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1933 Rolls-Royce 20/25HP

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Description

For many, Rolls Royce's attachment to unqualified luxury and style was given its initial perfection here, with the illusive and curious 20/25. Although the Silver Ghost established Rolls Royce as a world beating brand, the 20/25, together with the much larger Phantom, gave the gentry and the affluent families of Britain and indeed the world their chauffeur driven chariot of excellence to do away with the horses and carriages of yesteryear.

Launched in 1929, the 20/25 was built to replace Rolls Royce's previous smaller model, the 20hp. In keeping with custom at the time, only the chassis and mechanical parts were made by Rolls-Royce. The body was made and fitted by a coachbuilder selected by the owner. Amongst the most famous coachbuilders who produced bodies for Rolls Royce cars are Park Ward, Thrupp & Maberly, Mulliner and Hooper.

Power came from an in-line 6-cylinder overhead-valve engine which was similar to that used in the 20hp but was enlarged to 3669 cc by increasing the bore from 76mm to 82mm, with the stroke remaining at 114 mm. A single Rolls-Royce carburettor was used, and both coil and magneto ignition were fitted. The four-speed gearbox was mounted in unit with the engine and a traditional right-hand change used. Synchromesh was fitted to third and top gears from 1932.

The substantial chassis had rigid front and rear axles suspended by half-elliptic springs with braking on all four wheels assisted by a mechanical servo. Separate rear brakes were fitted for the handbrake. The famous Rolls-Royce radiator with triangular top was used with vertical louvres, the angle of which could be adjusted to control engine cooling. To begin with, the radiator shutters were operated manually via a lever on the dash; later cars were fitted with automatic control via a thermostat.

The larger engine allowed the top speed to increase to 75mph, but many owners had large limousine bodies fitted to the chassis, with the predictable degradation of performance.

The car was built until 1936, of which 3,800 examples were constructed, ranging from Limousines, to Fixedhead Coupés, to Saloons and Drophead Coupés such as this. The Three-Position design for the soft-top roof was common in this time period, with the stylish bend in the frame on the sides becoming a design staple of the time.

Since then the 20/25 has often been featured in movies and TV shows, often doubling as a cheaper alternative stand-in for the larger Phantom. The most jarring appearance for one of these cars was in 1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, where the Sultan of the fictional Kingdom of Hatay takes preference of the villain's Rolls Royce Phantom II over plundered jewels and luxury items (although why a German officer would have a Rolls Royce when Mercedes-Benz and Maybach were in existence is a matter of debate.) Either way, the car featured in this movie was in fact not a Phantom II, but instead a 20/25 Saloon, with coachwork by Barker. This doesn't detract from the movie in anyway, it's still one of my favourite films of all time, but as a car buff I can't help but comment on that scene every time (because I'm that sort of boy!)

This particular car was recently sold at auction for a price range between £60,000 and £80,000, but eventually went for £64625, a little bit more than what I could possibly afford (knock about three zeros off that price tag and we'll talk!)
Image size
2304x1296px 1.78 MB
Make
Panasonic
Model
HC-V500M
Shutter Speed
1/500 second
Aperture
F/2.8
Focal Length
2 mm
Date Taken
Mar 24, 2015, 1:52:51 PM
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