For Rolls-Royce and Bentley Enthusiasts PRÆCLARVM The National Journal of the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club of Australia No. 2-20 April 2020 AX201 finds a New Owner Quidvis recte factvm quamvis hvmile præclarvm Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble. Royce, 1924 PRÆCLARVM The National Journal of the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club of Australia No. 2-20 April 2020 Issue 307 Regular Items Features Events Calendar 7779 From the Editor 7780 From the Federal President 7781 News from the Registers 7802 Book Reviews 7807 Market Place 7809 Articles and Features From the Sir Henry Royce Foundation: Russell Rolls, Chairman of Trustees, 7782 SHRF, gives the details of the recent loan and refurbishment of a Rolls-Royce diesel 'Eagle' truck engine for display at to the SHRF's Coolum, Qld, Museum. Photo: Gil Fuqua (USA) Photo: Rolls-Royce’s most iconic car, AX201, fi nds an enthusiastic new owner: 7783 Præclarvm is pleased to advise that Sir Michael After a period of mistaken rumours, David Berthon (NSW) is able to let Kadoorie of Hong Kong is the mystery buyer of Præclarvm lead with the news that Sir Michael Kadoorie, of Hong Kong, is the Rolls-Royce AX201 "Silver Ghost". Read David excited to have purchased the iconic AX201, "Silver Ghost". Berthon's story of the sale on page 7783. Oscar Asche, the 1910 Silver Ghost, 1237, and Two Versions of Chu Chin 7786 Chow. Ian Irwin (ACT) has been searching the Country's various Archives to present a story that centres around early Rolls-Royce motoring history. 1975 Silver Shadow Saloon (SRH22160) Successfully Completes the 2019 7788 Peking to Paris Rally (Part 4): Brothers, Steve and Alan Maden (Vic) fulfi lled a long-term desire and completed the 2019 Rally. Alan here tells Part 4, the penultimate part of this epic story. Sydney Harbour Concours d'Elegance: Held in early March this year David 7791 Berthon (NSW) details this special, invitation only Concours event and the number of Rolls-Royce vehicles, including his, that did so well in it. Silver Shadow SRH8370's 50th Birthday: Paul Blank (WA) details some of the 7793 history and shares photos of his Silver Shadow as it attends a party in its honour, for its 50th Birthday. From the Sir Henry Royce Foundation Archives - A Selection of 7794 Photographs from the Fred Engish Collection: Gilbert Ralph (Vic), Hon. Archivist of the SHRF shows a selection of photos taken by Fred at the Federal Rallies in 1962, 1965 and 1968, held in Mildura Vic. Svetlana Kazina (Rus) Photo: The Provenance of Bentley MkVI, B365GT: Greg Johnston (Vic) tells the full 7796 The Maden Brothers' Silver Shadow (SRH22160) story of his "treasure" found in very good condition in a dry and well-ventilated at speed through the Altai Mountains in Siberia on the Peking to Paris Rally in 2019. garage in Melbourne in 2000. See the continuing story of their For my sins, I am the owner of a 1977, Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II 7801 adventure on page 7788. (SRH32112): Murray Turner (WA) loves his Shadow, but recently his wife fell out of love of it when it had an intermitent fault Murray had to fix. Twenty Topics No 85 - NRMA and Plates: David Davis (NSW) thinks on and 7802 describes the development ideas and colours of NSW Registration Plates. Front Cover: AX201 finds a New Owner. The original 'Silver Ghost" has been confi rmed as having been acquired by Sir Michael Kadoorie, who is well known in collector car circles as a prolifi c collector of the Rolls- Royce and Bentley marques and a true enthusiast in every sense. Here it is shown at the start of the Rest and be Thankful hill-climb during the 2007 Centenary re-enactment of the Scottish Reliability Trial. See the story on page 7785 of this edition of Præclarvm. (Photo: 20-Ghost Club) Club Website: www.rroc.org.au The mid-1950 Bentley Mark VI (B365GT) was Back Issues of Præclarvm: http://praeclarum.rroc.org.au/ found by its present owner, Greg Johnston (Vic) in Views expressed in Præclarvm are those of the individual writers. a garage in pretty good condition. See the history of the car on page 7796. The deadline for the June 2020 issue is 15 May 2020. 