Fully restored to Concours condition
1928 Rolls-Royce 20hp Coupé Cabriolet
Coachwork by Barker & Co Ltd
Registration no. YX 4303
Chassis no. GXL2
Engine no. F7A (see text)

'This model was introduced to meet requests for a smaller, less expensive car in keeping with the trend after the First World War towards smaller cars for a wider market. Construction was simplified - but standards of workmanship were not compromised.' - Edward Eves, Rolls-Royce, 75 Years of Motoring Excellence. Changing times after WWI eventually forced the abandonment of Rolls-Royce's 'one model' policy, an all-new 20hp car joining the existing 40/50hp Silver Ghost in 1922. The 'Twenty' reflected Henry Royce's interest in contemporary trends within the American automobile industry, incorporating unit construction of engine and gearbox, the latter featuring the modern innovation of a central ball change, and 'Hotchkiss drive' rear axle. The engine, Rolls-Royce's first with overhead valves, was a six-cylinder unit displacing 3,127cc. Favourably received as the Twenty was, its three-speed transmission's central gearchange was not well liked, and when four-wheel, servo-assisted brakes were introduced in 1925, a four-speed gearbox with right-hand, gated change replaced the original three-speeder. The Twenty's introduction of enabled the company to cater for the increasingly important owner-driver market that appreciated the quality of Rolls-Royce engineering but did not need a car as large as a 40/50hp Ghost or Phantom. The car proved eminently suited to town use yet could cope admirably with Continental touring when called upon. Its successor, the 20/25hp, introduced in 1929, updated the concept with significant improvements, featuring an enlarged (from 3,127 to 3,669cc) and more-powerful cross-flow version of the Twenty's six-cylinder overhead-valve engine. This increased power allowed the bespoke coachbuilders greater freedom in their efforts to satisfy a discerning clientele that demanded ever larger and more opulent designs. Apart from the revised engine, early 20/25hp chassis were identical to those of the last 20s, both models being produced during 1929. A late example of the 20hp Rolls-Royce, chassis number 'GXL2' was sold to Rossleigh Ltd of Dundee on 1st August 1928 and first owned by a Miss M L Corsar of Arbroath. Copies of factory build sheets show that production of the coupé cabriolet body was entrusted to Barker & Co Ltd of London, one of the finest of all British coachbuilders and a firm associated with Rolls-Royce from the latter's earliest days. The original finish is recorded as light blue with black wings and brown leather upholstery. Copy chassis cards on file record the next owner as Messrs David Rosenfield (probably a dealer) in October 1929 followed by one E C Steward Esq in November 1929, F W Collins of Bilston in 1940 and finally J Shaw Esq of Lancashire in October 1941. There is then a gap in the history, the next ownership record being an old-style V5 registration document listing one J Coates of Burnley as owner. The date of acquisition is not stated but must have been prior to 1978. The Rolls-Royce's next owner was a Miss Alyson Jayne Evans of Cirencester, who acquired it from Coates on 6th January 1987. Accompanying history files contain numerous invoices and correspondence dating from the Evans family's period of ownership, including a substantial number of bills relating to extensive restoration carried out during the late 1980s. The current vendor acquired the Rolls-Royce from Alyson Evans in November 2003 and immediately commenced a programme of restoration. Co-ordinated by Brigade Motors Ltd of Stroud, Gloucestershire, the rebuild is detailed in their accompanying Customer Report (dated October 2013) listing work carried out by various specialists (mainly during 2011/2012) and totalling £81,788.29. These include the highly respected Ashton Keynes Vintage Restorations, which undertook the bulk of the work; T A & J M Coburn; Holbrook Garage, Bisley; Thornley Kelham; and The Vintage & Classic Paint Shop. Some aspects of the rebuild are recorded photographically in an accompanying ring binder. It should be noted that during restoration the engine, which was rebuilt with a replacement cylinder head, was found to be of the later and more powerful 20/25hp type (number 'F7A'). Additional history on file includes copies of old V5C registration documents; assorted correspondence; SORN paperwork; and a quantity of old tax discs MoTs (most recent expired February 2013). Presented in quite exceptional condition, effectively 'as new', 'YX 4303' represents a wonderful opportunity to acquire a fully restored Rolls-Royce Twenty benefiting from installation of the successor model's superior engine.