1934 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Saloon

This 20/25 was delivered new to the scholar and zoologist Ambrose Harding on July 17th 1934. 

It resided with him at his Cambridgeshire residence, Madingley Hall, until October 1942.

Bodied, we believe by Park Ward, on a limousine chassis, the car passed through a few more British owners before departing for the USA in 1968, where it began life at a motor museum.

It stayed there until 2009, at which point it returned to these shores and started work as a wedding car with Arrow Vintage Cars.

The vehicle is not running at present and will need recommissioning.

We understand that at some point the original Rolls-Royce engine and gearbox were replaced by alternative (possibly Toyota) units.

The subject of an older restoration, the car was at one time dark blue over pale blue and has been repainted in the black over burgundy colour scheme you see today.

The vendor is selling this car as part of a collection owned by his late brother. 

The elegantly rakish limousine bodywork is pretty straight and true from what we can see, and there are no dents, dinks or dings of major significance. 

The brightwork has held up fairly well and there’s only a little light foxing to be found in a few places, primarily on the front bumper.

The paint work is definitely something of a curate’s egg: it’s good in parts, less so in others, and decidedly split, cracked, blistered, peeling or missing elsewhere.

There’s some blistering and bubbling under the paint at the rear of the car; on the bodywork ahead of the windscreen; and on all four wheel-arches, where you’ll also find numerous instances of cracked paint.

There is micro-blistering in evidence on most body panels, and it is particularly apparent on the bonnet. 

All five chromed wire wheels appear to be in very decent condition, as do the grille, mascot, lights and other exterior fixtures and fittings.

The interior has fared rather better than its exterior counterpart and presents very well throughout – not least because it has evidently been retrimmed at some point in the not-too-distant past.

That work was done to a very high standard with plenty of attention paid to details such as the pull-down blinds, the silk rope pulls, and the leather stowage bag behind the front seats.

The upholstery on the seats is very decent and it’s showing little more than a few creases here and there.

The door cards are broadly OK, too, but the headlining is rather grubby and has ripped in a couple of places.

This is a section of trim hanging down from the carpeted lower section of the o/s/r door card.

The carpets are reasonable, as are the mats, which appear to have been borrowed from a Mercedes-Benz.

The various wood inserts on the door cappings, picnic tables and on and around the dashboard have largely resisted the temptation to crack, fade or shed their lacquer.

The steering wheel, gear lever and other controls all appear to be in order but, as we haven’t started or driven the car, we can’t vouch for their behaviour or efficacy.

Even the most casual of glances will tell you that what you’re looking at under the bonnet is not a Rolls-Royce engine.

What it is exactly, we’re not quite sure, but our best guess is some sort of six-cylinder, twin-cam Toyota engine mated to an equally non-Rolls-Royce gearbox.

We don’t know.

A few spots of what looks like surface rust aside, the chassis and underpinnings look to have plenty of structural integrity, and we’ve seen nothing to make us tut, frown, shake our heads or otherwise question the car’s character or honesty.

The car comes with various original build sheets and options lists, plus a history of ownership compiled, presumably, by a previous owner.

There’s also a photocopy of its original buff log book, a wiring diagram, a recent HPI report and a V5C. 

The exterior needs some largely cosmetic attention, but nothing major we think, and the interior and underpinnings all look really rather impressive.

As a project we think it has the potential to amply repay the time and effort needed to return it to its former glory, perhaps even reuniting it with an appropriate Rolls-Royce engine and gearbox.

As ever, the choice is yours.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £12,000 - £15,000.

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