodian daring enough to continue its extraordinary legacy.
Mileage
966 km
Cost
141,392 AED
