This car is the only Rolls-Royce 25/30 produced with a saloon body by the renowned British coachbuilders, Lancefield. Many saloon bodies on the 25/30 were of rather awkward proportions, as coachbuilders were unused to working on such a short chassis; Lancefield, however, succeeded in producing a beautiful little four-door car, with a well-shaped roofline and fenders. Specifications included a sliding “sunshine roof”; a single side-mounted spare, for use “mainly touring” in the UK and on the European continent; as well as built-in jacks in both the front and rear.

The car was originally delivered to Daimler Hire Ltd., a high-end rental firm in London. By the early post-war era it had moved to the U.S., where its owners included Sterling Cook of Oxford, Ohio, and Glenn Grismere. Its present restoration was completed in the early 1990s and is overall well preserved, with an elegant Brooklands Green finish with correctly applied pinstriping, properly fitted leather upholstery, and interior woodwork of a period-correct finish, not too shiny as is often seen on today’s restorations.

Equipment includes a Lucas metal visor and P100 headlamps, dual driving lights and side lights, and wonderful Art Deco interior fixtures, including the correct original smoker’s companions in the rear. The taillamps are a 1950s installation to comply with the MOT rules of the time. Overall presentation is very good, with only minor wear as would be found on an automobile that has, indeed, been driven and enjoyed by its owners.

Accompanied by copies of its build records, complete sets of road and hand tools, and a detailed historical and condition report from noted Rolls-Royce historian Diane Brandon, this is an unusually handsome little 25/30 – a charming and loveable addition to any stable of pre-war British cars.