Rolls-Royce 20HP

An excellent car, lovingly restored over a period of many years by a gentleman who owned the car from 1963 to 2017, nearly two thirds of the car's life! Well known in club circles, since 1993 the car has covered something approaching 90,000 miles, mostly on club events, tours, etc, some of them continental, each journey fully logged in detail, and still in lovely condition throughout. The body is rock solid, and the quality of the restoration work (which took many years to complete) shines through. Attention to detail has resulted in a wonderfully correct car, just as it should be, but not 'over the top'. Even the underside is remarkably smart and impressive. Fitted with an aluminium cylinder head, the car runs and drives very nicely, aided by the fitting of overdrive, leading to relaxed long-distance cruising. Comes with a good deal of history, many documents, notebooks, manuals, invoices and much more besides relating to the restoration, and all kinds of evidence of having been cherished over the years. Now ready for its next chapter in life, which will perhaps take it to its 100th birthday in 2028!

Chassis No. GWL16 Reg. No. TU 8884

Snippets: The Johnston Connections – Trans-Atlantic Shipping - Titanic - Tutankhamen
GWL16 was purchased by Isabel Johnston, the wealthy widow of Henry Garvey Johnston, he was a scion of the Johnston Shipping Line of Liverpool. Henry Johnston (1868/1915) was the son of William Munn Johnston (1841/1317) who, with his brother Edmund Johnston (1852/1934) had founded the Johnston Line. William & Edmund Johnston Snr started the firm in 1872 with cargo to and from the Black Sea, Greece & Turkey, by the 1880s they started transporting cattle from Baltimore to Liverpool in partnership with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad company, by the time the 2nd generation arrived the firm had expanded into the refrigerated market. In 1914 just before WWI Edmund Johnston purchased a 30 roomed mansion on the Isle of Anglesey - “Bryn Mel” - which was built for William Imrie of the White Star Line - owners of the tragic Titanic; Bryn Mel remained with the Johnston family until the death of Edmund’s daughter Isla in 1984. Edmund A. Johnston Jr (1872/1934) one of William’s seven children, had emigrated to Baltimore to take care of the firm’s US interests married Janie McDiarmid of Fayetteville, Edmund died the same year as his Uncle and was buried in Baltimore, Maryland. William’s wife Kate had died in 1882 whilst in Malta leaving William with 7 children aged from 4 to 15, of those Kate married Sir Rubert William Boyce, noted pathologist & specialist in tropical medicine, sadly Kate died in 1902 due to complications after childbirth; the youngest member of the family Essie was the wife of Percy Newberry (1869/1949) – in 1884 Newberry began work at the Egypt Exploration Fund and in 1891 he travelled to Egypt with Howard Carter who at that time was Newberry’s trainee tracer! When Carter worked on the Tutankhamen exploration he took Newberry with him in his capacity as a botanical specialist. It is not known how long GWL16 was with the wealthy widow, Isabel died in August 1948 leaving an estate in excess of £100,000 with probate granted to Helen Isabel Elizabeth Johnston who was the daughter of Edmund Johnston Snr.