DAVID MCBRIDE
Rolls-Royce 20hp Rippon Limousine body - GCK7
The original owner was Mr Herbert Walker, who purchased the car new from Rolls Royce in 1925/26. Herbert was a master cloth dyer & finisher and managing director of a textiles mill in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. He had an estate worth c.£137,000 (c. £9million in today’s money) and sadly died in 1933.
The next thought to be owners were the Hopkin family. We cannot be certain how long the family kept the car for, but the chassis cards show that in 1955 the GCK7 was kept by John A. Hopkins Esq of Galley Lane, Hertfordshire. John was thought to be a Solicitor and we believe his father, William Robert Hopkins, was a retired battery manufacturer who died in 1968.
We understand the next owner was Robert John James of Catshill, Bromsgrove, having bought it from the Hopkin family. He later sold it to Granville Angell, Lord of Cannock in 1985. Granville owned the car for 32 years after selling it to the real car company in 2017. We have recently spoken to the Lord of Cannock and learnt he was highly regarded in the free masons and spent 23 years in the Navy, surviving 2 world wars.
In 2017, Granville sold the GCK7 to the Real Car Company of Bangor, Wales, who spent time working on the mechanical parts of the engine. Soon after in September 2019, it was sold to its now proud owner David John McBride of Wadesmill, Hertfordshire. David has been lovingly polishing the car in an effort to return it to its former glory.
In addition, David added that he has received a tremendous amount of help from fellow RREC Middlesex Members' Richard Edgell and Brian Packman. David tells us that their knowledge of 20hp cars has been invaluable in assisting him in getting the car running properly. Ed