1906 Rolls-Royce Light 20hp

The early history of Rolls-Royce is well recorded elsewhere, particularly in Bryan Goodman and John Fasal's standard work, The Edwardian Rolls-Royce, and in C.W. Morton's A History of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Volume One 1903-1907. To repeat it here would be to deprive the reader of the pleasure of those worthy tomes. Suffice it to say that although the 'Silver Ghost' was to steal the show from 1906 onwards, perhaps the most fascinating era of the company's history lay in its early years as the fertile engineer's brain of Royce and the rather flash salesman's/gentleman adventurer's attitude of Rolls were applied to their new joint venture. What other company in so short a time offered twin, three, four and six cylinder cars of such diversity and capped all that with the extraordinary V8 'Legalimit'. It is thought that just nineteen examples of the Light 20hp model were built, this model adopting a shorter wheelbase than the standard model and all importantly a four speed gearbox with direct drive on third and overdrive top gear. This proved invaluable in the Tourist Trophy Races where Rolls was to excel in 1906. Distinguished owners/drivers of the Light 20hp included Percy Northey, C.S.Rolls himself and Lord Montagu of Beaulieu. The Light 20 was arguably the company's finest model before the emergence of the one-model policy with the 40/50hp 'Silver Ghost'.

Light 20hp, Car no. 40520, has a continuous history and is certainly one of an elite and exceptionally small group of pre-'Silver Ghost' era Rolls-Royce motor cars surviving. Its history begins on 7th November 1905 when factory records show that a £50 deposit was paid. The Company's Order No. was 444 and it appears that the new car was destined for Midland Counties Motor Garage of Alfred Place, Granby Street, Leicester, believed to have been Rolls-Royce agents at the time. Rolls-Royce's favoured coachbuilders, Barker& Co. Ltd. of South Audley Street were commissioned to erect the coachwork, the style ordered being a Roi des Belge (sic). The order was dated 25th October 1905 and numbered 189. On 26th March 1906 the complete chassis was delivered to the coachbuilders and the chosen colour was specified as Rolls-Royce green – 'the same as the six-cylinder Trials Car'. The finished car was delivered to 14 & 15 Conduit Street, London, on 3rd May 1906, the total manufacturing cost amounting at that stage to £518-6s-11d, including coachwork, paint and trim which amounted to £103-10s-0d. The finished car was invoiced at £665 Nett. Its precise movements from Midland Counties are not recorded – perhaps it was retained by them as a demonstrator – (curiously the factory guarantee book lists the body as being a tourer by W.H. Johnson of Kings Lynn) - however on 24th June 1907 40520 was registered AF 274 with Cornwall County Council, its recorded owner being Charles Williams of Caerhays Castle, near St.Austell. It is thought that this car remained in the ownership of Charles Williams for some years – perhaps it was relegated to the back of the motor house when Williams' father acquired a 40/50hp Silver Ghost on 31st March 1909. Cornish registration records show that this car was transferred into the ownership of County Coach and Motor Works on 22nd October 1912. This company operated from Lemon Quay, Truro, and was headed we believe by one J.Sherman.

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