Rolls-Royce 20hp Thrupp and Maberly Limousine

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The Rolls-Royce Twenty, built between 1922 and 1929 was Rolls-Royce's ‘small car’ for the 1920s. It was intended to appeal to owner drivers but, as is the way with such an aristocratic marque, most were sold to customers with chauffeurs.

A new 3,127cc six-cylinder overhead valve engine was mated to a substantial chassis with rigid front and rear axles and four-wheel servo brakes from 1925 onwards. Early cars had three-speed gearboxes with the change lever in the centre, but in 1925 this was replaced by a four-speed unit with traditional right-hand change. The famous Rolls-Royce radiator with triangular top was fitted, with enamel-finished horizontal slats which opened and closed to control engine temperature. On later cars, these changed to a nickel finish which eventually became vertically mounted.

In 1920 the chassis alone cost £1,100, with a complete tourer-bodied car typically costing around £1,600 (this at a time when a decent family home cost about £500). When fitted with coachwork to the factory recommended weight, the Twenty could reach 60mph, but many owners chose large limousine bodies, with the inevitable detrimental effect on performance.

Chassis GYK 4 was ordered for stock by Rootes of London in July 1926. By the time the chassis had been tested on 10th August it had already been sold to Mr Hill who lived in Weybridge. In consultation with Rootes, he commissioned Limousine coachwork from Thrupp and Maberly who had completed their task by 13th December. Registration took place on 30th January the following year.

Mr Hill kept the car for three years, trading it in through Rootes in August 1931. They held it in stock until February 1932 when Lady Bland of London W1 took ownership, the car revisiting the works for various service jobs during this period. In late 1938, Rootes gave Lady Bland an allowance of £100 against a new model, selling the Rolls in January 1939 for just £55!

The car then disappeared from view, resurfacing again in 1962 having moved to Holland. It returned home in 1980 and was reregistered in the UK in 1982 with its original number YE 578. A printed history from the DVLA shows the details of its subsequent owners, the car selling in 2003 at auction for £20,000.

Its new owner then treated it to a thorough restoration, changing its livery from blue and black to maroon and black, work that is reputed to have cost an additional £20,000. By now the original engine was rather tired and a replacement was found, the correct unit being carefully put to one side in a specially made crate.

The vendor acquired the car (along with the original engine) through Ghost Motor Works in 2011 for his wife to use. Determined to make sure it would perform with complete reliability, and a stickler for originality, he commissioned Rolls-Royce experts Ben Smith Engineering in Devon to completely rebuild the original engine and refit it to the car. This was completed towards the end of 2012 and cost £11,250. Detailed bills list the extent of the work carried out, the end result running in true Rolls-Royce fashion.

The file includes further bills from Fiennes Restoration for numerous small parts, a number of old MOTs and a copy of the original works records.

This elegant and attractive Thrupp and Maberly Rolls-Royce Twenty Limousine is just the thing for the coming rally season. It is sold with a fine Spirit of Ecstasy mascot for the radiator and thanks to its recent professional engine rebuild is fit and ready to go.