Description Rare Sedanca de Ville coachwork by Barker, one of only five made; interesting history from new; few owners, the current for 23 years; low mileage; well-maintained and in regular use Among his many obsessions, Henry Royce had a real concern about the ever-increasing weight of his exquisitely engineered motorcars.

The Rolls policy of selling ‘chassis only’ cars meant that the firm had little control over the bodies fitted, leaving the choice of coachbuilder to an increasingly affluent (and ostentatious) client base.

It was a constant battle to keep up with the soaring weight of ever-more opulent body styles, a problem only solved through engineering more powerful engines and revised gear ratios.

The delightful and delicate Rolls 20 was succeeded in 1929 by the altogether more robust 20/25 for this very reason.

Sharing many components with the similarly sized Bentley 3 ½ litre, it too was further upgraded in 1936 when the bore of the engine was increased to 3 ½ inches givi...