Once again, we were pleased to support the RREC Annual Rally, held at Burghley House, near Stamford. It is a fantastic venue and we were lucky to have good weather all weekend.
For those of you who have not attended this event, this is the largest Rolls-Royce and Bentley gathering anywhere in the world and this year was particularly notable as it celebrated 100 years of Bentley Motors. On the Saturday, the Club arranged a special parade to celebrate the centenary with some stunning cars showcasing the best of the marque. Our stand displayed a fabulous 1929 Bentley Speed 6 and a newly restored Bentley Mark VI, representing two of the most successful Bentley models produced.
We were delighted to also exhibit on our stand a very special car, a Rolls-Royce Phantom I known as the “Phantom of Love” (above right), which has recently undergone a major recommissioning and conservation programme carried out by ourselves. The car was built in 1926 for American businessman and Woolworths’ financial director Clarence Gasque as a gift for his wife Maude. It is one of the most well-known cars Rolls-Royce produced and is highly original with a lavish interior which rivals the Sistine Chapel.
Alongside this we displayed a magnificent Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Colonial London to Edinburgh and a lovely Rolls-Royce 20/25 with attractive sport saloon coachwork, both of which are currently for sale. We also took along a 1904 MMC which has recently undergone a total restoration in our workshops. Surprisingly, this car has a connection to Rolls-Royce as it is said to have once collected Charles Rolls when his hot air balloon came down in Great Dunmow, Essex. Then a taxi, the MMC apparently drove Rolls to a nearby railway station.
Thank you to everyone who visited us at the event. It was a great weekend.
