Rolls-Royce Wraith (1939)

SALE AGREED

A very sound, sharp and smart example, handsome in design, with an unusual rear window, almost crescent moon' in design, very nicely finished in a lovely shade of deep maroon, with cream flanks and wheel discs, with red interior, including the headlining, all in very good condition. The paint is excellent, as is the chrome work and cosmetics generally, looking particularly attractive with correct Lucas R100 headlamps, centre spot-lamp and long trumpet horns, with Ace Cornercroft side-lamps, all of which contribute to the car's impressive frontal appearance. In recent times, the car has very much benefitted from overhaul of gearbox and rear axle, new tyres, new stainless steel exhaust system, and more besides. The engine is running very nicely and quietly, the car drives well and is in very good order throughout. MoT tested until June 2018

Chassis No. WMB47 Reg No. FLP 538 Price £39,500.


Snippets: Col Abel Smith & Lt Gen Burrows of Montagu Square.
Col Bertram Abel Smith DSO, MC was a scion of the Smith Banking family, the bank was established in 1658 in Nottingham by Thomas Smith and it is understood that this was the 1st bank to be formed outside of London. Subsequent locations for the banks included Hull, Lincoln & London & over time various mergers & acquisitions included: John Payne of London; James & Charles Robinson of Mansfield; Godfrey & Riddell of Newark. By the end of WWII Smith’s bank had been renamed & rebranded to emerge as the National Provincial Bank with a Smith as the Chairman. The country seat of the Smith family was Woodhall Park, which had been owned by the Boteler family for some 300 years until 1774 when it was sold to Sir Thomas Rumbold of the East India Company - the mortgage being held by Clive of India. The Hall was destroyed by fire & rebuilt by Thomas Leverton (1777/81), after Sir Rumbold’s death the house was acquired by Paul Benfield MP & a notorious Indian Nabob – after an examination of Mr Benfield’s finances by the Government both his & his partner’s (Walter Boyd) estates were seized by the Government and sold off with the estate being acquired by Samuel Smith. Today the Smith family are still in residence at Woodhall Park but not in the main house, the 3rd name on the chassis card is Lt Gen Montagu Brocas Burrows CB, DSO & MC who during WWII held the position of Commander-in-Chief of the West Africa Command of the British Army. His wife Molly Le Bas was a well known sculptor & her brother Edward an artist – today their work is extremely collectible & can change hands for tens of thousands of pounds; their father was the Jersey born industrialist Edward Le Bas. The Smith & La Bas family had their “Town” address in Montagu Square which made them neighbours!

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