Going Royal on April 1st

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Just over a year ago, before the world got entangled in an ongoing number of lockdowns, we were lucky to visit what is believed to be the UK’s largest private collection of classic cars in an old tram discount just north of London. It was here that we recognized several of the vehicles from The Crown and Downton Abbey since the clever collector had also started a business of hiring his classics to the filming industry.

1914 Daimler 20hp TW20 Landaulette

This 1914 Daimler 20hp TW20 Landaulette, offered for sale by Brightwells on April 1st this year would certainly fit in one of these television sagas (there is mention of it having featured in House of Elliott). From the auctioneers write-up “Blessed with Royal patronage, thanks to the obsession with quality, refinement and silence of operation, Daimler and Rolls-Royce vied for position at the very pinnacle of the luxury car market at the turn of the last century. Rolls-Royce used innovative engineering, their Ghost relying on perfect balance, build tolerances and the use of lightweight internal components to achieve perfection. Daimler produced cars with equal care and success, making use of the Knight Sleeve-Valve system to ensure a similar refinement. Silence was their objective and their success.”

This mighty landaulette was not sold to a king or queen, maharaja or princes, but to an Army officer in York. A number of subsequent owners followed, some names you may recognize, and with some major restoration work being carried out in the 1990s and 2000s when it was also painted in Deep Royal Green. Brightwells adds "It would be hard to imagine how much it would cost to put a car back into the condition we find today, but it must run well into six figures.” And “One of just a few survivors, it should by rights be worth hundreds of thousands”. It is, however, very realistically estimated at £36,000 to 42,000. To quote them once more “This a particularly accessible way to enjoy the cream of Edwardian motoring.”

1952 Lagonda 2.6 Saloon

Still insufficient to suit your wallet? There is another car in the same sale which would wear its Royal warrant with pride, and it’s considerably cheaper too, although in urgent need of some tender loving care. It’s a 1952 Lagonda 2.6 Saloon that’s been in the same ownership since 1988 – and before that, it had just one more owner. What’s more: judging by the road tax disc it seems to have been last on the road in 1978. We don’t think it spent all those decades in Royal stables though as it looks rather tired, but we still love its looks, a bit of a mixture between majestic and some kind of clumsy. It does have a Prince Philip flair, a well-known Lagonda lover. Another steal at £8,000 to 12,000..?

Words by Jeroen Booij. Pictures courtesy of Brightwells.

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