Rolls-Royce 20/25

We always love to handle ‘barn finds’ and this car is no exception. As far as we can tell it was last used in 1970 (tax disc still on the windscreen), and is in very scruffy but correct and complete condition inside and out. Considerable renovation will be required, but the engine runs sweetly and the car drives around our yard nicely. The car is an ideal candidate for a full renovation, re-paint, re-trim, etc, or it could even be fun to re-commission the car mechanically and use it as it is if the idea appeals, dealing with the cosmetic aspect as and when convenient. Either way, the car should be a fun undertaking and rewarding to return to the road after all these years. Complete with a Swansea V5 registration document, on its original registration number.

Chassis No. GWE32 Reg. No. BLM 653

Snippets: Shell
From 1934 until 1937 GWE32 was owned by Andrew Agnew (Kt 1938), he had a distinguished career in the petroleum industry having served on the board of Shell Transport, Royal Dutch, Anglo-Saxon Petroleum & Asiatic Petroleum in spanning over 30years (1922/1953). He was also Chairman of Elba Tinplate Co (Wales) and on the board of the Singapore Harbour and the MLC Straits Settlement (Singapore). During the 1930s Andrew’s London base was 3 Sussex Place in Regents Park and his neighbours included Herbert & Cynthia Asquith, Col W. Cooper MC, Sir A Mitchelson and Fred Cohen. The 2nd owner was Lt Col Sir James William Leigh-Wood (1870/1949) who in 1919 changed his surname from Wood to Leigh-Wood by deed poll. His career was initially with the banking firm of Cox & but he signed up to serve with the army during the 2nd Boer War during which time he was mentioned in dispatched and awarded the Queen’s Medal. In 1908 he joined the merchant bank firm of Brown, Shipley & Co, during WWI he also served with in the War Office and in fact remained with Brown & Shipley until the onset of WWII. Sir Leigh-Brown became involved with track athletics in 1927 through his son Roger Leigh-Wood (1928 Olympics) and in 1929 at the Empire Games Sir William became chairman of the Federation, Roger went on to win a Gold & a Silver in the 1930 Empire Games. In 1900, after 3 years of courtship Sir William married Joanna “Sissy” Turnbull who was a New Zealander by birth, the Turnbull family business was that of general merchandising – this included import, export, dry goods with companies in both New Zealand and the UK. In 1888 the British branch was sold to Sargood & Co which meant that the release of the money enabled Joanna’s brother Alexander to indulge in his hobby of collecting – books, coins, artworks, Maori & Pacific items being the core of his eclectic collection. In 1913 Alexander donated a substantial portion of his Maori & Pacific Island artefact to the Dominion Museum and upon his death in 1918 his collection was bequeathed to the nation of New Zealand; amongst the items was his sister’s autograph album dating from 1887 until 1897, it includes a poetic entry written by her future husband Sir James Leigh-Wood whilst they were both passengers on the RMS Ionic in 1897! The chassis cards of GWE32 show that whilst in London Sir James & Lady Joanna lived at 24 Great Cumberland Place (neighbours included Earl of Airlie, Sir Frederick Whyte MP, Countess of Northbrook (widow), Dr B Wiesner (anonymous father of 300), Capt S. Ralli, C Hoare (Bank), Sir Edmund Findley MP).