1930 Rolls-Royce 20/25HP Shooting Brake

The chassis had initially been purchased as a demonstrator by Rippon Brothers Ltd, St Johns Road, Hudersfield, Yorkshire, England. It was sold to its first owner, Mr. Frank Broadhead, Esq. Doe Royd, Almondbury, managing director of Kirkheaton Mills in Huddersfield, on May 23rd 1930.

At the time of delivery, the car was a Rippon-bodied, all-window limousine on a "long type chassis". The only known picture of the car with this body was taken on March 11, 1932 when it was being used to chauffer the future King George VI, then the Duke of York, during a state visit to the Mills.

At the start of World War II, Mr. Broadhead turned the limousine over to the British government to be used for the war effort. It was quickly converted into an ambulance by removing the limousine body from the rear half of the car, substituting it with a huge cube-shaped, dull brown-colored metal box. During the war, the ambulance's principal purpose was to transport sick and wounded troops who had been evacuated back to England for treatment.

After the war, the ambulance was converted into a high-end delivery van for the mill. The current owners have a picture postcard that seems to show the GSR4 leaving Buckingham Palace after making a delivery there.

Mr. LaViale brought it to the U.S. aboard the Cunard Line's "SS Scythia," arriving in New York on April 30, 1966. He would retain the car until 1972, when it was purchased by Robert T. Sessions, MD of Marietta, GA.

A few years after purchasing the car, Dr. Sessions discovered a leak in the radiator. What he thought would be a quick repair became the start of a complete restoration that took the next 21 years and became a family affair. Dr. Sessions' wife, all four of their children and, later, most of their grandchildren contributed a lot of time to working on the car.

The project was declared complete in 2003 when Dr. Sessions and his son Rob ceremoniously re-installed the final piece of hardware and the entire family traveled to Newport, RI to exhibit the Shooting Brake at an annual RROC meeting being held there. At that meet, the car won the Guerrero Award for best personal restoration.

Descriptions & pictures by bonhams & hymanltd