1925 Rolls-Royce 20 HP Salamanca

The Rolls-Royce Twenty was the company's answer to those seeking a model that could meet requests for a smaller, less expensive car. They were arguably the company's first car to leave the legacy of the Edwardian age behind. Power came from a 3127cc overhead valve inline six-cylinder engine and the gear selector and brake moved inside the body where it was both more convenience and didn't require reaching outside into the rain and wind. The overhead valve engine was a first for Rolls-Royce and mated to a three-speed transmission with central gear-change. The transmission was not well liked and when four-wheel, servo-assisted brakes were introduced in 1925, a four-speed gearbox with right-hand, gated change replaced served as its replacement.

With a 129-inch wheelbase, the Model Twenty was a foot shorter than the contemporary Silver Ghost. The single ignition with coil and distributor increased reliability of the components and saved the company money.

At introduction, the chassis price was £1,100 which was far less than the £1,850 cost of a Silver Ghost. Built to the same high standards as the big 40/50 hp cars, they had a similar parallel girder frame with tubular cross-members and full-floating rear axle (albeit a bit smaller and lighter). The suspension was different for Rolls-Royce and employed semi-elliptic leaf springs in both the front and rear.

Carrosserie Kellner & Cie was established by George Kellner in 1861. They began building custom bodywork on automobiles as early as 1903 and quickly earned a reputation for their work. They built bodies for such marques as Hispano-Suiza, Kellner and even bodied one of the legendary Bugatti Type 41 'Royales.'

This particular Rolls-Royce wears a Salamanca body built by Kellner. It was delivered to a Mr. Emerson of the United States. Mr. Emerson is believed to have been Captain Isaac Edward Emerson who lived in Baltimore, Maryland. He made his fortune as the inventor of the Bromo-Seltzer and is said to have purchased this car directly from the stand at the Paris Salon.

The Rolls-Royce spent some years in the ownership of Rodney R. Heckman, Jr. of Chase & Heckman, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and more recently belonged to a member of the Kellner family, who showed the car at the 1996 Louis Vuitton Concours d'Elegance at the Rockefeller Center, New York. The car subsequently joined the private collection of Sam Garrett in Pebble Beach, California.

The car is equipped with Bausch & Lomb lamps and remains in good running order.
In 2012, the car was offered for sale at the Quail Lodge Sale in Carmel, CA presented by Bonhams Auction. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $ 74,750, including buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2012