Beschrijving
SALE AGREED
A very smart, sound and slightly out of the ordinary car, traditional in design but having been specified with all bright work in brass, rather than the usual nickel plated finish, as well as two ‘porthole’ rear windows with internal shutters - very unusual, and (also very seldom seen) a full, cloth covered, rigid blind behind the division glass, operated by a crank handle. Externally, Barker dipping headlights and a Brooks rear-mounted trunk are noteworthy features. Inside and out, the car is sharp, clean and extremely smart, with excellent, high quality paintwork, cheerfully finished in yellow and black, enhanced by the polished brass, with excellent interior, black to the front and spotless, well executed light grey cloth to the rear, including the fold out occasional seats. Mechanically, the car is excellent too, running sweetly and driving really well. Lovely!
Chassis No. GKM81 Reg No. XV 8026
Snippets – Francis “Frank” William Green – The Magpie
Lt Col F. W Green (1861/ 1954) was the grandson of Edward Green, an industrialist & politician who during the industrial revolution had invented a fuel economiser which made the family their fortune. Frank Green remained a bachelor although there were rumours of liaisons with Lady Diana Manners & the actress Ellen Terry! He travelled throughout Europe in his Rolls-Royce collecting artworks & furniture. His other time consuming hobby was the restoration of several important English houses – St. Williams College & Treasurer’s House both in York & Ashwick House in Somerset. Frank had purchased Treasurer’s House in 1897 – built in the 11th Century, destroyed by fire in 1137, rebuilt in the 1300s & again in the 1600s by the Young family – he designed each room to suit a particular period & filled it with the appropriate furniture which he had amassed from his trips throughout Europe. Visitors to Treasurer’s Court & Ashwick House included Royalty & their paramour, namely Edward the Prince of Wales & Lillie Langtry. In 1930 Frank donated Treasurer’s House & its entire contents to the National Trust and moved to Ashwick House, Dulverton (built c. 1905 for H. Mardon) which he had purchased in 1928. It is said that when Frank Green left York he gave his Rolls-Royce to his chauffeur Mr Harvey who used it as the first taxicab in York – but which car this is we are not sure as the chassis cards show that GKM81 went to Ashwick House with Frank Green where it remained until his death in 1954 when the car was auctioned by Frank’s estate & purchased by a Mr. Tooze.
