Lost Royce

John Hirons who told us about a 40/50hp Rolls-Royce that had been used as a breakdown truck by his business partner Jack Wharton until it was commandeered by the War Office during WW2 and never seen again, has kindly suppled some details of this lost Ghost.

It was first registered on April 27, 1921, as R 4878, chassis no 411W, with a 1920-type engine, No 1-166. It started life with a cabriolet body painted blue, the first owner apparently being Prince Paul of Serbia, who had it until 1924. The colour was changed to grey, then to orange-and-black, and later the car was owned by Mr and Mrs R Parr, the last entry in the log book being that of Davenport Vernon of High Wycombe. When the War Department took the Rolls-Royce away they left its spare wheel behind. As far as is remembered, no payment was made for it and Jack Wharton never bothered to find out what became of it. If it has resurfaced, it would be interesting to know where it is now.

It is nice to know that John Hirons, who has been reading Motor Sport for well over 50 years and who used to buy Speed when he went to Brooklands in the mid-to-late 1930s, still has his GN and Frazer Nash, and the 1969 C-type MG which was little used when he acquired it from his partner’s estate. His son now drives the cars in VSCC and other events.