This example of the rarest of 1930s Rolls-Royces - just 491 cars had been built when production was curtailed by the outbreak of WW2 - is clothed in owner-driver sports saloon coachwork by the London-based firm of Thrupp & Maberly, a long-established coachbuilder that since the 1920s had specialised in bodying high quality chassis, mainly those of Daimler, Bentley and Rolls-Royce. Chassis number ‘WCH 21’ was sold new via dealer Geo. Heath Ltd, of Birmingham to Charles Wade & Co, also of Birmingham, for the use of Maurice Charles Wade, its managing director. In 1946 the car was sold by Jack Barclay Ltd to second owner Henry L Johnson, of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, managing director of Courtaulds Ltd. In October 1954 it was re-sold by Jack Barclay, this time to one H J Cuff, of Amersham, Bucks. Mr Cuff kept the car for the next 40-or-so years, selling it in 1995 to Roger Fry OBE, a resident of Portsmouth, Hampshire and Madrid, Spain. The present, American owner acquired the car from Mr Fry in 1999. Finished in black with tan leather interior, ‘WCH 21’ has been partially restored while in the care of the vendor, who advises us that it is in excellent mechanical condition, with generally good chassis (though in need of repainting), corrosion-free bodywork, excellent wings and supports, new forward wiring, re-plated brightwork, new carpets and re-Connollised original leather upholstery. Offered with the car is the original 1939 owner’s handbook complete with service annotations for the period 1947 to 1995 detailing items purchased, work completed, date, mileage and cost, a document that appears to verify the 96,000 recorded miles. Also included in the sale are invoices relating to present-ownership restoration work, current MoT certificate and Swansea V5 registration document.
This example of the rarest of 1930s Rolls-Royces - just 491 cars had been built when production was curtailed by the outbreak of WW2 - is clothed in owner-driver sports saloon coachwork by the London-based firm of Thrupp & Maberly, a long-established coachbuilder that since the 1920s had specialised in bodying high quality chassis, mainly those of Daimler, Bentley and Rolls-Royce. Chassis number ‘WCH 21’ was sold new via dealer Geo. Heath Ltd, of Birmingham to Charles Wade & Co, also of Birmingham, for the use of Maurice Charles Wade, its managing director. In 1946 the car was sold by Jack Barclay Ltd to second owner Henry L Johnson, of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, managing director of Courtaulds Ltd. In October 1954 it was re-sold by Jack Barclay, this time to one H J Cuff, of Amersham, Bucks. Mr Cuff kept the car for the next 40-or-so years, selling it in 1995 to Roger Fry OBE, a resident of Portsmouth, Hampshire and Madrid, Spain. The present, American owner acquired the car from Mr Fry in 1999. Finished in black with tan leather interior, ‘WCH 21’ has been partially restored while in the care of the vendor, who advises us that it is in excellent mechanical condition, with generally good chassis (though in need of repainting), corrosion-free bodywork, excellent wings and supports, new forward wiring, re-plated brightwork, new carpets and re-Connollised original leather upholstery. Offered with the car is the original 1939 owner’s handbook complete with service annotations for the period 1947 to 1995 detailing items purchased, work completed, date, mileage and cost, a document that appears to verify the 96,000 recorded miles. Also included in the sale are invoices relating to present-ownership restoration work, current MoT certificate and Swansea V5 registration document.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
