1933 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Three-Position Drophead Coupé by Barker

GTZ 48roadUnited Kingdom

Engine: 3.7L OHV inline-six, dual-jet carburetor, 65 bhp
Colour: Black with red leather interior

Chassis GTZ 48 is a 1933 Rolls-Royce 20/25 HP fitted with a three-position drophead coupé body by Barker & Company, constructed specifically for display at the 1933 Paris Salon de l'Automobile. Among its bespoke features are angled louvres, special locks, and polished Staybrite hinge mouldings. Delivered new to Captain Purchas of Sussex, the car remained in the county for decades, later receiving a light restoration and a subsequent cosmetic repaint to original black by P&A Wood, while retaining its original red leather interior.

Ownership

—Auction sale
Sold €140,000 (≈ $154K)
RM Sotheby's catalogue lot →
1933 →Factory delivery
Captain Purchas of Sussex
partial documentation
First registered owner, took delivery following the 1933 Paris Salon where the car was exhibited on the Barker stand. Rolls-Royce service records exist through 1938 covering this period.
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
Jim Denne, West Hoathly Garage
partial documentation
Discovered the car still located in Sussex approximately 36 years before the catalogue date. A sympathetic restoration preserving original components was carried out around this time.
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
Unidentified owner, post-Denne period (1 of 3)
none documentation
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
Unidentified owner, post-Denne period (2 of 3)
none documentation
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
Unidentified owner, post-Denne period (3 of 3)
partial documentation
During one of these three subsequent custodianships, P&A Wood carried out a cosmetic restoration returning the car to its original black finish while retaining the original red leather cabin. Regular maintenance invoices from P&A Wood on file, including a late-2016 service.

Competition

No competition history extracted from the catalogue.

Maintenance & restoration

2016Service
P&A Wood
A thorough service completed towards the end of 2016, supported by an invoice held in the car's file.
Part of an ongoing programme of regular maintenance by P&A Wood, for which multiple invoices are documented.
—Restoration
West Hoathly Garage
A gentle, sympathetic restoration was undertaken with the aim of preserving as many original parts and features as possible; work was carried out shortly after the car was rediscovered in Sussex.
Initiated around the time Jim Denne acquired the car, approximately mid-1980s implied by the catalogue's 'approximately 36 years ago' reference.
—Bodywork
P&A Wood
Cosmetic restoration returning the exterior to the original black finish while preserving the original red leather interior throughout.

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