The Incredible SECRETS of a VINTAGE Rolls-Royce 20/25 !

[@PaulFellows3430]

My late Dad used to say that the prewar Rolls-Royces and Bentleys (the ones from his youth) were the King of Cars and videos like this prove his point. Pure mechanical majesty on the road.

[@life_on_cars]

@@PaulFellows3430 we certainly agree 👍 🇬🇧

[@IanRosie1]

The sheer enjoyment John gets from the car is priceless. You got a bargain, fella 👍.

[@thevauxhallman7157]

What a fantastic video. Loved seeing the Rolls and the knowledgeable owner. Thank you for making this gem.

[@life_on_cars]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@wordsmith52]

The flowing lines of that swept back trunk / boot bodywork area is superb. All of the car looks brand new!

[@michaeljoiner2503]

I have never appreciated how lovely these pre-War cars were. Thank you both

[@hamishcruden7623]

Thanks for taking us on this adventure with such a classic 20/25!

[@life_on_cars]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@awolwakefieldyorkshire]

It's a piece of engineering art. I could just stand and gaze at it all day. Thanks John

[@charliegardner6804]

Me too ❤.

[@peterriggall8409]

Absolutely fascinating. Had me LOL at times. An absolute treat. Thank you John and Paul.

[@life_on_cars]

Our pleasure!

[@charliegardner6804]

What a lovely man John is, very generous of him to show off his beautiful car to someone he has only met a few weeks ago. Well done both of you. Great video thanks for sharing .I don't think of this car solely as a piece of engineering. I think of it as a work of art. I'm in love ! I want one.

[@WayneB27]

Now thats an Automobile ! Great to see and hear about that RR

[@edwardhayden4626]

So much of the engineering put into an 80 year old car is amazing. Thanks.

[@tangatoto362]

Occasionally, in the swamp that is KZbin, wonderful videos like this give us all cause for joy. Thank you, this has been truly splendid to watch. Greetings from far away 🇦🇺🦘

[@charliegardner6804]

Well said totally agree 👍.

[@life_on_cars]

Wow, thank you!

[@murphlostinhelsinkipaulmur6327]

A truly happy man showing off his pride and joy... love your chanel Paul...

[@life_on_cars]

Thankyou😊

[@kensherwood4866]

What a truly magnificent car, and a generous considerate owner willing to share not just the car but his knowledge of it. Love these sort of videos. Judging from the accents it sounds like you are both from my part of the country. I'm based in Teesside, if I'm right I hope I'll see the car, and the owner some time in the NE. Thanks for posting

[@life_on_cars]

Thanks and glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@benreynolds9998]

Great in-depth video that really brought out the fascinating features of Rolls Royces from this era, and wonderful to see an owner who knows his car inside out.

[@life_on_cars]

@benreynolds9998 glad you enjoyed it thank you

[@dreddnort9276]

Excellent video good fellow. The pacing is perfect, gives the viewer a chance to absorb the details. These pre-war cars are top tier and it’s wonderful to see this one in full working order. I have heard the common refrain of not exposing Rolls to the elements, and i have always thought it silly, and some degree it might be so for newer examples, but for this 20/25 it makes absolute sense not to get it wet, with all the old wood involved and prospect of water based rot. Nevertheless, everything about this video, the host, the guest and subject matter is top grade, and is definitely a pot of tea worthy viewing experience.

[@life_on_cars]

@dreddnort9276 thank you really appreciate your kind words and glad you enjoyed the video

[@peterwalton1502]

What a fantastic motor car 👏👏👏

[@inthelionsden6335]

Good man to get into all the details with you and take you for a drive.

[@richardgreene3460]

EXTRAORDINARY nice gentleman! I much rather meet the owners than going to car shows! I am looking forward to the Cloud! My oldest RR is a 1962 Cloud, which I have owned for 10 years!

[@life_on_cars]

You will be in for a treat for the Cloud video! Stay tuned 😊

[@robertclark8527]

This guy is passionate. Its nice to see that!

[@peterriggall8409]

Look forward to the Cloud video. So interesting when you have an engaged owner who knows all about his car. Superb.

[@life_on_cars]

Coming soon!

