1931 Rolls-Royce 20/25hp Sedanca de Ville,Coachwork by Park Ward & CoRegistration Number: LGY

1931 Rolls-Royce 20/25hp Sedanca de Ville, Coachwork by Park Ward & Co Registration Number: LGY 665 Chassis Number: GFT 72 Engine Number: S7QLaunched in 1929, the manageable Rolls-Royce 20/25hp model quickly drew praise from the contemporary press, Autocar noting that it had 'great refinement of power, anda gentleness and quietness in doing its work, which makes results deceptive'.This example, with highly desirable Sedanca de Ville coachwork by Park Ward, was commissioned by Sir Stratti Ralli, of Upper Brook Street W1 for his wife, Lady Ralli. With the chassis tested by the factory in early November 1931, the handsome coachwork was completed by Park Ward and the Rolls-Royce was registered on New Year's Eve, 1931.Sedanca de Ville coachwork, with its 'open or closed' driver compartment, is regarded as one of the most desirable styles of bodywork in today's market and in period it was extremely costly.An extremely rare car, it is one of just twelve cars built by Park Ward in the Sedanca style and, apparently, the only example built without a boot to upset the line of the car's ‘D' back, whilst still carrying a spare wheel and luggage grid.Finished to a very high standard, in blue over black with a black fabric roof covering, thecar appears to have been the subject of a quality restoration in the past and much recent substantial maintenance and improvement.The chauffeur compartment is trimmed superbly in black hide and the rear compartment in pale grey leather with interlocking 'RR' logos on the door trims and a complementing light grey wool carpet. The walnut door cappings feature light wood inlay and are in excellent order, and vanity mirrors are placed for the convenience of passengers. The driver and passengers are separated by a wind-up glass division. The roof section over the chauffeur operates with a simple, but very effective, mechanism and stows neatly into the fixed roof section. Twin side-mounted spare wheels are now carried and the original rear-mounted luggage rack is retained. Quality Lucas Bi-Flex headlights feature.With just over £17,000 spent on the car in 2016 with highly-regarded specialist, Jonathan Wood, Clockhouse Workshop, Little Sampford, Essex, paperwork with the car includes the current V5C Registration Document, an old buff RF60 Registration Book, copies of the Rolls-Royce build cards and a good quantity of other bills and correspondence. The car is taxed to 1 July 2017 and is, of course, MoT-exempt.It is worth noting that the car also features in 'Those Elegant Rolls-Royce' by Lawrence Dalton.