1933 Rolls-Royce 20/25HP

Sold $50,400 USD

• A Rolls-Royce with a fascinating history, including over six decades of single-family ownership
• First assembled with Park Ward Saloon coachwork; now wears a Torpedo Touring body in the style of Barker
• Handcrafted over a two-year period in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, and driven extensively
• Powered by a 3.7-liter straight-six mated to a four-speed manual transmission
• Accompanied by build sheet copies and RROC documentation

For over a century Rolls-Royce has been the last word in luxurious motoring, with a sterling reputation built in large part on the careful engineering and over-the-top quality of its pre-war offerings. A proper Rolls-Royce was silent and elegant, but it was also durable enough to be driven to the ends of the earth and back. It is hardly surprising that many of these cars have led fascinating lives in far-flung places. This model 20/25, chassis GGA26, is no exception.

According to its factory build sheet, a copy of which is on file, GGA26 was completed in October 1933 wearing Park Ward Saloon coachwork and was delivered to its first owner, Captain C.H. Waring of Moyles Court, Ringwood, Hampshire, the following month. The cars historical journey saw it transition through several British owners before being rescued by Colin Black from a Yarnton, United Kingdom scrapyard in 1962.

Black meticulously restored the vehicle, using it extensively across the United Kingdom and Europe before relocating to Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, in 1965. Once in Africa, he continued to enjoy GGA26, reportedly traversing hundreds of miles a day on little more than goat tracks. By 1973, Black felt the car warranted a grander transformation and embarked on constructing an open touring body. After rounds of drawings and testing, he ensured the new bodys scale and proportions were to his liking, then employed a combination of Malayan hardwood, stainless steel, brass, and original Park Ward sheet metal in its final construction.

To endure the rugged Rhodesian roads, Black reinforced each rectangular space between uprights, including the doors, with piano wire and aircraft turnbuckles, which enabled him to fine-tune the coachwork as one would a musical instrument. For Christmas 1976, Black celebrated GGA26s completion by driving his family and a trailer laden with sailboats over 600 miles to Cape Town, South Africa a task GGA26 accepted with no complaints.

In a 1985 article for the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club newsletter, Black praised the 20/25s robustness and endurance, noting he had added over 90,000 kilometers during his ownership, including many hours at full speed, fully laden, in 115-degree African heat.

Chassis GGA26 remained in the care of the Black family for a remarkable 62 years, entering the ownership of the present consignor in 2024. Now offered with copies of the original order form and chassis build records, this remarkable 20/25 awaits a custodian daring enough to continue its extraordinary legacy.To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/auctions/hf26/.