Vintage Rolls Royce Memories

[neutral 3]

My Late Father died I'n Sept 1975 aged just 41 , but he was Shall we say One Of Lifes Characters..., And A big Petrol Head . he was fortuneate to Own Some Of " Our Sort Of Cars " Inc a New Healey 3000 MK3 I'n Aug 1964 , ( FVX 803B where are You Now ) 3 E Types , a 67/ 68 Silver Camero Convert , A 70 Hemi Challenger ( What A Beast ) and his last a Stunning 68 Ghibli .

But I'n 1970 Ish , whilst deer stalking I'n Scotland , he stumbled across FG 8484 A Totally Original Rolls Royce 20-25 Sports Saloon, bodied I beleive by Hooper and Finished in a Lovely Light Apple Green and Owned by Just 1 Lady Owner from New , he managed to buy her .

I well remember being taken to junior school I'n her , but 1 Memory will never , Ever fade...,..One Hot Summer Sunday , we took her ( by then 36 Years Old ) All The Way to Bedford Gun Club ( My Dad Was A Very Good Shot and a Gun and Antique Dealer ) . The traffic Was Very heavy on that Very hot day and Lots of moderns had boiled over and were parked up Inc the New Ventora I'n front of us , ,and some 10 miles from Bedford we were stuck I'n a very long traffic jam But that Rolls Just took it all I'n her Stride...
Suddenly a Traffic Warden , Jobsworth type apeared , he tapped on the drivers side window of the Rolls and said " Ere , You Had Better Get This Old Heap Off Of The Road , before it Boils Over / Breaks Down !! My Dad wound down the window and said in his Finest Sloan Accent...My Good Man, This Is A Rolls Royce.... They Don't Break Down " !! And Promptly wound the window up .
And She Didn't ... What A Car She was , I Often wonder where she is now .

Often wonder where she is Now !!

[RichB]

lovely story and a great way to remember your dad. made me chuckle when you said "she was 36 years old". I've taken my Aston to Le Mans a few times and we all know what the traffic queues and heat are like there and she's 54 Somehow puts it into context.

[neutral 3]

Thanks RichB..., I still Miss My Dad more Than I could Ever put Into Any Words... I Well remember him saying that His Healey 3000 Would One day be a Collectors Piece ....

And yes by 1970, that Lovely Old Apple Green Rolls 20/ 25 was seen as from "Another Age " / Old Banger / Bye Gone Era And Incredibly Dated etc etc , but now she's what 78 ? If my Apaling Maths is correct ?

Must try to find out where she is now . I contacted the RREC many years ago and the Last Sighting of her was on the Queens Jubilee Parade I'n 1977 !!

What's the History of your Aston ?

[roscobbc]

I too lost my father in 1969 when he was 48 - his health had been poor and wasn't allowed to drive, we had owned a mid '50s Hillman Californian which was used for Sunday drive-outs (my mother drove it). Father was a engineer so loved all things to do with cars, especially well engineered and innovitive designs. He would have loved to have shared my fun with 'older' cars like big Fords, Vauxhalls, Daimlers and latterly American cars. My son has followed in the same vein and currently has a '62 TBird. My late father-in Law has a late Shadow 1 back in the mid/late '80s. Not the same I know as a pre war car but a quality drive non the less. I did a lot of the day to day maintenance on the car and usually drove us all around. Rolls Royces don't break down, hmmmm, I did manage to brake a half shaft with some aggressive driving! - overheating, hmmmmm well perhaps not, but it did suffer badly from'heat soak' and fuel percolcolation on very hot days! -

[williamp]

Lovely story. But, alas neither the Healey nor the Rolls are listed on the askmid database as being insured

[guru_1071]

roscobbc said:

it did suffer badly from'heat soak' and fuel percolcolation on very hot days! -

thats what the bakalite cover for the fuse box is for, simply unclip it from the fuse box, fill it with petrol and use it as a funnel to re-prime the auto-vac system.

sorted!

[roscobbc]

guru_1071 said:

thats what the bakalite cover for the fuse box is for, simply unclip it from the fuse box, fill it with petrol and use it as a funnel to re-prime the auto-vac system.

sorted!

Sorry - far, far later car (no AutoVac) !

[neutral 3]

Re that Old Rolls , i have Just remembered that when we eventually arrived at Bedford Gun Club and parked her up , we were aproached by 2 guys , one of whom was a huge Vintage car fan and mechanic. He insisted on giving her a good look over and spent the rest of the day working on her and sorting various things , which my then 9 year old brain couldn't understand, but possibly the brakes etc etc .
He wouldn't accept any payment , but he obviously thoroughly enjoyed working on her .Who ever he was , a big thank you .

My dad moved his Rolls on shortly after , to a local trader I beleive, who imeadiately repainted her an Awfull dark green . My dad was apaled by this .

My mother has photos of that Rolls and if I can persuade her to get up I'n her loft , will post on here sometime .