Tom Murray

Old Rolls-Royce cars have been a passion since the age of ten, when I was captivated by a Brewster P-I tourer in a California museum. In the late 1960's I took the leap and purchased a 20/25 and later a 1939 Wraith which I kept 27 years. Ever-increasing pressure of work eventually deprived me of time to use the car often enough, so I reluctantly parted with the Wraith and went "Rolls-less" for five dreary years.

By the time I went shopping again, e-mail had come into use, and as it happened, I wrote the Rolls/Bentley publisher and historian Bernard King, telling him I was driving to see an especially lovely 20/25 car in Maryland, GPG70. On returning home, the following e-message was waiting: "News travels fast and Bernard has just rung me with the news that you are going to inspect this car . . . Where do I start? GPG70 was the second of my grandfather's Rolls-Royces . . . (!)" The writer, Will Morrison, is not only the grandson of the original owner, he owns a handsome 1936 Bentley and is a researcher who traces Rolls and Bentley car histories for customers under his business name MotorHistorica. And so the story of GPG70 emerged, not through months of searching on my part, but miraculously, from someone who has first-hand knowledge.

The car was bought by William Morrison as a "retirement treat" when he stepped down from the board of the Distillers Company in Glasgow at age 70. The chassis was ordered in November of 1934 and sent to Hooper for "allweather" coachwork. His younger son (also William) had a hand in the design and especially wanted rakish front wings "like the MG's used by the Glasgow Police." The result was more conservative; Will says: "Possibly Grandpa put his foot down!" A native Highlander, Morrison used the car for sporting and fishing trips but did not drive it himself. When the car passed to his eldest son, Myles (Will's uncle), the family continued to employ a chauffeur, but Myles loved to drive and care for the car himself and had a spacious workshop with a pit. Also an avid climber, Myles went off to Everest at the age of 68 and walked the base camps (18,000 feet) in his kilt!

In the late 1960's Myles met Ronald Henges from St. Louis at a vintage car rally in Glasgow. Mr. Henges admired the car and seven years later, when Myles was 71, reached an agreement for purchase. GPG70 then came to join Henges' Springfield P-I "Tilbury", S123RP in October of 1974.

By the time Edward Collins bought GPG70 in late 1982 portions of the paint were cracking and it is said that Mr. Collins, suspecting that his wife would be disappointed, quietly arranged to have a re-spray done in St. Louis before taking possession. Alas, the paint shop went bankrupt and there was apparently no small difficulty in extracting the car! But extract they did and Mr. Collins had the work done closer to home. He cared for the car superbly during his ownership of nearly 20 years.

I feel most fortunate to have this gem entrusted to my keeping, enjoying it as I have the earlier ones, by careful, moderate but regular use on uncongested roads.