1932 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Saloon

Registration No: GX 3476
Chassis No: GKT6
MOT: Exempt

• Park Ward 4 light with division coachwork
• Subject to a recent extensive recommissioning programme
• Offered with history file plus factory chassis card records
• First owned by Alexander Cameron, a master tailor from London
• Fitted with Laycock "J" overdrive plus discrete 12V power supply for phone or satnav

GKT6, the car offered for sale, is a late “TB” series 20/25, coming off test at Derby on 21st March 1932. Fitted with the 3,669cc six-cylinder engine – number A5J, which she retains to this day – the chassis was sent to Park Ward where it was fitted with a 4 door, 4 light saloon body with division. Being an early mid-series 20/25, the car features a number of improvements over the earliest 20/25s, such as the 3” longer wheelbase, raised compression ratio (5.25:1), 14-gallon petrol tank, improved hydraulic dampers, 4” deeper radiator and full one-shot Luvax-Bijur chassis lubrication system.

The car’s 1st owner was Mr Alexander Cameron – a master tailor, who lived at “Lammermoor”, New Road, Esher, London and had premises at 20 Conduit Street, London, W1. Interestingly, his tailor’s shop was only five doors down from the main Rolls-Royce sales office at 15 Conduit Street. The records suggest that the car was delivered to Mr Cameron on 2 May 1932. He clearly loved the car as he kept it until his death in 1950 whereby the car then passed to his widow, Lily.

She sold the car in 1955, via the noted independent Rolls-Royce dealers – Paddon Bros, London – to the car’s second owner, Sir Arthur Lucius Michael Cary GCB. He was a high-ranking British civil servant and who ultimately rose to become Permanent Under-Secretary of Defence (1974 – 1976). Like Alexander Cameron before him, Sir Michael Cary also devoted a considerable amount of time and money to the car’s upkeep – the extensive invoices on file show how he initially got the car up to standard and then attended to routine servicing and repairs, as needed. He even had a full engine rebuild completed in June 1964, at a time when many other 20/25s were languishing in run down car sales premises or labouring in the funeral trade. You can still see his love of the car today, as if you examine the Spirit of Ecstasy, you will see his initials engraved around the base “A.L.M.C”. He sold the car in October 1974 via Paddons, to the car’s 3rd owner, Mr Dennis Allen.

The car’s history then becomes a little uncertain, but by 1995, the car was owned by a Mr Michael Redfern, of Over Alderley, Cheshire, who appears to have used the car for both pleasure and for wedding hire work. On file is a lovely image of the car all dressed up, ready to take a bride to her wedding on the big day! He sold the car via the Bonhams auction at the RREC Summer Concours in June 2004 to Mr Habib Rahman, who also owned a wide assortment of classic cars. Copious invoices for spare parts, mainly sourced from Fiennes, indicate that he, too, lavished care on the car, including the fitment of the overdrive unit and getting the wheels powder coated.

The car stayed with Habib until 2021, before being bought by Robert Withrow via Historics Auctioneers in April 2021. GKT6 represented the realisation of a lifelong goal for Robert, who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. With the short amount of time he had left, he was determined to sample the delights of pre-war Rolls-Royce ownership, and with friend Mike Rigby, enjoyed many happy trips to the pub in the car. On Robert’s passing, it fell to Mike to sell the car and it was advertised for sale in the RREC’s magazine, Spirit and Speed. The advert caught the eye of the late owner, a former Guardsman, who lived in Dumfries.

He bought the car in May 2024, having always admired Rolls-Royces and it was a dream come true to finally treat himself to one. Sadly lost to cancer in early 2025 before he could get the car running as he intended, his mark on the car lives on, with the fitment of the Poppy badge and a Grenadier Guards pouch badge on the badge bar, in remembrance of him and his fellow former soldiers.

Since May this year the car has been subject to an extensive recommissioning programme, instigated by his widow, as her tribute to him and to see his dream through to completion. This recommissioning has been extensive to return the car to fine fettle.

Aside from the excellent mechanical condition, the car features a number of well-judged upgrades:

• Laycock "J" overdrive, operated via switch on dash, giving easy 55mph cruising

• Discrete 12V power supply for phone or sat nav

• Powder fire extinguisher in cabin (a rally essential)

• Automatic battery regulator charging system

• Battery isolator switch

• Wired-in trickle charger for winter storage

• Flashing indicator lights

The car comes complete with an extensive under seat factory tool kit, Dunlop No.10 jack and folding handle, crank handle, Dunlop wheel brace, luggage rack and Brooks trunk to the rear. It also has the correct Rolls-Royce 20/25 Handbook No. XII, stamped "GKT6" and period AA handbook 1933-1934.

Accompanying the car are 3 extensive files of paperwork going back to 1950s – key highlights:

• Cylinder head removed, stitch welded and refitted

• Cleaned out coolant passages, including factory approved cooling modification to improve flow to rear cylinders

• Front axle overhaul

The family is keen now for the car to go to a good home and to be enjoyed and loved.

For more information, please contact:
James McWilliam
james.mcwilliam@handh.co.uk
07943 584760