7778 Præclarvm 2-20 Præclarvm (ISSN 0159-4583) is published six times per year by the Federal Council of the Events Calendar Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club of Australia. Whilst Federal, Register & Overseas Events every care is taken to check information published, no responsibility can be accepted Jun 2020 RREC (UK) 2019 Annual Rally, Burleigh House, Stamford Alisa Plain + 44-1327-810784 for errors. Views expressed by the Editor Deferred to 25-27 June 2021 and contributors are their own and do 24-28 Jun RROC National Meet, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA RROC + 1-717-697-4671 not necessarily refl ect the policies of the Club. Nothing in this journal, including any 18-21 Sep 2020 Dawn Patrol - In and Around Yass, NSW Robyn Henderson 0427-490-557 advertisement, should be construed as 25-28 Oct 2020 SMART Tour - Mudgee, NSW Bruce Duncan 0447-242-371 endorsement by the Editor or the Club of the quality or suitability of any product, service or Australian Capital Territory Branch - President: Martin Bennett procedure. Change of Address: Members should notify New South Wales Branch - President: Jeanne Eve their Branch Secretary (address below), not Queensland Branch - President: Frank Carroll the Editor, in the fi rst instance to advise change of address or non-receipt of an issue. South Australian Branch - President: Michael Henningsen Contributions: Articles, letters and/or Victoria Branch - President: Greg Wayman illustrations for publication should be sent to the Editor, address below. Articles should Western Australia Branch - President: Diane Magrath preferably be sent as a text fi le, emailed to the [email protected] (otherwise as typed hard At the time of going to Press: Due to the response of Branches to the unprecedented, copy to the Editor’s address below). declared COVID-19 emergency, all up-coming Australian Events have been cancelled Federal Executive or postponed. Please contact your Branch Secretary, details below to the left, to President: Joe Quattrocchi, ascertain when normal Events will commence again. PO Box 787, Bowral, NSW, 2576 0416-304-027 Email: [email protected] 4 photos to right Secretary: Stephen Peoples, and down: As the PO Box 21, Kew, Vic, 3101 Coronavirus threat 0408-672-222 Email: [email protected] took hold of the UK and the world, both Treasurer: Bruce Duncan, Companies announced 5 Fadden Place, Wahroonga, NSW, 2076 the indefinite closure 0447-242-371 Email: [email protected] of their manufacturing The Sir Henry Royce Foundation plants in March 2020, Russell Rolls, until they are advised PO Box 140, South Yarra Vic, 3141. by the UK Government 0418-325-086 that the perceived risk Email: [email protected] has been resolved. Federal Publications Præclarvm Editor: Tim Dean, aboveabo and left: Before 1630 Malvern Road, Glen Iris, VIC, 3146. announcingann their closure, 0401-987-808 Email: [email protected] Rolls-RoyceRol Motor Cars Registrar (Chassis Plate): David Neely, announcedann their first 23/1 Bay Drive, Meadowbank, NSW, 2114. CollectionCol Car of the new 02-8084-8465 Email: [email protected] decadedec which embodies the spirit of the 1920s; the Branch Secretaries DawnDaw Silver Bullet Collection Australian Capital Territory: Peter Hyland, is an ode to decadence, to PO Box 773, Mawson, ACT, 2606. frivolity,frivol to heady heydays and 02-6286-4265 irreverentirreve past times of 100 Email: [email protected] yearsyea ago. (courtesy:(co Rolls-Royce Motor Cars) New South Wales: Danielle Harland, Box 2754, Sydney, NSW, 2001. 0422-055-012 Email: [email protected] Queensland: Glenn Cuff e, 87 Kauri Road, Ashgrove, QLD, 4060 07-3366-6306 Email: [email protected] South Australia: Peter Forbes, PO Box 355, Welland, SA 5007 0411-246-841 Email: [email protected] Victoria: Brian Williams, PO Box 21, Kew, VIC, 3101. 0458-888-767 Email: [email protected] Western Australia: Alan Dickson, PO Box 590, Kalamunda, WA, 6926. above and right: before 08-9246-3295 their temporary closure Email: [email protected] Bentley revealed 12 cars, the Section Contacts rarest two-door Bentleys of the modern era, named Northern Territory: Keith Preston, Bacalar that mark return to PO Box 1066, Palmerston, NT, 0831. bespoke coach building for 08-8983-1029 Bentley Mulliner – the oldest Tasmania: Mike Williams coachbuilding company in the 5 Caroda Court, Howrah, TAS, 7018 world. 0418-478-947 (courtesy: Bentley Motors) Præclarvm 2-20 77797779 From the Editor Who Could Have Imagined?: LATE NEWS - re 2020 and 2021 Federal Rallies: itting back to write this second editorial Sof 2020 who would have thought that As this edition of Præclarvm was being prepared, Australia and each State's we all would be engaged in fi ghting, in an response to the COVID-19 Virus Pandemic was being modifi ed almost daily, resulting unprecedented way, to eliminate the threat in dramatic changes being forced on the Club re its 2020 and 2021 Federal Rallies. of a virus taking lives world-wide. Further, Firstly, the NSW Branch were forced to cancel the 2020 Rally in Leura as meetings who could have imagined the enormous eventually were limited to only 2 persons and, despite trying, they could not postpone repercussions that fi ght has had on our daily their arrangements until 2021. Secondly, although the on-going sequence had the lives? WA Branch next in-line, they too were unable to achieve traction on holding a Rally in But here we are; nearly 4 months into the 2021, due to logistical challenges in the current environment.