1923 Rolls-Royce 20hp Mulliner 6 light Saloon 70A2

An early 20hp. full of character and vintage charm. Originally delivered new to Australia. and bodied by Smith & Waddington as a saloon. but later converted to a utility body. In 1961. the current body. transferred from an Austin 20. was fitted. and has therefore been on the car for over half of its life. The car is upright. spacious. in sound condition. and running well. Desirable touches include correct lamps. instrumentation. lovely door furniture. correct 23” split rim wheels. with straight-sided tyres. including rear-mounted spare. Recently re-wired in cloth-covered cable. Offered re-commissioned. serviced and newly MoT tested.

Chassis No. 70A2. Reg No. SV 5272. £35. 00.

Snippets – A Saddler. A Gold Prospector & A Lucky Starr:

Delivered to George Michaelis (1867/1930). a member of the prominent Anglo-Jewish families of Michaelis. Hallenstein & Hart. the 3 families intermarried & descendants can be found today in Melbourne. Sydney. Darwin & in Dunedin (N. Z). George Michaelis specialised in leather – saddles. bridles. shoes. boots etc and the firm was one of the main importers of leather goods in Sydney. George only owned 70A2 until 1930 when he sold the car to the rancher & gold prospector John James Gullifer. John's grandfather James (born in Bristol) was so determined to get to Australia that he stole twice in the knowledge that it would earn him a 7 year deportation sentence! James Gullifer landed in Sydney in 1833 and by 1838 (according to the rules) he was free. he squatted on some land near the Black Dog Creek which was licensed to him in 1848 and named by Commissioner Bingham as Lilliput Run after Gulliver's Travels! Part of Lilliput Run is now a Vineyard with wines named in his memory – Gulliver's Ghost & Kilbernie Jack (Kilbernie being James' stud Clydesdale stallion). A few owners later and in 1963 70A2 was purchased by Lucky Starr – founding member of the Australian Pop Music Industry & the first Australian performer to entertain the troops in Vietnam – and he paid for his own flights! Lucky bought the car as a gift to the American Jazz musician Billy Eckstine (1914/93) who he had met a few years earlier when Billy was on tour in Australia. it was Billy who persuaded Lucky to appear in the USA where he headlined his own show at the Flamingo Hotel. Las Vegas. Billy Eckstine was famous for his sense of style & at one stage had a “dress war” going on with Duke Ellington - both gentleman worked at the New York Paramount & competed with each other in the fashion stakes!

Also published at eBay.co.uk

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