The Rolls-Royce that once delivered milk before restoration

The Rolls-Royce marque is undoubtedly the consummate symbol of British engineering excellence and luxury throughout the world. The company grew from the electrical and mechanical business established by Henry Royce in 1884. Royce built his first car in 1904 and in May of that year, met Charles Rolls whose company sold quality cars in London.

Charles Rolls was an Eton and Cambridge-educated son of the First Baron Llangattock and possessed not inconsiderable means as well as an acumen for marketing. An agreement was reached that Royce Ltd would manufacture a range of cars to be sold exclusively by CS Rolls & Co that were to bear the name Rolls-Royce.

Rolls-Royce Ltd was formed in 1906 and moved to Derby in 1908. Royce designed cars to a high standard and insisted that high standards be maintained by his employees, instituting a system of quality control.

Rolls was an amateur pilot (this could explain the company’s involvement in aero engines later) and broke several records. Tragically, he died in a plane crash in 1910.

The six-cylinder Silver Ghost (1906-1925) was responsible for the company’s early reputation and 6,173 cars were built. Within a year of production, the Silver Ghost was proclaimed by pundits to be the “best car in the world”. To meet demand in the United States, a second factory was built in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1921 where a further 1,701 “Springfield Ghosts” were built. Until 1959, Rolls-Royce only built the rolling chassis and engines while the coachwork was contracted to specialist coach-builders ensuring a very high standard of workmanship.

At the beginning of World War I, Royce designed his first aero engine, the Eagle, in response to the nation’s needs. In the course of the war, Rolls-Royce engines powered more than half of Allied airpower. By the late 1920s, aero engines made up most of Rolls-Royce business. Today, Rolls Royce aero engines continue to be highly regarded in the aviation industry.

This week I had the good fortune to visit John Wroe as he was putting the final touches on his magnificently restored 1934 Rolls-Royce 20/25. The car was a limousine built by coach-builders Thrupp and Maberly and sold to Roots Ltd of Piccadilly on April 20, 1934. It was sold to F. Wallis (no relation to that other Wallis) on November 2 of the same year.

The car was first registered in Kenya in May 1954 under the ownership of A.P. Warren-Gash and in July of the same year it was sold to R.V. Holme.

In July 1960, it was acquired by Waverly Estate Ltd under Robert (Bobby) H.D. Colt of Kiambu. By this time the body had deteriorated and was discarded. The car was then fitted with a flat-bed body and used to deliver milk in the Kiambu area. I am sure this must have caused Henry Rolls to turn in his grave several times!

The car was laid up after a while until 1985 when “Bobby” had a boat tail body made from original drawings sourced from the UK. The work was never finished as “Bobby” fell out with the restorer and the car was once again put up on blocks until 2000 when John Wroe acquired it.

Over the next eight years, the car was extensively restored with new tyres, a stainless-steel windscreen, speedometer, new upholstery and resprayed. It was entered in the Concours de Elegance of 2008.

Last year the car won the outright prize and first in class. It has been entered in this year’s CBA Africa Concours de Elegance to be held on Sunday and John Wroe is hopeful of a good result. This is the eighth straight year that Commercial Bank of Africa have sponsored the event.

The Concours de Elegance was started in 1970 by the Alfa Romeo Owners Club, with the first event being held at the Spread Eagle Hotel (today’s Safari Park Hotel) in Kasarani exclusively as a “beauty contest” for Alfa Romeo cars. In 1980, it was open to other makes and the venue was moved to the Embakasi Motor Racing Track. The event was expanded in 1984 to include motorcycles and I recall entering my Yamaha RD 400G that year.

In 1988, the venue was changed to the Nairobi Racecourse on Ngong Road after the user for Embakasi Track was converted from recreational to commercial to make way for the expansion of the Industrial Area. By this time the event had grown to include stands for the motor trade where they could display their latest offerings, sale of classic cars and motorcycles and a variety of entertainment for children and adults.

Over the years the event has attracted entries from as far as Australia, Argentina, South Africa and nearer home, our brothers from Uganda who have become a regular feature in the programme. The event has been recognised and sanctioned by FIM Africa since 2006.

The international status of the Concours has brought visitors to Kenya and has helped to showcase the country as a holiday destination. The Kenya Tourist Board uses DVDs of the Concours TV programme as promotional material for sports tourism and visits to Kenya by special interest groups. From an exclusive members-only event, the Concours has grown in stature to include an eclectic mix of participants attracting a wide cross section of over 10,000 spectators annually.