Rolls Royce 20/25

First registered 21st January 1936

Plate on Body reads:-

Hooper & Co (Coachbuilders) Ltd London

To

His Majesty The King

Her Majesty The Queen

HRH The Prince of Wales

HRH The Princess Royal

HRH The Duke of Connaught

History of CLL 933

Our Rolls Royce 20/25 Limousine was first registered on the 21st January 1936 and has an interesting history.

Its first owner was Mr John Percy Mitchell Hill of Highgate in London who owned the car for some 23 years. During the whole period of World War II and also for several years afterwards the car was laid up in a garage. This was because of petrol rationing, the petrol allowance being insufficient to allow its use.

Although the vehicle was stored in an area of London which suffered from heavy bombing during the Blitz, it miraculously survived without damage. Despite its lack of use during this period, Mr Mitchell Hill's chauffeur kept the car in exceptionally good condition, an important factor in the car's superb original condition now.

In 1959 Mr Mitchell Hill sold the car to Lady Cooke of Kensington, London and in 1960 it changed hands again and was exported to Woodside in California, USA.

The car's new owner, Mr John K Crosby, kept the vehicle for 8 years and then sold it in December 1968 to Mr George Burbach. Mr Burbach sold the car 12 months later to Mr R Hood on 3rd December 1969 and it then eventually returned to the UK in 2003. The car is now the flagship of Timeless Classics' fleet.

Fact File - Rolls Royce 20/25

The 20/25hp model was introduced in 1929 as a successor to the 20hp model and remained in production until 1936 when the 25/30hp was introduced. Some 3,827 vehicles were produced, thus meaning that this model achieved the highest Rolls Royce sales' figures between the two World Wars.

The 20/25hp had a 6-cylinder in-line engine of 3,669cc and contemporary road tests showed that early models could achieve a speed of 67mph whilst later models were capable of 76mph. The vehicle was priced new at £1,100.

Fact File - Hooper & Co (Coachbuilders) Ltd

All Rolls Royce cars produced between 1904 and 1939 were supplied as chassis only and therefore all models of the era had bodies which were individually designed and built by independent specialist coachbuilders.

Messrs Hooper & Co were originally established in 1807 and associated with the Rolls Royce car company from 1909. The company built its strong reputation on Royal Patronage, supplying bespoke vehicles to the British monarchy. These cars were usually based on Rolls Royce or Bentley chassis although an early vehicle was commissioned by King Edward VII in 1903 based on a Daimler chassis.