1931 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Park Ward D back Six Light Saloon/Limousine GFT22

Description

A delightful car, sound, nicely proportioned and all correct, with excellent door fits - closing with a satisfying 'clunk'. It has been with the last owner for 36 years since 1988 when he bought it from us - a significant proportion of its life so far! It has been well cared for and retains gorgeous, original, soft brown leather upholstery, complemented by excellent headlining and carpets, and a sliding sunroof to the front. Although built as a six light saloon, at some point a division has been fitted, making it more like a limousine, but done in such a way that it can be relatively easily removed if desired. Unlike some limousines, the driving position is quite generous, rather than being tight as some are. Comes with an excellent tool kit, including jack, wheel spanner, hammer, etc in their clips in the engine bay, some extra spares, a large history file, which includes early buff and green logbooks, lots of invoices, various books, and is all-in-all a lovely car, with early characteristics adding to its appeal. Running and driving well, very nicely re-wired in correct, cotton-covered cable, fitted with a stainless-steel exhaust system, and offered serviced and newly MoT tested. Nicely rounded off with a wicker basket on the rear!


Chassis No. GFT22 Reg No. GX 8290

Snippets: An Accountant & an Average Adjuster
James Barclay Peat (1880/1965) took delivery of GFT22 at Park End Ormsby and a few months later registered the car at Wykeham Place in Totteridge. J. B. Peat was a son of Sir William Barclay Peat (the Barclay was the maiden name of Sir William's mother Margeret) and his siblings included Harry (accountant & also for the Ministry of Food in WWI & WII), Charles (MP, accountant, cricketer and recipient of the M.C.), Roderick (accountant & recipient in WWI of French Legion d'Honneur, Belgium Order of the Crown & Luxemburg Order of the Oak Crown, Margaret (married to the artist H. A. Olivier - the uncle of Lawrence Olivier) and Edith who died in 1899 aged just 24. James B. Peat himself was also an accountant and in 1905 he wed Lucy Birds Slater whose father - the timber importer John Slater - at the time he owned Ty Craig in Llantysilio (a previous owner - Exuperius Pickering - built a canal wharf by the house). When Lucy & James married the house was ""profusely decorated"" & cannons were ""fired at intervals"" prior to them going to Germany for their honeymoon. By 1935 GFT22 was back on the market & acquired by Charles Barry Cooper of Darley Dene in Addlestone. This magnificent house, originally called ""Tudor House"", was built circa 1855 & demolished in 1960. C. B Cooper (1887/1949) was an ""Average Adjuster"", which is a specialist in marine & engineering insurance claims (as was his father Charles Cooper (1856/1940). In 1933 the family firm of Charles Cooper & Sons became members of the Baltic Exchange and in 1944 CB Cooper was elected Chairman of the Ass. of Average Adjusters. After his death in 1949 the Rolls-Royce was bought by Godwin Southon who regularly entered the Ripley Run - he was a known & respected collector of cycling machines & his museum included items such an 1810 invalid chair, 1886 Humber and an 1877 Salvo Quadricycle which was patented by the Englishman Starley in September 1877. Godwin owned GFT22 until his death in 1965 when it was inherited and sold on by Mrs. J. Richardson.

Electronic Stability Program (ESP); Safety Belt Pretensioners; Sunroof

About us:
The Real Car Company was established in 1987 by Ray Arnold & Ian Johnstone. It was a hobby that 'Got out of hand'. Our interest in cars of the type that we now sell goes back to our childhoods, and ownership back to the 1970's. Gradually more cars started passing through our hands, and by 1986 we had decided to make a full time occupation of buying and selling the cars that we love.

We started with a single car (all we could afford) which we sold quickly, and before we knew it we had 4 or 5 on our hands! This was alongside another business that we were involved in at the time. In the Spring of 1988 we gave up the other business, (exhaust systems), rented part of the premises that we still operate from now, and went full time.

We had a good start in the boom years of the late eighties, which set us up well enough for us to ride the storm of recession in the years that followed. As the years went on the number of cars going through our hands increased gradually, we built up a workforce, and we now carry a stock of around 40 to 50 vehicles and there are nine of us here. In 1999 we were awarded 'International Classic Car Dealer of the Year' by Classic Cars Magazine. The market for 'our' kind of cars is nicely stable, generally prices are creeping upwards all the time, and we feel that investing in a car - or cars - of the type that we sell is generally a great place to put your money. Don't do it just for investment, but you can get a great deal of pleasure from these vehicles, prices are - in our opinion - unlikely to drop, and you can't drive a share certificate! Some prices in the last three or four years have moved up considerably, and these cases have shown a tremendous return on investment.

Over the last fifteen years or so we have brought home several hundred cars from the USA, and we are always looking for more. If you know of a Rolls-Royce or Bentley anywhere in the world, in absolutely any condition, please let us know. Distance no object, commissions happily paid. We always particularly enjoy the 'barn finds'.



Opening Hours:
Mo: 09:00 AM to 05:00 PM
Tu: 09:00 AM to 05:00 PM
We: 09:00 AM to 05:00 PM
Th: 09:00 AM to 05:00 PM
Fr: 09:00 AM to 05:00 PM
Sa: Closed
Su: Closed

Why buy from us?
* Classic Cars
* Over 30 years in business
* Cars are physically at our premises
* Lovely roads to test drive on
* Our reputation

Ad ID: 1480758912

Exact specification may vary from the details on this page. Please contact the seller to reconfirm any details before purchasing. See Terms & Conditions for further information.