Patrick Clancy
1927 Park Ward four seat Landaulette with Weymann body GXL27
Chassis GXL 27 was completed in December 1927 and despatched to Park Ward for a full four-seat landaulette Weymann body. It was first registered to Dr Hughes of York and received the registration number VY 222. GXL 27 is unusual in that it had been ordered with an owner/driver body, the intrepid Dr Hughes obviously being a man who liked to drive rather than be driven. For this reason he had specified an unusually capacious and well-trimmed driver’s compartment; most Rolls-Royce motor cars of this period having a very cramped and spartan cockpit where the lowly chauffeur was expected to get on with the laborious business of driving while Lord and Lady lounged in splendour in the back.
Dr Hughes, who was Consulting Surgeon at York County Hospital, kept the car until 1939 when it was sold to Percy Adams. After 18 months he in turn sold GXL 27 to Shane Chichester and then Major Sir Gerald Burrard DSO.
After the Second World War, GXL 27 was re-registered as LPK 250 in Surrey and was exported to the US, around 1960, where it was in use until the 1970s. It then appears to have been put into storage in Arizona until 2011 at which point it was discovered by the Real Car Company.
Initially the car looked in rather terrible condition as the fabric had hardened and split in the Arizona heat and the wiring had suffered. On closer inspection though, GXL 27 was found to be almost complete, with only some door hardware missing. It was purchased by a restorer with over 40 years experience, who was immediately attracted to the car because of its remarkable originality.
Because the car was so well-preserved, the purchaser went to great lengths to retain as much originality as possible, restoring and reviving original materials and components wherever he could. All the wiring was replaced and the switches, lights, lamps and magneto restored. A complete new exhaust was fitted and the original registration number retrieved. However the folding hood and mechanism remained unrestored.
It was then sold by Brightwells around 2015 when Patrick joined the RREC.
The car is now owned by Patrick Clancy, who has had the hood, engine and other mechanicals completely overhauled by a restorer based in Cornwall.
