By order of the Executors: The Richard Evans | Manx Motor Museum Collection
1933 Rolls-Royce 20/25hp Sedanca Coupé

• One of only three cars bodied in this style by Freestone & Webb
• Engine replaced in period by the factory
• Professionally restored with no expense spared 1990-1994
• Past concours winner
• Owned by the Manx Motor Museum since 2008

The introduction of a smaller Rolls-Royce - the 20hp - in 1922 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 'Twenty' proved eminently suited to town use, yet could cope admirably with Continental touring when called upon. Nevertheless, by the late 1920s the trend towards ever-heavier coachwork was beginning to have a detrimental effect on the Twenty's performance.

Introduced in 1929, the successor 20/25hp model addressed this problem with ease, featuring numerous improvements, the most significant of which was an enlarged (from 3,127 to 3,669cc) version of the Twenty's six-cylinder, overhead-valve engine. The latter's increased power allowed the bespoke coachbuilders greater freedom in their efforts to satisfy a discerning clientele that demanded more opulent and bespoke designs. Produced concurrently with the Phantom II, the 20/25 benefited from many of the larger model's improvements, such as synchromesh gears and centralised chassis lubrication, becoming the best-selling Rolls-Royce of the inter-war period.

The Rolls-Royce 20/25hp was, of course, an exclusively coachbuilt automobile. Most of the great British coachbuilding firms offered designs, many of them unique, on the 20/25hp chassis. Off test on 1st June 1933, chassis number 'GSY42' boasts exquisitely proportioned sedanca coupé coachwork by Freestone & Webb of Willesden, North London, one of the finest of all British coachbuilders and a firm associated with quality marques from its earliest days, particularly Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Mercedes-Benz.

First registered as 'ALF 830', the car was ordered new via The Car Mart in London's Park Lane by Mr T H Howarth of Manchester and (later) Rhos-on-Sea, who intended to have it bodied as a close-coupled four-door saloon. As it happened, Freestone & Webb persuaded Mr Howarth to take a coupé deville (or sedanca coupé) body they had in stock, a move that cut the delivery time substantially. It is believed that Freestone & Webb built only three such cars, each slightly different; they were necessarily very expensive, even by Rolls-Royce standards.

In a letter on file dated June 1965, Mr Howarth's son recalls that his father blew up the engine in Monte Carlo and that Rolls-Royce despatched two mechanics and a replacement engine, getting the car back on the road within 48 hours! Mr Howarth was well connected, and notables that borrowed his Rolls-Royce included racing driver Prince Bira, who drove it to and from Brooklands, fellow racing driver Kaye Don, and the actor John Mills. The aforementioned letter is addressed to the Rolls-Royce's then owner, the renowned collector Mr James C Leake of Oklahoma, USA, who appears to have kept the car in the UK.

The Rolls-Royce's subsequent ownership history is unclear, although a breakdown of restoration costs on file mentions a Mr I A Gervis. Reputedly, 'GSY42' was sold by Frank Dale & Stepsons in May 1990 for £145,000 prior to its 'ground upwards' restoration for Mr Gervis by a renowned marque specialist, which took some four years to complete and cost over £100,000. According to documents on file, these works included checking the chassis for alignment before overhauling it and the axles, suspension, steering and brakes. The body's timber frame was repaired/renewed and re-panelled prior to a bare-metal respray in the original colour scheme of Burgundy over Mason's Black with matching Everflex roof.

Widely admired, the interior was re-trimmed in black Connolly leather with Wilton carpets in Burgundy, a grey West of England cloth headlining and beautiful polished wood veneers. New electrical wiring was installed, the brightwork re-plated, the radiator core rebuilt, and the fuel system re-plumbed. As the engine, clutch and gearbox had already been overhauled, they were not touched. It is worthwhile noting that the car retains its exquisite boot-mounted tool kit, twin walnut vanity/smoker's companion units, concealed cabin lighting, and large central armrest. On completion of extensive its restoration, 'GSY42' was a concours winner at the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts' Club's annual rally.

The car's next owner, Mr Ian Eccleston of Birmingham, went on to rally the rebuilt 20/25 extensively in the UK with the R-REC and 20-Ghost Club, garnering concours awards at the R-REC's annual rally at Broughton House in 2004; the Coventry Run in September 2004; and the 20-Ghost Club's gathering at Henley-on-Thames in 2005 as well as many more minor events.

In October 2008 the 20/25 was purchased for the Manx Motor Museum at a UK auction, since when it has been well stored, seeing very little use. It was last run up to temperature in 2022. The car is offered with a history file containing various documents including old MoTs; a copy build sheet; a valuation report (2002); instruction manuals; a current UK V5C; and detailed starting and operating instructions (essential reading before use).