An old roller

Last weekend a friend of mine and I visited a local car workshop where the owner builds classic Jaguar cars to order for anyone with about £40,000 to blow. There were some very beautiful looking machines there, my spider looked rather self-conscious.

There was also a 1936 Rolls Royce which somebody had brought along for the day and I thought it looked very similar to my memory of Grandpa's old roller that we used to play in at the Oast House. I took a photo of it which is attached. Does it ring a bell with any of you?

Later:  Dad reckons the number plate of Grandpa's roller was DLW 656 which they remembered because of the useful acronym Dawes Loses Weight.....However he also thinks tha the coachwork would have been done by Jack Barclay rather than Park Shaw.

Trev reckons the model of car is the same, so my conclusion is that the rolls royce I saw the other day probably was the same model as Grandpa's. How interesting for me!!
Click read more for fascinating comment posted five years later

Hi!
My name is Pipo Aymamí from Barcelona, Spain. I'm trying to be a rolls royce historicist for a long time now.

The car you've spotted here is a model called 25-30hp with chassis number GWN23 and bodied by PARK WARD. All RR cars before WWII were bodies by different coachbuilders, PARK WARD was one of them.

I've come across your blog because I'm searching pictures of your GranPa's car. You say his registration was DLW656 isn't it?

OK: this registration belongs to a bigger and best model a Phantom III which is the best RR done before the war.
So your Grandpa's car was a Phantom III with chassis number 3AX61 bodied by BARKER sedanca de ville styled (brougham de ville in america). Yes, the records shows that it was delivered to Mr. J.H. Keeling in February 1937.

I have a rather poor picture but I would send it to you if you want

Kind regards

Pipo Aymamí

Posted by: Pipo Aymamí | February 18, 2012 at 01:53 PM

2 comments:

  1. Hi!
    I came across this post by chance while looking for old pictures of 3AX61, your granparent's car. We bought this Phantom III more than 20 years ago, and is currently in Catalonia. I've seen that incidentally the person who replied your post was from Barcelona as well (what a coincidence!).
    It would be great if you could share your memories of the car. I don't know if you happen to have any old pictures of it somewhere.
    I can send both of you pictures from a few years ago when we used the car for my brother's wedding.
    I don't know if any of you will get back after so many years, but it was worth a try!
    Best regards,
    Xavi

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    Replies
    1. Hi, do you still have photos of this car? My grandfather used to drive this for Mr Keeling back in the 1940s.

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