1931 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Saloon. GTR12

Sale Agreed. An early 20/25, with a slightly later body, handsome and well-balanced in design. Although running well, and benefitting from recent attention, the car will need re-commissioning and repair work before being used, including attention to the cylinder head, some electrical work, and various other items attending to. Work already carried out includes refurbished wheels, new tyres, stainless steel exhaust system, some new upholstery, etc, and we understand that the engine has received some attention. Work to do, but priced accordingly.

Price £15,500.

Snippets: F. J. Steel 

Frederick James Steel of the Kestrels in Stroud took delivery of GTR12 in April 1931 and in 1938 he traded it & his 20/25 Drophead Coupe GNC31 for a new Barker bodied 20/25, namely GZR18.  During WWI Frederick & Mary’s only son Norman served with the 1/5^th Gloucester Regt in the rank of 2^nd Lieutenant and was killed whilst leading his platoon into battle at Passchendaele. In honour of Norman his parents later erected a memorial window in the Lady Chapel at Rodborough Church.  In 1926 Frederick’s brother Harry (a garage proprietor) provided the limousine for Edward, the dashing young Prince of Wales (Duke of Windsor) on his visit to Cheltenham when he inspected a schools cadet camp!  Frederick Steel was noted as being the director of the firm Frederick Steel & Co with premises at Lightpill Mills of Stroud & also Ebley Mills.  The firm had a reputation for being fine colour & general printers and their products included accounting books and stationery.  Like his brother, Frederick was a keen motorist and there is a record from 1921 of him being fined for leaving a motor-car on the highway without any lights and again in 1924 for dangerous driving!  1938 saw GTR12 being acquired by Messrs Slaters (Wigan) Ltd who were specialists in supplying tailor made surgical belts & trusses.  The company was stated by Thomas Slater in the later 1800s & in 1908 he was joined by his son Frank soon after he passed his final pharmaceutical exam in Edinburgh.  Their adverts boasted that the company was “devoted exclusively to the Accurate Fitting of all kinds of Surgical Appliances, thus assuring the utmost privacy and efficiency”.