Lot #129 - 1931 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Tourer

VIN: GNS76 
Let us now praise the Rolls -Royce 20/25, the unassuming six-cylinder workhorse that kept Rolls -Royce solvent from 1929 to 1936, when the Great Depression took a dreadful toll on luxury auto makers across the globe. Think of all the magnificent automobiles we would never have enjoyed if the Hon. Charles Rolls and Sir Henry Royce had been forced out of business in the 30s!

But it would not happen — because of Royce’s amazing engineering abilities, and because of both partners’ insatiable desire to “take the best that exists and make it better.” Because of this, the 20/25 was conceived not as a lower-priced model to keep the company’s cash flow healthy but as simply the best six-cylinder car in the world.

Its success did much to establish the marque as a worldwide synonym for “the best.”

With engineering triumphs like crankshaft vibration damping and flexible engine suspension, the 20/25 was incredibly smooth and quiet compared with other cars of the era.  And the reliability was off the charts: There is a reason that the majority of the 20/25s made in the line’s seven-year span are still on the road nearly a century later.

This magnificent four-door convertible shows that for Rolls-Royce, “entry level” still came with an amazing standard of luxury. 

Owning a prewar Rolls is an experience that would thrill every car collector, even though only a relative few actually get to enjoy the privilege. Here is a ticket to that exclusive club — an investment opportunity you will only regret if you do not avail yourself of the pleasure.