1932 Rolls-Royce 20/25HP

This motor car is being sold as part of an overseas collection. It has been imported under the Bonhams temporary admission customs bond and is therefore subject to the lower rate 5% import tax if the car is to remain in the UK. The 5% is calculated on the final selling price. For example, if the car sells for £20,000, then £1,000 is added, making the total amount payable of £21,000.

In common with the majority of cars in this collection, this vehicle has been on static display for a number of years and there is no history available beyond that displayed in our photography section.

We have not started or driven the car so cannot vouch for its mechanical viability or functionality. It will require recommissioning prior to road use and is sold ‘as seen’.

It is available for view and inspection at our HQ near Abingdon and we will be delighted to show the car to you and/or your appointed engineer.  

The vehicle was bought for the vendor’s collection at a Bonhams auction at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, in September 2010. It has been static in his collection from 2011 until now.

When auctioned by Bonhams in 2010 the car had rather more history and paperwork with it. The following is an abridged version of Bonhams’ auction entry at the time and contains information that would have been in the original documentation but is no longer with the car:

‘This imposing Rolls-Royce 20/25hp landaulette wears coachwork by Rippon Brothers of Huddersfield, Yorkshire, without doubt one of Britain’s finest coachbuilders and ranked alongside the likes of Barker, Hooper, H J Mulliner and Park Ward.

Needless to say, Rippon products were necessarily expensive and only to be found on the very best chassis, those of Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Daimler and Delage predominating during the 1930s.

This unique Rolls-Royce 20/25 was first owned by Baronet, Sir Prince Prince-Smith of Whinburn, Keighley and Southburn, Driffield, president of Prince-Smith & Stells Ltd, manufacturers of textile machinery.

In the 1940s the car was sold to Charles Roberts of Leeds for use in the funeral/wedding trade. In 1965 it was bought by Eric Jackson of Leeds for use as private car and driven infrequently over the course of the next 22 years. Mr M E Goulding of Althorpe, Lincolnshire purchased the car from Eric Jackson in April 1987, at which time the car had recorded a believed-genuine 84,000 miles from new.

Shortly after purchase in April 1987 the car started to overheat occasionally and was noisy when starting from cold. It was used carefully that summer and after the rally season had finished, some exploratory dismantling was undertaken and a decision made to overhaul the engine.

Works carried out included fitting a new cylinder head; regrinding the crankshaft; re-metalling the bottom-end bearings; re-boring the block and fitting new pistons; and renewing the water pump internals. In addition, the radiator core was renewed, the ignition coil rewound, the Autovac overhauled, the engine bay rewired, the chassis steam cleaned and a new clutch plate and stainless-steel exhaust fitted.

The car was put back on the road early in 1989 and, at some point between then and 1992, belonged to noted Rolls-Royce aficionado, Kenneth Hart of Stockton-on-Tees.

The car had an interior re-trim carried out by David Royles in 2005.’

There is no more extant information or history available with the car today.

In our opinion, the condition of the car is generally very good, and while we haven’t started or driven it and therefore can’t vouch for its mechanical or dynamic functionality, we can attest to the quality, condition and originality of the exterior and interior.

This is a very fine-looking vehicle and, we think, a splendid example of both the marque and the model.

The cream/ivory over black, with gold coach lines, is both classy and understated in a combination almost unique to Rolls-Royces of this era.

In the main, the paintwork is rich and glossy with a decent depth of shine and lustre to it.

Aside from some foxing on the windscreen surround, the chrome work is very good, as are the wheels, the badging, the grille and most of the trim.

The bodywork is largely free of any dinks, dents, scuffs, scratches, warps or folds and is a tribute to the enduring craftsmanship of Rippon Bros.

The roof – both its fixed and folding parts – is devoid of any rips, tears or serious blemishes, although there is some flaking paint visible here and there where it meets the rest of the bodywork. The two tiny ‘sunroofs’ (probably better at letting cigar smoke out than sunlight in) are also in good condition.

There’s no bubbling or rust that we can see anywhere, save for the odd spot of superficial rust dust visible inside hinges and joins or where paint is missing.

The rear door on the driver’s side has dropped a little on its hinges and currently requires some upward assistance to close fully. Aside from this, the shut lines and door gaps are crisp, even and consistent and the doors slam home with a satisfyingly precise thunk.

While the overall condition is good, the car is far from concours. There are scuffs to the paint on the closing edges of the doors, around the edges of the roof, and where the running boards meets the sills and bodywork. There are stone chips in evidence here and there.

The paintwork at the n/s/r and on the fuel filler pipe, behind the storage box, is peeling and discoloured.

The storage box itself is in good condition.

The interior is a delightful symphony of cream fabrics, black leather and wood veneers.

The black leather seats for the driver and front passenger are comfortable, supportive and appear barely used. The same applies to the door cards in the front cabin.

The dashboard veneers are sumptuously rich and, save for a few scratches here and there, have nothing more than an entirely agreeable patina to show for their 70 years of service.

A rather different aesthetic greets passengers seated in the rear and separated from the driver by a sliding glass screen.

The fabric upholstery on both the main bench seats and folding pop-up seats is structurally fine but is a little shabby in places and could do with a clean and some basic TLC. It looks like what it is - fabric that hasn’t seen the light of day for a decade or so.

The carpets, too, are a bit ‘dusty’ and tired-looking, but we think this appearance is fairly superficial and could be improved without too much remedial effort.

Some of the trim on the insides of the door surrounds has perished or crumbled and will need replacing.

The wood veneers on the door cappings, ashtrays and passenger-facing storage shelf are very good, as is the overall condition of the headlining

The interior of the rear storage box is fine with the exception of some splits to the fabric on the inside of the lid.

Overall, the undersides look very solid and possessed of what appears to be a good deal of structural integrity.

There is nothing more than the standard bloom of rust dust in evidence anywhere. Some components, including the exhaust system, appear relatively shiny and new.

We haven’t started the engine, or even attempted to, so we make no claims for its functionality or condition. We can, however, say that the engine bay is clean and dry and everything appears to be in its right and proper place.

Currently, this car has neither an MoT certificate nor a V5 and is not registered in the UK. The winning bidder will receive a receipt for their purchase, and proof that HMRC is satisfied the import duty (aka bond) is paid.

The winning bidder will need these documents, plus a fresh MoT, to apply for a V5C from the DVLA (unless they choose to ship it to another country of course).

The car’s odometer currently reads 7,738 miles, having presumably started from a reset to zero after the 1987 engine rebuild.

The car last had an MoT in 2011. There are tax discs from June 205 to June 2011.

The car is located with us at our HQ in Oxfordshire. If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

We haven’t been able to start or drive the car so our understanding of it is somewhat limited.

However, we know it's been kept warm and dry for the last 10 years, we know it’s had money spent on it in the UK as and when needed, and we know that it was in very good condition when it was last sold by Bonhams in 2010 and entered the vendor’s collection – where it has remained on static display ever since.

Subject to successful recommissioning, we think this car has the potential to be an exceptional example of a highly desirable, coachbuilt automotive icon.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of £20,000 - £30,000, plus 5% Bonhams bond payment.

Viewing is always encouraged, within government guidelines of course. The car is located at our Abingdon headquarters; we are open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’