Description:
Chassis No GUN31 was purchased in 1937 from Jack Barclay’s West London showrooms by Prince Birabongse of Siam, the successful pre-war racing driver. At the age of 23 Prince Bira had been given money by his cousin Prince Chula as a wedding present to furnish his new house. However the stylish 25/30 he saw in the window at Jack Barclay’s showrooms proved to be too tempting and the funds which had been previously reserved for furniture were used to purchase this handsome offering by Gurney Nutting instead. Prince Bira started racing in 1935 with notable success, driving Riley, MG, Aston Martin, Delage and ERA cars. Victories at the Grand Prix de Monaco at Monte Carlo and the JCC International at Brooklands in Surrey, England were some of the highlights of his second season in racing. Prince Bira is understood to have used GUN31 as his mode of daily transport until 1949, taking many Continental trips both before and after the war. He is also known to have transported some of his racing cars, towing them behind GUN31. This beautiful motor car is also featured on the front cover of “The Rolls-Royce 25/30 and Wraith” by Bernard L. King in its original pale blue colour. Prince Bira had a small white mouse painted on both sides of the coachwork of GUN31, just below the scuttle, in honour of his close friendship with his cousin Prince Chula. The name Chula in Siamese means “little white mouse” and this symbol of their friendship appears on all of Prince Bira’s motor cars. GUN31 is a beautifully restored example, both mechanically and cosmetically, with bills exceeding £55,000 present in the cars history file, documenting the expenditure over the past ten years. It performs beautifully on the road, with the engine ticking over in almost total silence whilst stationary. Cosmetically the car is in excellent condition and could be shown at concours d’ elegance meetings immediately if required. It comes complete with an excellent history file, all of the tools which are stored in panels at the top of the tail mounted trunk, and its handbook. It must be one of the most stylish bodies ever fitted to the 25/30 chassis, comes with a very interesting history and is in excellent condition in every respect. One not to be missed.
Condition : In outstanding condition in every respect.
Technical Data : Four speed manual gearbox, 6 cylinder in-line engine, 4.25 litres displacement, 4257cc capacity. Servo-assisted brakes.
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