Description
Rolls-Royce 20/ 25 Estate Car – 1934 –
Chassis GLG1
Some automobiles travel through the century in a straight line.
This one preferred the detours—and that’s precisely what gives it its charm.
Delivered in 1934 on a Rolls-Royce 20/ 25 chassis, the car originally received a Landaulette coachwork by Maythorne, based in Biggleswade in Bedfordshire: classic closed-front driving with a section that opens up at the rear for passengers.
A typical specification for the maîtres of the interwar years.
Then comes the war—and with it a need for useful cars rather than ceremonial ones.
In the aftermath of the conflict, the 20/ 25 is converted into an Estate Car—what the French call a chasse break.
The conversion is said to have been carried out by a farmer: when the car is rediscovered decades later, the interior still bears the marks of sheep transport.
A Rolls-Royce repurposed as farm transport—anecdote enough to raise a smile among the Derby gentlemen, yet it perfectly captures post-war England.
Despite this rustic second life, the essentials survived: the glazed partition between driver and passengers, as well as the fold-out strap seats, were still in place.
In 1989, the car is bought back by its current owner in a state of considerable wear.
This is followed by a complete restoration carried out in England and finished in 1992, covering the chassis, engine, coachwork and interior.
The car then finds its original burgundy-and-black livery again, with matching leather upholstery.
Since then, it has enjoyed a deliberately selected existence: weddings and major occasions on behalf of a restaurant in Sweden, where it was registered (PAH 414).
The bodywork today shows an attractive patina of use, while the mechanicals run with the consistency you’d expect from a well-maintained Rolls-Royce six-cylinder.
Notable points: an exceptionally rare Estate configuration on a 20/ 25 base, five strap seats and four permanent seats, and the original glazed separation that remains fully functional.
A collector’s car able to seat nine people—how many can claim the same?
