Tom Jones
1927 Hooper Saloon GXL39
Dispatched from Derby to Hoopers on 13 December 1927. Finally tested at Hoopers on 13 February 1928. Guarantee effective from 23 July 1928. The car was sold via the Clyde Automobile Co Ltd to Bertram Parkinson of Creskeld Hall, Arthington, Yorks. Total price:
Chassis £1,022-4-3d
Coachwork £ 573-11-3d
TOTAL £1,596-3-6d
Bertram Parkinson and his wife Ethel Mary, already owned two sober-coloured Rolls-Royce cars which they used separately for business; they had two chauffeurs! They might have used GXL39 mainly for weekend trips with his family. The evidence for this is the raked steering typical of an owner-driver car, the jaunty colour scheme, and the apparent low total mileage of the car.
According to Rolls-Royce records, the car was sold to Mr H Bakes of Bradford on 13 July 1938 (the same year Ethel Mary died). Then to Mr J T N C Harris of Kidderminster on 21 January 1957 and to Mr P J Bloor of Hanley Stoke-on-Trent on 19 March. In 1971 the car was sold to Mr F Stevenson in Florida USA, where it had at least four owners, until repatriated to the UK in October 1988. While in Florida it probably did not participate in RROC events as there is no record of it in the RROC database. There is evidence that the engine suffered frost cracking, and the rear end was damaged (springs, rear shock absorbers and petrol tank all needed repairs after I bought it), but I don’t know whether all this damage was done in England or America.
It was re-imported in October 1988 and sold to Eric Simpson of Huddersfield who restored the exterior and interior coachwork. It then had several owners in quick succession. When we bought the car in 2000 it was a “good runner” but we prepared it for Continental touring (relined clutch plates and brakes, fitted up-to-date lighting, full-flow oil filter, overdrive etc). In 2016 we carried out minor repairs to the wood frame, and bare-metal resprayed the coachwork back to its original colour scheme of Rover-buff/black.
In August 2016 we drove up to Creskeld Hall where the original owner, Mr Bertram Parkinson, lived. Interestingly Mr Parkinson’s grandson John Stoddart-Scott still lives there. We also met John’s sister Carolyn. They copied a number of GXL39 invoices for me, but other information had been kept at Bertram's wool business in Bradford and disposed of.
In general GXL39 is a “matching number” vehicle (even the starting handle bears its original engine number) except for components which are normally replaced during servicing over the years eg dynamo and starter motor. It has a replacement aluminium head.
1927 Originally a Windovers Limousine GRJ24
GRJ24 was off test in July 1927 and then fitted with Windovers Limousine coachwork and shipped new to Australia where it was purchased by Roy Milne. This was very unusual because high import taxes were levied on complete cars, normally the chassis would be delivered to Australia and coachwork supplied locally. After several owners the car was rebodied in 1948 as a drophead coupe with vertical shutters. In 1957 the 1948 body was removed and replaced by an ex-Humber saloon - no photographs are available.
In 1975 the car was purchased apparently as a rolling chassis by Chris Broadbent of Newcastle, NSW. Chris completely overhauled the engine, transmission and chassis. Meanwhile he designed the current 4-seater coupe drophead tourer body which was manufactured by Chris & Peter Lamb in a small town, Molong, NSW. The frame was fabricated from aluminium esctions and the body panels made from aluminium and steel.
Winning Photo
In the November issue of S & S members were asked to submit a seasonal photo featuring club cars for a Christmas photo competition. The winner to receive a year's free membership. Tom Jones was the winner with his photo taken on 23rd September 2008 in Switzerland on the last Euro Rally to St Moritz. It was taken on the Julierpass just outside St Moritz on the way to Chur.
