• Make: Rolls Royce
• Model: 20hp Hooper Landaulette.
• Year: 1923
• Price: £74,500

1923 Rolls Royce 20HP Hooper Landaulette.

Chassis number 77A6
Engine Number G446
Registration number PD-7611

A magnificent & largely original car of museum quality.

Rarely do we find such cars coming to market. This 20hp has been under long term ownership & is in beautifully preserved condition. Coachwork is by Hooper in the form of a landaulette. Hooper produced quite a number of these on the 20hp chassis but few have survived original & untouched.

The leather hood to the rear is original & in beautifully supple condition having been regularly treated with neatsfoot oil to preserve its flexibility. 2 simple latches undo allowing the hood to fold back. The front of the car is in the "open drive" format, but does have efficacious side screens for use during inclement motoring.

Paintwork is extremely good & presents very,very well in burgundy & black. A side mounted spare sits on the running board & provision is made to carry an additional spare to the rear when not using the Orderlee motoring trunk that comes with the car. The original tool kit is present & correct sitting in one of the running boards. The car also boasts its jack, starting handle & the so often missing Lucas no6 oil can mounted in its correct place on the engine under tray.

The front seats are trimmed in black leather. The seat backs are original leather but the seat bases have been re-covered as they had simply got to the point of complete deterioration. A Boa constrictor horn is fitted to satisfy the herpetologists amongst us. Being an early car, the gear box is of course three speed, the lever being centrally mounted. Door cards are original black leather. The car is a rear wheel brake model but pulls up sharply with good levels of retardation.

The rear compartment is a pleasant place to be, trimmed in correct cloth to the rear bench & also to the two occasional fold out seats. A wealth of period features abound including a working Dictaphone speaking system, Ivory Door pulls, ashtrays, reading lamps etc etc. The sliding division also has a speaking porthole for issuing instructions to the driver.

The car comes with a thick history file including copious build records from Rolls-Royce & correspondence from Hooper themselves. The car's original handbook is kept by the grandson of the original owner, but we hope it may one day be reunited with the car.

The engine bay is beautifully clean & unmolested with the only concession to modernity being a new coil. The original comes with the car. The engine is silent from cold & is a paragon of sweetness. It starts readily "off the switch" indicating excellent compression. When driving the car proceeds in complete silence & one has to remind oneself that the engine is actually running whilst sitting at traffic lights. The car also runs well off the magneto when engaged. A Klaxon horn is fitted to the bulkhead. Leather Gaiters cover all 4 leaf springs. The car is fitted with bonnet locks to either side. (Not a standard fitment at the time.)

The car may be viewed by appointment near Kidderminster west of Birmingham. The owner is adamant about achieving asking price for the car & respectfully asks that people not inquire if they are unable to meet that understanding. Having spent time with the car I can assure you it is worth every penny!