[@bradfordbarrettluckotheIrish]

Paul and John, loved it watching from Los Angeles. I hope we can see his 1960’s next. I’d buy the 1934 for the faux choke/lighter alone. Thank you both.

[@life_on_cars]

You're welcome 😊. Cloud video coming soon.

[@VicFreg-ck7ef]

Wow. Both John and his amazing vintage Rolls are a treasure to be enjoyed by all auto enthusiasts. His energy and excitement around sharing his knowledge about the Rolls was so enjoyable to watch. The people who have the know how about these pre war cars are becoming very hard to find. Thank you for sharing your visit with him! it was priceless. Looking forward to your next project car..... perhaps a 20/25 restoration.......?

[@1961kickboxer]

Thanks for sharing this beautiful old car.

[@life_on_cars]

Thanks for watching 👍 🇬🇧👌😊

[@ross2812]

Perfect video. The hatchback feature (folddown rear seat) and the steamer trunk supports is impressive innovations for the time. "No jack...the jacks are already on the car." Incredible foresight of the engineers.

[@life_on_cars]

It's fantastic, isn't it 😊

[@theoriginaljc-j]

It's amazing to see the pedigree of the brand. I'd be really interested to see your observations on how your SZ relates back to the 20/25 in terms of engineering and quality. Fantastic video !

[@nigelnicholson7439]

This car is just wonderful. Thank you for the lovely video featuring a wonderful car and two nice blokes.

[@paulhow4515]

Brilliant. I too, have a 20/25 1935 Limousine GLJ27 which I've had for 20 years. But no where near the condition of yours. I've learned an awful lot about these cars in my ownership, and still learning. Member of the RREC but very remote from any activities in West Wales.

[@stephenrose8188]

Beautiful and magnificent, a great video without the unnecessary music in the background.

[@imminentdisaster]

Stunning car. Thanks to John and you for sharing.

[@rowejon]

Beautiful car. I remember sticky trafficators on my 1953 Standard Vanguard.

[@simonnorcliffe5877]

Just two words to say! Absolutely fabulous 😊😊😊❤❤😊

[@nealeburgess6756]

What a fabulous car! I have a pre war car too. It couldn't be more different from John's car. It is a 1936 Austin 7 Ruby. Also a masterpiece in engineering of that era. The Austin was engineered to make motoring accessible to the people. I believe the new cost of the Ruby was about a third of the price my Grandfather paid for a new 3 bedroom semi in Shooters Hill, London in 1938. I love and respect both approaches to motoring from the 30s.

[@RobertGott-c3f]

Amazing cars 😮😮😮a credit to the owner Thanks for the trip😊😊😊

[@life_on_cars]

Our pleasure!

[@georgejohnson1498]

This is a lovely detailed video, and not one second too long. I am not over enthusiastic for a lot of Royce cars, but this one is so elegant, and great to see one in such a lovely state of repair. Not restored to a point where you are too frightened to take it out for a run, if only in the dry! Thank you from George

[@life_on_cars]

@@georgejohnson1498 you're welcome 😊

[@arthuryounger9340]

A lovely car and charming presentation. It reminds me that a friend and I here in Toronto used to restore 20s and 30s Rolls as a weekend hobby business in the early 70s. I wish now I could remember some of the exact models. As with the hatchback-style rear seat, I have often said that little has changed since these cars. Ours already had electric windows. But we did not have to put up with hand-wound jacks. At least one of ours already had built in hydraulic jacks that dropped down out of the frame at each corner of the car. You had an interior pump handle on the floor beside the handbrake for activation and some kind of switch to select the corner or side of the car to lift. We should never have abandoned that idea!

[@touraneindanke]

The color was probably very special at the time. I like the black and blue with the abundance of chrome. It’s very close to a Bugatti Royal but on a more civilized scale 🙏🏽💪😍

[@ClotEastwood]

F A N T A S T I C . .. Thank you soooooo much for taking us out for a drive

[@Kyfordman1989]

Absolutely beautiful Rolls-Royce. Rolls-Royce and Jaguar I believe are the in the most beautiful cars in history.. they may look your age, but they’re always beautiful. That took a special kind of designer, William Lyons, and whoever did the designing for Rolls-Royce.

[@ac2litre]

1930s coach-builders and their designers, were amazing. Including the French, Germans, Italians, etc, but the British ones have a wonderful restrained elegance.

