The Spirit of Ecstasy

The Spirit of Ecstasy

For the technically minded, this car is a 1935 Rolls Royce 20/25, chassis number GOH25 and is fitted with a hand built, ash framed aluminium body by Park Ward,  body number  4086. The registration is CLA 63. The body type is referred to as a 6 light D back limousine with wind up central division as it has 6 side "lights" or windows, 3 per side, and, viewed from the side, the rear of the car is D-shaped without the trunk fitted. The chauffeur can be isolated from the passengers by a central wind up glass partition. The body is finished in black over Rolls Royce chrome yellow.  It sports a fold out luggage rack and we usually carry a Brooks trunk with fitted suitcases.  The car still retains the amber semaphore trafficators which pop out from the centre pillars and light up. These are complimented by modern flashing units fitted at the front and rear of the car for safety. They are operated by a mechanically timed switch in the centre of the dash board.

Much of the lubrication of the chassis is achieved by a central pump with a foot operated  lever  located under the dashboard. This is used every 100 miles or less and feeds oil to the many joints, springs, pivots etc around the chassis. The springs and joints are encased in a total of 28  leather gaiters and covers. The large drum brakes are wire rope connected to a mechanical servo driven off the gearbox which has 2 floating shoes. There are separate shoes for the handbrake in the rear drums. The handbrake and gear levers are located on the right hand side of the chauffeur. On the central steering column there are 3 levers for use by the chauffeur. One operates the ignition advance and retard, one is a hand throttle (accelerator) whilst the third operates the ride control which hardens or softens the shock absorbers.                       

It has a 3.6 litre inline 6 cylinder OHV Rolls-Royce engine with cross flow carburetion and petrol is brought from the 18 gallon petrol tank via a petrol switch and an Autovac vacuum system and from here it is gravity fed to the carburettor. The carburettor is made by Rolls Royce and is similar to an SU type. There is both coil and magneto ignition available, selectable under the bonnet. The car is normally run on the coil ignition.  The car is wired with a negative earth, which although unusual in 1935, is now the way all modern cars are wired as it is kinder from an electrolysis point of view. 

The restoration of the car was completed in the late 1990s, and used many of the  materials originally employed, West of England wool cloth, Tan Leather from Connolly Bros, Bedford cord cloth etc. The body is painted with a cellulose enamel using black and Rolls Royce chrome yellow, (similar to the car used in the film "A Yellow Rolls Royce"). All the beautiful walnut veneered woodwork has been re-polished and champagne carpeting has been fitted. Much of the bright work, both inside and out, has been re-chromed to a very high standard by the specialist firm, The London Chroming Company in the Old Kent Road.