1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Gurney Nutting Sports Saloon 109SK

A fabulously stylish car. with low. rakish lines. louvred bonnet & scuttle. rear-mounted spare wheel and ‘letterbox' rear window. It is obvious from looking at the car that it has undergone considerable high quality renovation work in recent times. and is in very sound order. smartly presented and driving really nicely. Some say the choice of light grey for the paintwork is not the best. and that a dark colour would suit the car much better. but either way. this is a very special example of Gurney Nutting's design capabilities.

Chassis No. 109SK. Reg No. VN 6477. £129. 00.

Snippets – “Bloodstone” & Stained Glass Windows
The unlikely connection between the above is the family of the 1st owner – Capt (later Lt Col) Vernon Harrison Holt MC. During WWI he had served with the East African Mounted Rifles; Harrison Holt (Mill owner)) died in 1931 & his son Vernon inherited Ravenswick Hall. Kirkbymoorside; Vernon developed the estate into one of the finest sporting estates in N. England. One of Vernon's hobbies was breeding Hunters. his customers included the Hon Dorothy Paget – her Hunter “Bloodstone”. bred by Vernon. was Reserve Place at the 1932 Olympia in the ridden Hunter Class. in 1931 at the Peterborough Show Vernon's personal hunter “Fascist” was awarded Reserve Champion with the Maxwell Trophy going to Lady Helen McCalmont's hunter – “Handley Cross”. In 1953 Vernon's sister. Evelyn. replaced one of the stained glass windows at York Minster in memory of her mother – Adopha Wykeham Holt. Vernon's father-in-law was Sir Philip Reckitt (3rd Baronet) a member of the staunch Quaker family who had business links with the Colman family. The 2nd owner of 109SK was a Major James Struthers of Ardmaddy Castle which he bought in 1938 from Miss Katherine MacKinnon (1894/1938). who had purchased Ardmaddy in 1933 from the estate of Lady Alma Breadalbane. Ardmaddy had been in the Breadalbane family from 1692 until 1932. Miss MacKinnon's father was Duncan MacKinnon. Chairman of British India Steam Navigation; upon his death in 1918 he left some £11m to his widow & two daughters. Major James Struthers & his family were Shippers & Quarry owners with granite from their Bonawe Quarry being used in the construction of Dounreay Power Station. Major Struthers served in WWI in the Royal Naval Air Service – he was later decorated with a Bar & 2nd Bar to the Distinguished Service Cross. In WWII two young cousins of Major died. namely John aged 21 & his younger brother William just 19. In the 1950s & 60s the owner was the racing driver Robert McGregor Innes Ireland who used 109SK to tow his Lotus Eleven Sports Racing Car to race meetings! After retiring from racing Innes turned his hand to writing and became the Sports Editor of Autocar. he also published “All Arms & Elbows” followed by “Marathon in the Dust”. Between 1963 & 1966 the PII was in America with Alan W McEwan of Washington State (a founder of LeMay Car Museum) before moving to Portland to be with Dr. W. L. Becker whose son Bill inherited the car in 1999. the car remained with the Becker family until 2010.

Also published at eBay.co.uk

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