1934 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Park Ward Brougham de Ville GMD36 Saloon Petrol Manual

Description

An appealingly unusual car, its design harking back to an earlier era, with faux canework, opera lamps, etc. It is, however, correct and as built, but benefitting from much attention, including restoration work in the USA many years ago & continued attention in the UK since its return here in the 1970s. This work included an engine overhaul by Brunts of Silverdale, including new cylinder head and block, steering box rebuild, and more besides. Comes with a large, informative history file. The paintwork is in very good order, sharp and smart, as is the interior - brown leather to the front and cream to the rear, in both cases with matching carpets. Even the headlining is leather! The car features louvred bonnet and scuttle, Carl Zeiss headlights, Lucas owl eye tail lights, twin tubular blade bumpers front and rear and a rear-mounted spare wheel. Running well, lovely all round and offered newly MoT tested.Chassis No. GMD36 Reg No. BGW 227 Snippets: Art & JewelsThe 1st owner of GMD36 was the scandalous socialite & heiress Florence Evelyn St George (1870/1936), whose father George Fisher Baker (1840/1931) was the co-founder of what is today known as Citibank. During his lifetime George Fisher was on the board of 40 companies & he held the majority of the Central Railroad stock. The first Forbes Rich List, published in 1918, shows G. F. Baker in joint 4th place alongside William Rockefeller with an estimated fortune of $150m. The wealthiest being John D. Rockefeller with a reported wealth of a staggering $1.2billion. When George Baker died in 1931 the bulk of his estate was inherited by his son George with his two daughters being gifted $5m each. In 1891 Florence had married the Irish land agent Howard St. George but by 1906 she had met the artist William Orpen (1878/1931) with whom she had a long-term liaison, and a daughter. Florence & her brother George took annual trips to Paris together to ensure they were dressed in the latest fashion; for Evelyn this included commissioning Rene Lalique to produce a choker with a lattice design of green glass cabochons set on an enamel backing with diamonds in each corner. This piece was later recut into a suite of bracelet, brooch & earrings, these were auctioned by the family in 2020. In 1908 William Orpen painted a portrait of Evelyn showing her reclining on her bed at Clonsilla wearing the fabulous choker. After her death in 1936 the auction house Sotheby were tasked with selling the contents of Cam House & this included artworks by El Greco, Goya, Cranach and of course Orpen. From 1958/62 GMD36 was with the noted architect & interior designer Sir Hugh Casson whose clients ranged from the Air Ministry (Camouflage Service), Royalty (Royal Yacht Britannia, Buckingham Palace, Windsor, Sandringham), WH Smith, NatWest Bank & Glyndebourne. Whilst with Sir Casson GMD36 was used as an everyday car - the mascot was replaced several times after being taken as a trophy! During the 1970s GMD36 passed through the hands of Alan Clarke, author, diarist, MP & car enthusiast.

Previously Registered Overseas; Safety Belt Pretensioners

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: 1506537414

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