[@MadDocLive]

That was a absolute delight. Especially the demonstration of the mechanisms of the timing and hand throttle at the bottom of the steering column. Wonderful stuff.

[@life_on_cars]

Glad you enjoyed it. I was fascinated as well. Could you tell ?😊😅🇬🇧👌

[@montyzumazoom1337]

Absolutely beautiful car.

[@gbentley8176]

Beautifully kept by John. Drove well. Took my test decades ago in a Hooper sportsman saloon which probably awed the inspector. He spent ages going over it and had a drive. So similar to the Alvis speed saloons of the day. Suprisingly the '34 /20 has no fan and has a central accelerator. Easy to drive and smooth. Great video for all keeping these oldies going. Best wishes.

[@life_on_cars]

Glad you enjoyed it 🇬🇧👌

[@AndyThom]

Thank you and a big thanks to John for that wonderful tour and beautiful car

[@life_on_cars]

Thank-you 😊

[@alecgreenhill7331]

Great video, what an interesting car, thanks for going in to all the little details

[@life_on_cars]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@proffessorpop]

I love this car! I had a friend with a 1936 20/25, and I've been in them a few times. I had a 1949 Daimler and I'm tickled at how many things the Rolls shared with their riva Daimler. The wipers and the buttons are identical. The jacking system and self lubrication. The wooden floors will access panels. Of course the ash bodywork clad with aluminum... 😊

[@jandoerlidoe3412]

Wonderful, in depth tour of this magnificent car...

[@richard3004]

Stunning car, seen plenty of pre war cars in museums and all the RRs and Bentleys of the day have incredible craftsmanship, makes modern stuff look like toys. The way “luxury” has changed too from back in the day with luxury being wood, leather, sheepskin etc to nowadays being how much can they cram in from massage seats, WiFi, TVs etc. I much prefer the old luxury.

[@ReturnoftheNative-w8k]

I say old boy, what a splendid motor car.

[@vonvastvonbangkokmuenchhau9754]

I really enjoyed your video. very tutorial. I love Mr.John’s tips to use the hand brake for braking assist.

[@deanmrooms8002]

For me Rolls Royce is the Ultimate Car thanks for sharing this with us 👍

[@WarrenTFH]

What an absolutely beautiful car !

[@hugothebear]

Really enjoyed, a treat to see all those little details and how easy to service through the floor hatches. Especially enjoyed the “ride along”; a good sense of what is like to drive and ride in it.

[@life_on_cars]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@carsyoungtimerfreak1149]

No modern car, let alone an EV, will ever match the elegance or the mechanical beauty of this Rolls-Royce 20/25. Thanks for sharing!

[@julesmarwell8023]

I: remember driving my 1948 Barker Special Sports on long distances on Victorian and NSW Highways. Hydraulic front Mechanical Rear brakes. Lovely holding 80mph. Hands holding steering on tightly.. and FEET ON brake pedal. Contemplating their prodigious USE. we are just temporary custodians. Our duty to preserve. Thank you for your lovely invite. Please take care..

[@robertcallahan-ferris]

So great to see a film about the amazing 20/25 . I also have a 1934 20/25 Hooper Sport Saloon . Would you share your film with the RREC and drivers club forums. So many enthusiasts apprehensive about owning a 30’s car , this would help encourage new potential owners

[@life_on_cars]

@@robertcallahan-ferris please can you share it for me on the RREC Facebook forums thank you

[@marcellebaudry5786]

belle epoque merci

[@140FHC]

What a brilliant and informative video on a splendid vintage automobile! Thank you for sharing this.

[@fepatton]

What a magnificent automobile! Pure grace and style. The wheel nut and wrench is such a great design. Interesting point about back seats being cloth for comfort. Always wondered about that!

[@life_on_cars]

@@fepatton thanks for watching 👍

[@iantomlinson2422]

what a beauty

[@MrNikodemus5]

What a treat !!! Greetings from Norway :)

[@life_on_cars]

Thanks for watching 😊

[@BugsBunnysBrother]

Thank you for a wonderful piece on this 20/25.

[@johnmarkey4862]

Wonderful great cars

[@JohnDavis-ed5sg]

Great car. Thank you lads.

