One of the most significant early motor cars in existence is returning to British roads this autumn when the world's oldest known surviving Rolls-Royce takes part in the RM Sotheby's London to Brighton Veteran Car Run on Sunday 1 November.
Before tackling the famous 60-mile route from London to Brighton, the remarkable 1904 Rolls-Royce will make its first public appearance back on home soil at the St James's Motoring Spectacle on Pall Mall on Saturday 31 October.
Chassis 20154 is the oldest known surviving Rolls-Royce and one of the most historically important cars in the marque's remarkable story. It has previously participated in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, but not for many decades, making its return this year particularly special following a painstaking three-year restoration that has returned the car to its original specification, body configuration and primrose yellow colour.
The result is a spectacular revival of a car dating back to the very earliest days of Rolls-Royce - and one that has already received international recognition following its recent debut at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California, where it won top honours in its 'Antique' class.
Following that triumph, the car is now coming home for its first public appearance in Britain since its restoration, giving enthusiasts a unique opportunity to see one of the earliest and most important Rolls-Royces in existence in all its restored glory.
Its appearance at the St James's Motoring Spectacle on Pall Mall will provide a spectacular introduction to the weekend. Set against one of London's most iconic streets, the car will form part of a remarkable display of more than 80 exceptional pre-1905 vehicles before heading south the following morning for the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.
For the Royal Automobile Club, organisers of both events, its participation provides a unique opportunity to celebrate the origins of one of Britain's greatest automotive marques.
"Chassis 20154 is an extraordinarily important car and we are delighted that it is returning to both Pall Mall and the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run this year,” said Royal Automobile Club Chairman Duncan Wiltshire. "It is the oldest known surviving Rolls-Royce and, crucially, the only known pre-1905 Rolls-Royce eligible to take part in the Run. That makes its return particularly significant, because the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is all about celebrating the pioneering cars and people that established the foundations of motoring. To have a car from the very first chapter of the Rolls-Royce story taking part is something truly special.”
Built in November 1904, chassis 20154 occupies a unique place in Rolls-Royce history. It was the fourth of just 17 ground-breaking Type A 10hp models to carry the Rolls-Royce name and emerged from the pioneering partnership between innovative engineer Frederick Henry (later Sir Henry) Royce and notable marketeer The Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls, whose first meeting took place at Manchester's Midland Hotel on 4 May 1904.
Just months later, the two men would formally unveil the Rolls-Royce marque, setting in motion the creation of a company whose cars would become synonymous with engineering excellence and luxury throughout the world.
To showcase Rolls' outstanding engineering prowess, 20154 was developed as a show car. It was fitted with elegant Park Phaeton coachwork by Barker, incorporating an occasional rear seat, and was the third car to feature the new Rolls-Royce radiator and the fourth to carry the Rolls-Royce name.
Its first major assignment was an international debut at the Salon de l'Automobile in Paris, held from 9 to 25 December 1904. The French were suitably impressed, presenting Rolls with a special medal which today resides with his other driving awards in the Monmouth Museum.
More than 120 years later, chassis 20154 remains a remarkable link to that formative period. Its survival is extraordinary in itself; its recent restoration has made it even more remarkable.
Terry Bramall acquired the milestone car little more than three years ago and, it is under his loving ownership, the Edwardian icon has been meticulously returned not only to its original specification and colour but also to its original body configuration and M 612 Manchester registration plate. Thus 20154 can be savoured today as closely as possible to how it would have appeared when new more than a century ago.
Its success at Pebble Beach provided an international seal of approval for the restoration, with the car winning its class at one of the world's most prestigious concours events.
"I thought, let's do it just as it came out of the Cooke Street factory in Manchester,” explained Bramall. "The time spent on research was extensive and it really is as near as we could get in terms of every detail. It's been a real thrill and the result is very pleasing.
"The chance of having the oldest Rolls-Royce in the world quite overtook me,” he admitted. "I have three Silver Ghosts and also a modern Rolls-Royce, and my father always had Bentleys at the time when the two companies were aligned, so I've always been a fan. When the opportunity came, I couldn't believe it. I felt such a privilege to be the owner of such a special vehicle.”
The St James's Motoring Spectacle will bring more than 150 exceptional cars of all ages to Pall Mall on Saturday 31 October, with the free-to-attend event in Central London expected to attract more than 12,000 spectators.
The following morning, the Rolls-Royce will join hundreds of other pioneering veteran vehicles for the RM Sotheby's London to Brighton Veteran Car Run - the world's longest-running motoring event which this autumn marks the 140th anniversary of the birth of the motorcar.
The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run celebrates the dawn of motoring and the historic abolition of the 4mph speed limit imposed by Britain's infamous Locomotives on Highways Act. The first Run took place in 1896 and has become an annual celebration of the trail-blazing motorists and machines that established the foundations of the modern motor car.
Chassis 20154 is very much part of that story.
Its appearance at the St James's Motoring Spectacle and RM Sotheby's London to Brighton Veteran Car Run promises to be one of the highlights of this year's events - and a rare opportunity for the world to see a genuine piece of Rolls-Royce history not simply on display, but in action.
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