Rolls-Royce 25/30 Sedanca de Ville – 1937

This magnificent and rare car, by Gurney Nutting chassis N° GXM25 believe to be one of two such cars produced on the 25/30 chassis, is therefore light and extremely manoeuvrable with responsive
acceleration and firm but supple suspension. This fabulous car is without any doubt the best driving pre-war Rolls Royce.
The rolling chassis with no GXM25 and 4250 cc engine, 6 cylinder in line, gearbox was driving out of the Rolls Royce factory July 4, 1936, and delivered to the renowned coachbuilder Gurney Nutting to be delivered on 5-9-1937.
All documents from that date as the guarantee, interviews, original first invoices from Rolls Royce London were carefully guarded.
The car comes to us with a large history file is featured in the book: “Those Elegant Rolls Royce, with a picture of the car and his chassis number. It also has an original hand book and all the original tools and details.
The details of the Gurney Nutting builder are marvelous. Look at one of the last photo’s, you see the automatic mechanical sunscreen for the rear screen, 1 push open, 1 push close. Also the canvas top has superb technical details.
The car has been in long term ownership and during that time has benefited from numerous works to keep the car in tip top condition. Only three owners are known. Although the owner before who
has maintained and garaged this rare Rolls Royce in Kent as part of a collection of 20 or so other Rolls Royce, the actual owner further refined the car to the perfection.
Exterior paint is deep blue over black is in excellent condition. The Sedanca canvas top is also perfect, unfurls from a hidden compartment in the front of the roof. The car has twin side mounts
fitted, a pair of trumpet horns to the front.
The interior is grey leather piped in blue. It has some minor patination but is in excellent all-around condition. The rear compartment has one occasional seat folding from the bulkhead. to the opposite
side is a fold out footrest. Between the two is a small cocktail cabinet with twin glasses, a decanter.
Twin vanity alcoves are mounted with recessed mirrors reading lights. All interior woodwork is in fine order. All the original tools are available.
The engine bay is detailed, in show condition. The car starts instantly and runs silently. All large tools are in their appointed places. The original bakelite coil covers are also correctly mounted. The car I
must stress is mechanically superb ready for the seasons motoring. The actual owner made 8000 miles in the last year without one problem. The radiator shutters still operate perfectly through a
thermostat and the car has also new tires and a new overdrive who allowed to cruise at 110 or 120km/hour. Owner spend 54000 euro’s on the car the last years and in total 175000 euro.

The Rolls-Royce 25/30, built between 1936 and 1938, is an updated version of the 20/25 featuring a larger engine than had been fitted to the earlier model which provided more power to compensate for the over-size bodies being built. The in-line six cylinder, overhead valve, engine was similar to that used in the 20/25 but increased in capacity to 4,257cc. A single proprietary Stromberg downdraught carburettor replaced the Rolls-Royce one and magneto ignition was no longer fitted but a spare ignition coil was provided. The riveted chassis had rigid front and rear axles suspended by half elliptic springs with hydraulic dampers. Braking was on all four wheels assisted by a mechanical servo with separate rear brakes fitted for the handbrake. Also fitted was the traditional Rolls-Royce radiator with vertical louvres, the angle of which was controlled thermostatically to control engine cooling. Only the chassis and mechanical parts were made by Rolls-Royce. The body was then made and fitted by a coachbuilder selected by the owner.
In the early 1930s, all luxury marques were delivered as rolling chassis to one of many marque-approved coachbuilders for completion.
This example, chassis ‘GXM25’, was bodied by Gurney Nutting in the Sedance De Ville design. The rolling chassis ‘GXM25’ and the 4250cc engine were driven out of the Rolls-Royce factory on July 4th, 1936 and handed to famed coachbuilder Gurney Nutting to be delivered on 5-9-1937.
The Rolls-Royce is believed to have only three previous custodians, one of which owned the car as part of a Rolls-Royce collection in Kent, which twenty or so other examples from the marque.
Finished in deep blue over black, with grey leather interior piped in blue, this example has the wonderful Sedanca canvas top, unfurling from the hidden compartment in the front of the roof. The rear compartment has one occasional seat folding from the bulkhead, on the opposite side is a fold out footrest. Between the two is a small cocktail cabinet with twin glasses and a decanter. Twin vanity alcoves are mounted with recessed mirrors reading lights. All interior woodwork is in fine order.
Acceleration is said to be responsive, with the car feeling light and extremely manoeuvrable with firm but supple suspension.
All tools are in their appointed place and the original Bakelite coil covers are also correctly mounted. The car comes to us with a large history file, tools and original hand book.