[@patwilkes4122]

Great video and what an awesome car and owner. Really enjoyed this.

[@life_on_cars]

Much appreciated!

[@skeelo69]

John...lovely cars😊😊😊

[@gilesengineer]

In the early 60s we had a 1927 Shooting Brake, which is the first car i remember - wonderful thing. The body started rotting out so it had to go eventually.

[@dstanners8443]

British engineering at its very best. Beautiful vehicle. 💙👌

[@life_on_cars]

Glad you enjoyed the episode

[@slartybartfarst9737]

Never knew the grills opened, heres me with my 2014 Tesla thinking opening radiator grills its the future! Nothings new. As an engineer this is enough to make me go back to internal combustion. Thanks for some insight into this work of art.

[@life_on_cars]

Amazing isn't it 😊

[@simonnorcliffe5877]

Hi Paul, amazing video 📹. I think 🤔 perhaps you should buy a silver shadow as well. They are magnificent 😊😊😊. Looking forward to seeing his silver cloud 😊😊

[@richarddoran3877]

Wow. Just wow. Thanks to John for showing us all the features that i never new existed, in1934!

[@life_on_cars]

Amazing isn't it !

[@kevincollins1060]

Excellent video 👍🏻

[@thomasspilcker8382]

This man is Henry Royce .

[@seansabhaois]

What a treat, what a car and John's a gent👍🙂 The history that RR has lived through and all the hands that its passed through...

[@life_on_cars]

It's a great story these pre war cars can hold 🇬🇧😉😊

[@GymBodyAtlanta]

Well-done! Rolls-Royce--the best car in the world. This was such a great reveal of this fantastic motorcar.

[@life_on_cars]

@@GymBodyAtlanta 😉🇬🇧

[@phillipchapman169]

What a thrill to watch such an in-depth walk n talk and drive around an astonishingly beautiful car. John is a great custodian ensuring the car receives excellent care.

[@frederickhauser2783]

Great Video

[@LeeFradley]

What a lovely bloke and his amazing car I really enjoyed that. Made me proud to be British.

[@life_on_cars]

😊🇬🇧👍

[@EdsMiniEmpire]

Wow! Pre war cars are absolutely amazing and that is one magnificent car in its own right! Very jealous 😂😍😍

[@life_on_cars]

Glad you enjoyed 😉

[@anahatamelodeon]

My dad actually had a Rolls Royce in the 1950s when I was very small, and I've come to the conclusion it was a 20/25. I definitely remember going on holidays in it, and we have an old family photo album with pictures of it. It overheated if driven faster than 50mph, and he sold it for £50. Nobody wanted slow old cars then; it was a few more years before they became valuable and collectable. I'd love to be able to have it again now!

[@Wheels_of_Interest.]

Automotive Gold! Funnily enough, believe it or not but vintage tractors and vintage cars are very similar from the 20's and 30's. An utterly beautiful machine, thanks for sharing 👌👌

[@life_on_cars]

Thanks Buddy😊

[@craigjones2878]

Beautiful car, I can’t believe how narrow the roads are in England.

[@jrbs]

The 20/25 is absolutely beautiful

[@jimcabezola3051]

Good gosh! What reference work, this video! Mahalo to you and Paul for preserving for posterity these little bits-n-bobs of information on how to actually OPERATE these obscure little jacking systems, detachable floorboards (made of real wooden boards) and of how to operate one of the first hatchback mechanisms! There's something here that is sure to vex the young ones in the comments: we cannot argue about the "correct" term for the rear compartment. You have a boot...and a trunk! This o'l beauty has 'em covered. I laughed at the cheek of that idea! Brilliant! Starts on the button AND wafts along quietly, too. Ninety-year-olds don't generally do that, do they? What a wonderful, relaxing ride you two took us on! The road operation seems similar to that of a modern EV in terms of no...or vanishingly little...gear shifting. I couldn't get enough of driving this car. Hope you two enjoyed making this documentary AND the next one of the Cloud. That Cloud, like your Spirit, is painted in that ravishing dark red (or maroon or burgundy or claret or dark cherry...) I so admire in these Rolls-Royces. That's the colour I'd have my own painted if I had one. I think my fetish for red Rolls-Royces from my much loved and played-with original 1960s (Garnet Red, perhaps?) Matchbox Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. Life...imitating...toys? Much aloha to you and Paul!

