Lot details Registration No: XO 1816 Chassis No: 58S1 Mot Expiry: Exempt
A giant of a man measuring 6'7" with a character to match his stature, Hugh Cecil Lowther, fifth Earl of Lonsdale, was born into wealth and privilege whose interest in sports as diverse as horse racing (where he was known as 'The Yellow Earl') and boxing (creator of the Lonsdale Belt) earned him the reputation of being England's greatest sporting gentleman. Interested in motoring from its dawning, indeed the Automobile Association would adopt his colours, it is perhaps unsurprising that he would commission such a unique creation as the car offered today. Requiring coachwork that could accommodate his customary top hat, in 1910 he commissioned Hamshaw of Leicester to build a tall body in the style of a Landaulette with elephant hide roof which was fitted to a Daimler chassis. In 1914 this body was transferred to a more powerful Napier 15hp chassis, although, by the early 1920s, a more modern alternative was sought. The solution was Rolls-Royce's 20hp chassis, 58-S-1, on to which the body was once again transferred.
Finished throughout in his famous yellow colours, Lonsdale used the car up until his death in 1944 when it passed to the Stanley Sears Collection in whose custody it would remain until the early 1980s. Acquired by the vendor in 2002, 'Victoria', as she is affectionately known, has benefited from an engine overhaul and fettling of the running gear to provide a 'surprisingly comfortable ride'. Used regularly for rallies and touring, she is believed to have covered some 100,000 miles in total and retains such original features as an alkali battery (a modern unit is also fitted). A truly unique piece of British craftsmanship and motoring history, the 'Yellow' Earl's Rolls-Royce is ready to be shown off and enjoyed and is accompanied by copy chassis cards and Swansea V5 document.
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