1925 20hp Reeves Laundalette de Ville GSK35

Originally a Barker Landaulette. but in re-bodied in 1942 as a truck. and used during the 1950 s on breakdown duties by Arcot Engineering Ltd. before falling into disuse in the 1960 s. Subsequently re-bodied again in the early seventies. this time to a high standard as a Sedancalette. or Landaulette de Ville. by the owner at that time. a Mr Peter Reeves. giving various possibilities of open and closed configurations. In 1984. the car left for Australia. where it became part of the Briggs Motor Museum until 2009. when it returned to the UK.

The coachwork is to a very high standard. and incorporates many high quality and appropriate fixtures and fittings. such as an ‘Auster' windscreen. French opera lamps. diver's helmet rear lights. nickel-edged running boards (one with toolbox). carriage handles. etc. The car is correctly equipped with 21” wheels. boa horn as well as a Klaxon. and has Barker dipping headlamps. Running nicely. and offered prepared. serviced and newly Mo T tested. back on its original UK registration number. YM 5533. Various history is with the car. including a buff logbook from 1941. showing the change to a truck body. The more I look at it. the more I like it!

Chassis No. GSK 35.

Reg No. YM 5533.

£47. 00.

Snippets – Three Viscounts of Cowdray

Although at first glance it seems that GSK 35 had been ordered by the 1 st Viscount Cowdray (Weetman Dickinson Pearson) it was actually the 2 nd Viscount (Weetman Harold Miller Pearson) who had bought GSK 35. the 1 st Viscount having died in May 1927.

In 1933 the 2 nd Viscount died just 51 yrs old & so the car was inherited by his son the 3 rd Viscount (Weetman John Churchill Pearson).

The Pearson construction firm was started in 1844 by Samuel Pearson with his grandson the 1 st Viscount taking over the company in 1880 the overseas business contracts in Mexico included an Atlantic to Pacific railway line & the discovery of one of world's biggest oil fields - the foundation of the Mexican Eagle Petroleum Company.

Upon the 1 st Viscount's death in 1927 his estate was in excess of £4 million (£180 million in today's money) the 2 nd Viscount married into the Churchill family & was the son-in-law of Lord Edward Spencer-Churchill.

During WWII the 3 rd Viscount was wounded at Dunkirk which resulted in the loss of his left arm at Dunkirk. being a keen polo player he had an artificial limb created in order to continue playing on an international level & in 1948/9 he played with the English Polo Team in the Argentinian Open!

Since Samuel Pearson's time at the helm the company has diversified to include: aviation. coal-mining. electric utilities. newspapers (Financial Times). books (Penguin). banking (Lazards). pottery & wine (Chateau Latour).

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