Rolls-Royce, 1927, 20 Hp

Rolls-Royce “20 hp”, Hooper & Co ltd, 1927

This is a beautiful and very rare 1927 Rolls Royce 20 HP. This marvellous vehicle made its debut in January 1927 when it was bought by Captain Thorpe for 1100 pounds!
A real fortune in those days, especially since that was only for the chassis! The cars were, in fact, bought by the manufacturer as bare frames which were then “dressed” by the various bodyworkers according to their personal tastes.
This 4-seater torpedo vehicle was fitted out by Hooper & Co Ltd, who, as the plates on the opened doors on each side show, were the official suppliers of His Majesty the King, the Queen and the Prince of Wales.
The front seats are adjustable, the dashboard is made of mahogany.
The glass fitted to protect the passengers in the two back seats was specifically requested by the owner as an optional for the modest sum of 10 pounds. At the time, the annual wage of an ordinary worker was only about 30 pounds.
The two Rs of the brand are still red. In 1933 they will turn black: some say as a sign of mourning for Henry Royce, founder of the company (together with Charles Rolls), who died that same year; some other say it was because the color black could match body colors more easily.