1936 Rolls-Royce 25/30 Sedanca de Ville

Registration No: CYU 376
Chassis No: GUL 41
MOT: November 2025

• Fitted with its original Barker 'Owen' coachwork with twin spare wheels
• Current ownership since 2018
• Featuring the rare and desirable Lucas QK596 headlamps
• Offered with chassis card records, owner's handbook, invoices and the current V5C
• Subject to a previous overdrive and engine overhaul

Maintaining its policy of offering one ‘Large’ and one ‘Small’ model (the terms being purely relative!), Rolls-Royce introduced the 20/25 in 1929 as a successor to the outgoing 20hp. Though the newcomer was intended to appeal to owner drivers, many examples were in fact sold to customers with chauffeurs. Power came from an enlarged version of the straight-six unit used in the 20hp. Now of 3699cc, it made for swifter acceleration and a higher top speed – up to 75mph, depending on the chosen body. The four-speed manual gearbox featured the manufacturer’s traditional right-hand change and was equipped with synchromesh on the top two ratios from 1932 onwards. The substantial chassis sported rigid axles front and rear suspended on semi-elliptic leaf springs. The four-wheeled braking was mechanically servo-assisted. In 1936, the company opted to increase the performance once more, further enlarging the engine to 4257cc to create the so-called 25/30, of which 1,201 examples were made before the model was superseded by the Wraith in 1938. Like many Rolls-Royces of this elegance, the 25/30 marque starred on the silver screen, most notably in ‘The Naked Truth’ and ‘Death on the Nile’.

Chassis GUL 41 possesses the original Barker ‘Owen’ coachwork, as shared in a magazine feature for Great Cars in 2008. GUL 41’s first owner was Cecil Rhodes Dormer, the son of Francis Dormer, a close friend and business associate of Cecil Rhodes (1853-1902), English mining magnate, politician and founder of the southern African territory of Rhodesia (Zimbabwe). They met while travelling from London to Cape Town on the ship ‘Teuton’ in 1875. When the ‘Cape Argus’ newspaper was up for sale, Francis sought financial help from Cecil Rhodes, who provided the necessary funds. With a close relationship, subsequently, Francis Dormer is credited with naming Rhodesia. After Cecil R. Dormer died in 1951, GUL41 was acquired by mill owners William M. Haggas & Son. By the 1960s, GUL 41 was with D. A. Claxton RN, stationed at HMS Caledonia, a Royal Navy training establishment in Rosyth, before being acquired by Andrew Plotzke of Suffolk.

Today, the car’s cosmetic condition displays well-maintained paint, and chrome, featuring the desirable Lucas QK596 headlamps, and with an appealing Brown leather interior. Equipped with an overdrive unit and well-suited for touring, the sizeable fitted rear trunk and twin side-mounted spare wheels enhance its practicality. Since 2018, the car has been under the care of its current owner, as evidenced by detailed invoices from marque specialists Matt Pickles and Fiennes Restoration, attesting to the large expenditure. In 2011, the car underwent an engine and overdrive overhaul by James Black Restorations. Previous work has included a new cylinder head and a complete re-wiring. Chassis GUL 41, wearing the number ‘CYU 376’, is accompanied by the original owner’s handbook, a collection of invoices and old MOTs. Additionally, it includes the buff continuation logbook, chassis card records, the owner’s handbook and the current V5C. Running well when inspected for the photography session, this well-documented and cherished example comes to sale with a sensible estimate.

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