Chassis No.
WXA 90
| London, United Kingdom
1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith Drophead Coupé
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£120,750 GBP | Sold
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- Rebodied as a Drophead Coupé by Rod Jolley Coachbuilding; first configured as an Enclosed Limousine by Windovers Ltd
- Finished in an elegant navy blue over navy leather, with a black soft-top
- Retains its matching numbers 4.2-litre straight-six engine
- Accompanied by copies of its original build sheet, invoice, and test records
Addendum
Please note this car is offered without registration papers, bidders should satisfy themselves as to registration requirements in their own jurisdiction.
Please note this lot has entered the UK on a temporary import bond, which must be cancelled either by exporting the lot outside of the UK on an approved Bill of Lading with supporting customs documentation or by paying the applicable VAT and import duties to have the lot remain in the UK.
Replacing the 25/30 in 1938, the Rolls-Royce Wraith would become one of the prestigious marque’s rarest models due to the outbreak of war and production shifting to military manufacturing. Powered by a 4,257 cc straight-six engine, the Wraith was supplied to coachbuilders with a four-speed synchromesh gearbox (save for first gear) and a 136-inch wheelbase chassis. Just 491 chassis were supplied from 1938 to 1939, with 26 destined for Windovers Ltd of Hendon, London, half of which—including chassis WXA 90—were clothed in seven-seat limousine coachwork.
Ordered on 2 August 1938, Mr. J. H. Balfour of Harlow, Essex requested that his Rolls-Royce be delivered as swiftly as possible. A partner at Balfour & Co stock brokers, in 1934 John Balfour inherited his Scottish family’s estate, including Balfour Castle in the Orkney Islands following his father’s death. Preferring city life, he chose to reside in Harlow, Essex and continued to run his father’s business, having placed the castle in trust. For travel from Harlow to London, Balfour’s Windovers-bodied Wraith Enclosed Limousine seemed very fitting.
The rolling chassis left the Rolls-Royce factory on 11 November 1938, with completion of the body and final inspection carried out just in time for Christmas. Balfour had chassis WXA 90 registered on 22 December. By October 1947, Balfour had moved to Dawlish in Devon following his retirement.
The following year, on 9 April, chassis WXA 90 was sold to Colonel R. Rodgers of Copthall Avenue, London. On 1 February 1951 the Wraith was acquired by its third owner, Baronet of Thimblebly Hall, Sir Richard Barwick. The Rolls-Royce eventually entered current ownership in the mid-1990s, before being carefully rebodied in a more sporting Drophead Coupé style by Rod Jolley Coachbuilding. The car was later exported to Ireland, where it was used as a courtesy car for musicians and celebrities at the 3Arena in Dublin.
Today, chassis WXW 90 retains its matching-numbers engine, while its elegant coachwork sports navy blue paintwork with matching leather upholstery and a contrasting black soft-top. Beautifully presented, having been the recipient of much expenditure in current ownership, this glamorous Rolls-Royce is ready to be enjoyed by its next custodian.
