1929 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Tourer

This svelte and streamlined 20/25 tourer would have met with the approval of the Rolls-Royce technocrats, one suspects, with no enormous saloon body to spoil the party laid on by that enlarged 3.6L engine. It, reportedly, wasn’t always thus, however. This matching numbers beauty (chassis number GX026; engine number Q80; registration number UW2726) is documented to have started life with an H. J. Mulliner Weymann Saloon body in tow.

It was in this stockier guise that this 20/25 was exhibited at the 1929 Olympia Motor Show before being to delivered to its first owner, Alfred Sainsbury of the eponymous chain of grocers. With ample room for groceries in the big Mulliner body, Sainsbury kept the car for a full five years. 

A number of owners came and went before it was acquired in 1994. At this point this 20/25 existed as a nicely restored rolling chassis complete with the fine looking, but not yet fitted, four seat tourer body that you see before you today. This body, believed to have been crafted by Tony Robinson of North Stables Coachbuilding, had been commissioned by an earlier owner due to the Weymann Saloon having reached the end of its particular road. By 1997 the 20/25 had been fitted with its sporty new body and had enjoyed a complete retrim and new wet weather gear courtesy of David Beswick Coach Trimming. 

The current owner acquired the car in January 2023 and is now ready to pass the Rolls-Royce on to the safekeeping of the next privileged and discerning owner.

For those more familiar with the saloon bodied 20/25s, this four-seater tourer configuration is nothing short of transformational. It takes a car that you might expect to see George V stepping out of at the Cenotaph to one that might find John Cobb or Malcolm Campbell sawing at the wheel of at Brooklands. In this guise it exhibits no overhangs, front or rear, and the body work is no wider or higher than that exquisite grill or the long-tapered bonnet that it fronts.

The external condition looks excellent throughout and commensurate with ownership by a series of enthusiastic Rolls-Royce connoisseurs. The side profiles of the tourer are deeply impressive, with their wide wooden running boards, and vestigial doors. The wire wheels are dominant from this viewpoint, too, not only looking wheel-arch filling but with the two wing mounted spares adding to the usual count.  At the front even the deep Pantheon grill and Spirit of Ecstasy are dominated by the huge twin Lucas headlamps. A badge bar features R.R.E.C. and the Vintage Sports Car Club badges.

At the rear it is the visible and body colour painted fuel tank and accompanying polished rear lamps that draws the attention. That body colour is a deep and sophisticated royal blue which exudes a deep shine wherever it is found. The tourer boasts two windscreens, both with adjustable, side, aero screens. One for the driver and front passenger and one for the rear pairing. A slimline hood is finished in black Double Duck fabric and was newly crafted in 1999.

The 20-inch cross-spoked wheels are black painted and affixed with central, embossed alloy spinners. The wheels are shod with a matching set of period look Dunlop tyres in a 6.5 / 20 configuration. These are looking a little aged with some perishing to the sidewalls so may require imminent renewal.

"The rear screens lift out and can be stored inside the middle bulkhead. The key to which is a T handle in the pocket of the rear left door. This makes it look amazing, and the Tounneau cover which can either be just over back seats or full outside weather cover for cockpit can live in there too if not in use."

The snug interior of this tourer has benefitted from a highly professional retrim in around 1999. There is none of the employee / employer differentiation in this Rolls-Royce, but rather an “all in it together” sense of adventure and derring-do. The front and rear cockpits are delineated by a bulkhead, and the presence of those twin front and rear screens gives a very Tiger Moth-esque (be it a two-abreast version) feel to the cabin. Thrilling!

It's a bit better appointed, however, than the average Tiger Moth, with copious amounts of deep blue pleated leather mingling with wood veneers and deep, woollen carpets. Seating is courtesy of a pair of well stuffed, full width bench seats. The door cards are a particular highlight with their heavy, saddle stitched and “RR” embossed leather flaps. The aforementioned cockpit bulkhead is carpeted and topped with a wood veneer cap. The dashboard is also finished in deeply varnished wood veneer with an array of instruments populating its full width. These are a family of white on black items, bearing the RR monogram and featuring polished alloy bezels. The big four spoked alloy and Bakelite steering wheel is centred with a sextant style control unit affording the lucky driver power over the fuel mixture, ignition timing and throttle opening by way of its three levers.

The 3,699cc straight six engine helped to endow the 20/25 with a very competitive performance for the day, as we have seen. That, we believe, would be particularly true in the case of this most lithe of iterations. The 4-speed gearbox feeds power to the rear wheels and features synchromesh in 3rd and top gears. The traditional Rolls-Royce right hand placed gated gearchange is present. The cossetting suspension is courtesy of semi-elliptic leaf springs front and rear working in conjunction with hydraulic dampers. The brakes are drums all round with a mechanical servo motor driven from the gearbox.

The centre hinged bonnet lifts both sides to afford peerless access to that straight six engine. Doing this reveals a beautiful combination of polished alloys, brasses and embossed RR motifs. High quality and original components, like the Autovac fuel pump, predominate. The tall stance of this tourer affords easy sight of the underside of the car. Unsurprisingly it presents in an amazing condition for a car of this vintage. 

From a mechanical perspective it is all good news, reportedly. The tourer benefits from a dynamo starter and full flow oil filter. This Rolls-Royce is said to possess very good oil pressure and a fully functional central chassis lubrication system.

The seller says "The auto vac is not connected. It has double SU fuel pump underneath for reliability reasons. The pump is fully refurbished. Whilst not run much in 12 months - it always ran and stopped perfectly. Of all the 20/25’s I’ve driven - it is the easiest and lightest but I have no idea why!"

This 20/25 comes with a fascinating paperwork archive. The current V5 registration document is present with the car classified as an Historic Vehicle. That renders it MoT exempt and VED zero rated in the UK. There are numerous earlier MoTs present too, with the last test having been performed in 2005.

Additionally, there are numerous items here that document the fascinating handwritten factory build records for this car. These include test results, invoices and specification sheets from over 90 years ago. A handwritten chronology of the former ownership history is present, starting with that familiarly named grocer. 

The 20/25 was an important model for Rolls-Royce. Its success and popularity enabled the firm to weather one of the worst financial storms the world has seen. In that sense, every iconic Rolls-Royce produced since has only been possible thanks to the 20/25. More commonly seen wearing commodious saloon bodies, sportier equipped 20/25s are surely all the more desirable and sought after.

This car’s later tourer body absolutely transforms the 20/25s persona giving it a highly sporting demeanour not always immediately associated with the Rolls-Royce marque. The aircraft like, twin cockpits are particularly alluring making the donning of leather flying caps and split lens goggles almost compulsory. For Rolls-Royce admirers and enthusiasts this example offers something both refreshingly different and rare and yet reassuringly familiar. Get your goggles ready and declare “chocks away” on your bidding to avoid missing out on this amazing ownership opportunity.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment.  To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.