Rolls-Royce 20/25

A traditional, handsome D back limousine in good order, equipped with twin side-mounted spare wheels, six ‘Ace’ wheel discs and typical Hooper high quality stainless steel fixtures & fittings to the coachwork, complimented by a good set of lamps, etc. Finished in black & red, with particularly nice deep red leather front and rear. The history file with the car shows a great deal of attention and expenditure over the years, including the fitting of a new cylinder head. Nevertheless, some attention is still required, but the car drives well. We sold the car in the mid 1990s, since when it has had just two owners, the last since 2003. We are waiting for the original registration number, AVR 679, to be re-allocated to the car, which - all being well - should be no more than a formality. MoT tested until November 2019.


Chassis No. GKC7 Reg. No. AVR 679

Snippets: Engineering & Art
Wilfred Dean (1888/1949) was the proprietor of W H Dean & Co, a family concern which started in 1895 making domestic & industrial appliances for laundry – i.e. washing machines! By 1937 the company had gone public and had a stand at the British Industries Fair (Stand nr 410), by now the products induced pan boilers, washing machines, copper urns for use in catering, flue piping, the success of the company enabled Wilfred not only to indulge in buying a new Rolls-Royce but to collect works of art, these included works attributed to Henri Fantin-Latour (1836/1904), Pseudo Simons (17th century) and perhaps the most well known were pencil & chalk drawings by Sir John Everett Millais (1829/96). Wilfred was on the Burnley Council and as such was involved with the development of the Art Gallery in Towneley Hall, in 1924 he donated 10 life drawings by Millais to the museum as well as 24 watercolours and 6 oil paintings by other artist. Wilfred died in 1949 at his home in South Shore, Blackpool leaving his wife and daughter a comfortable estate of £291,000, but GKC7 was not included in that estate as according to the chassis cards in 1948 it was been acquired by a G. W. Widdop of Heysham who may have been a scion of the Widdop Engineering firm who produced diesel engines used primarily in marine tugs, coasters, lifeboats etc. The 3rd owner also continues the engineering theme as he was Lt J M Rabbit stationed at the Royal Naval Engineering College, Manadon in Plymouth!