Original owner Rolls-Royce

Sir,

I enjoyed your Ghost Story very much in the October issue of Motor Sport, I also enjoyed very much the excellent pictures of Mr. Southall’s 40/50 Tourer 89 AE.

What brings thiS letter is that I have also a 40/50 Tourer by Kellner of Paris, which is also a 1920 car from the same series as 89 AE: 32 AE. Also, like Mr. Southall, I bought the car from the original owner, Mrs. Ganna Walska MacCormick, in 1967. The car had been laid up a little before the last war near Paris and never used afterwards.

The car hadn’t done a lot of miles but almost 30 years of immobility has led to the necessity for a complete overhaul which is being done right now. When it’s finished I’d love to pay a visit with 32 AE to Mr. Southall.

But this is not the end of the story. The year .after I bought 32 AE, in other words in 1968, a very good friend of mine, also in France, bought another 1920 40/50 from the original owner, Mr. Viguier from Paris. This is 85 CW with a Muhlbachcr 3-position landaulet. The car was well maintained during these 48 years by the owner who in between drove many later Rolls up to a 1967 Silver Shadow. This car is totally original but is not being driven pending a looksee into the engine just to make sure everything is in order.

Up to the 2nd war France was full of 40/50s as well as Phantoms but the metal scarcity during the war saw to the disappearance of many.

I also bought from the same original owner at the same time, -another 40/50, this time a Landaulet New Phantom, 40 SC, which I have disposed of since then. The body on this car had suffered from dampness because of a leaking roof hut the New Phantom had covered very few miles when I bought it.

With my congratulations for your excellent magazine.

Paris 16 JESS G. POURRET