Bowers' Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith.
Thanks again to Jim Walker for these photos of FLB 898, a 1939 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith, with coachwork by Park Ward. It was used, along with various other vehicles including Austin Sheerlines and a Rolls-Royce 20/25, on high-class hire duties around the Chesterfield area. One high profile customer was the (then) Duchess of Devonshire, whenever the Chatsworth Estate cars were unavailable. The first two images are in fact promotional cards given out by Bowers, featuring the Silver Wraith on wedding hire duty. The first card shows Jim's father (also Jim) holding the Rolls' rear door open. The second shows the Silver Wraith and also the firm's 20/25 - regarding the latter, Jim adds: "The R-R 20/25 behind in the ad. photo was very unreliable. It only seemed to keep going when Ray Neaves, the driver shown, drove it. Later, when he moved on, I drew the short straw because it never broke down on me!"
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An expensive crash involving the Rolls-Royce.
Unfortunately, FLB 898 didn't always look this immaculate while serving with Bowers, as the following photograph from the 1950s demonstrates:
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Jim tells the story of how the Rolls-Royce's crash unfolded:
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"The accident happened around 1950, Dad driving, when another vehicle turned right across his bows at the traffic lights on the junction of Chatsworth Road and Walton Road, Chesterfield.
It turned out that the the press dies for front and rear wings were destroyed in a bombing raid during the war. Dad was forced to beat-out and re-finish the original aluminium wings. He did an excellent job, but then he was J.E.Walker, M.I.M.I. (so am I by the way, but I could add LAE., T.Eng. also).
There is, in a museum somewhere, an identical model, except for cloth rear upholstery instead of hide, used by Montgomery as a Staff Car during World War 2. Unfortunately the museum escapes me unless it is the Imperial War Museum."
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Two more photos showing the damaged Rolls now follow. Note the old-style traffic lights at the road junction, and the cast iron "finger post" road sign, advising drivers of the route to Ashover, Matlock, Sheffield, Derby and other destinations.
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More of Jim's photos will be added to the site shortly. Another pre-war Rolls, this time a 20/25 similar to that used by Bowers alongside their Silver Wraith, can be see on the Rolls-Royce 20/25 photo page. Items of paperwork that belonged to the Bower firm can be seen on this page of the site.
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Return to Old Car Photos section, Page No. 10.
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