[@life_on_cars]

Thanks for your fantastic comments again and so pleased you enjoyed the episode. Well spotted , yes indeed this does have a boot AND a trunk 😅

[@life_on_cars]

For your information my car paintwork is called Wildberry 😊👍👌

[@jimcabezola3051]

@@life_on_cars And a beautiful hue it is!👍👍

[@JL-of3db]

Lovely cars. I want his garage! 😂

[@life_on_cars]

@@JL-of3db so do I

[@YuTbCensorship]

Beautiful 😊 A Labor of Love to maintain. With no Heater, is there an issue Defrosting and clearing the windshield on cold days??

[@alanwann9318]

This is my image of a RR, pleased its in its Original livery. This in the US would have white wall tires two tone paint job , chopped top arrrrrgh

[@wmhhealth2018]

30 horsepower was respectable in 1934. It shows how revolutionary the flathead Ford V8 was for that time. Initially it produced an astonishing 60 horsepower and eventually through boring and stroking(and other improvements) by the early 1950's it reached 105 horsepower in a Mercury and 95 horsepower in a Ford.

[@life_on_cars]

@wmhhealth2018 great comments 😊

[@tarekmirdad]

I enjoyed your video very much. Thank you so much for a wonderful presentation.

[@life_on_cars]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@christophermorris-n1q]

Beautiful

[@christophersmith4706]

Everyday is a school day, I have had my 1933 20/25 for 18 months and always assumed the non-working clock was electric and broken. Now I need to check if it is clockwork!

[@cedriclynch]

The clock on some old Rolls-Royce cars has a clockwork mechanism that runs it for some minutes. As the clockwork runs down a pair of contacts come together and supply electricity to a solenoid that flicks a weight around the shaft with the spring, winding it up for some more minutes of running.

[@christophersmith4706]

@@cedriclynch My clock is wind up and works except you can't set it even pulling the knob.

[@Riso-Musik]

Amazing car

[@P1959H]

45 minutes well spent, for once. What a majestic car.

[@life_on_cars]

@@P1959H thank you 😊

[@davidcoates2303]

Hello Paul great and very instructional video, I’ve been watching your channel for a good while now and can I say what an enjoyable experience it’s been, long may you continue to celebrate great British engineering and wishing you all the best. John and many other enthusiasts are keeping British ability alive. Thanks for the video Paul take care. 👍

[@life_on_cars]

@@davidcoates2303 thanks 😊

[@julesmarwell8023]

how many 2020 RR will still be active in 90 years time ?

[@johnsherborne3245]

Very few , but mostly because no one can work out how to access the computer, nor what to do with the broken plastic parts.

[@crashbox7130]

Beautiful cars. They're a bit different to my 1932 Morris Minor Two-Seater, which, at a cost of £100, was the cheapest car on the UK market in 1932. I've taken it all over the UK over the last four years, clocking up over 14,000 miles so far.

[@life_on_cars]

I love the Minor 😊

[@crashbox7130]

@life_on_cars Ah, but you might be thinking of the 1948-1971 Issigonis Minor. The original 1928-1934 Minor was introduced as a competitor to the Austin Seven. It spawned the very first small, two-seater MG Midget (the M-Type) in 1929. I owned an 'Issy Wizzy' Minor, a 1961 factory built convertible, in the early 1990s.

[@Lutelover]

great video - excellent descriptions. Is it chassis GNC76, shown on p119 of 'Those Elegant Rolls Royce' by Lawrence Dalton?

[@life_on_cars]

@Lutelover Hi there , message from John, it's GNC 7 body design 5410 body No 7990, GNC 76 is the same design, with body No 7987. both off test in March/April in 1934.

[@rjkka7260]

Great video THANKS from The Netherlands

[@life_on_cars]

Thankyou for watching 😊🇬🇧

[@jamesfranklin2203]

What a pity modern cars didn’t keep the jacking system

[@theaylesburycyclist8756]

Tremendous.! What a beautiful car. 👌🏻

[@life_on_cars]

Glad you enjoyed the episode 🇬🇧

[@SusanPearce_H]

Thank you, I am envious. But you need to adjust the tappets. Or is that "Service"?