1923 Rolls-Royce Twenty – A Rare and Probably Unique Roller

Introduced in 1922, the Twenty featured a smaller chassis and engine than the Silver Ghost yet retained the marque’s hallmark smoothness and reliability.

Text: Gautam Sen Images: Makarand Baokar & Vrutika Doshi

Rolls-Royce’s first relatively accessible model introduced after the end of the First World War was the Twenty, so named because its taxable horsepower was rated at 20hp. Conceived to appeal to a broader clientele than the marque’s large, ultra-luxurious pre-war offerings, the Twenty marked an important strategic shift for Rolls-Royce, without compromising its core values of refinement, engineering excellence, and bespoke craftsmanship.

Introduced in 1922, the Twenty featured a smaller chassis and engine than the Silver Ghost yet retained the marque’s hallmark smoothness and reliability. Buyers typically purchased the chassis alone, commissioning coachbuilders of their choice to create bespoke bodies, resulting in an extraordinary variety of styles ranging from formal limousines to sporting tourers.

This flexibility, combined with Rolls-Royce’s reputation for quality, made the Twenty particularly attractive to affluent private owners and aristocracy across the British Empire.

Production of the Twenty continued until 1929, when it was replaced by the more powerful 20/25hp model.

During its seven-year run, a total of 2,940 examples were built, a modest number by modern standards, yet significant for Rolls-Royce at the time. Despite its relative accessibility, ownership of a Twenty remained an exclusive privilege, reserved for those of considerable means.

According to noted marque expert André Blaize, only around 75 examples are believed to have been delivered to India. Many of these were ordered by the princely states, whose rulers were among Rolls-Royce’s most loyal and discerning customers.

For Indian royalty, the Twenty offered an ideal combination of prestige, usability, and adaptability to local conditions, making it a popular choice for both ceremonial duties and personal transport.

Among the most enthusiastic Indian patrons of the marque was the Udaipur royal family. Maharajkumar Bhupal Singh ordered three Rolls-Royce Twentys shortly after assuming authority in 1921, when the British appointed him ruler of Udaipur in place of his father, who was regarded as inflexible and out of touch with the growing social unrest in Mewar. Bhupal Singh formally became Maharana in 1930 following his father’s death.

The first Twenty he acquired, in 1922, was a barrel-sided tourer with coachwork by Barker. The second, delivered in 1923, was especially remarkable: another Barker-bodied tourer (chassis no. 64H9), but one uniquely adapted with a hand-control system for a disabled driver. Paralyzed from the waist down from the age of 16, Bhupal Singh was nonetheless an accomplished hunter, often going on hunts strapped to his horse.

Although he was usually chauffeured, Bhupal Singh wished to drive at least one of his Rolls-Royces himself. As a result, chassis 64H9 was specially modified, featuring an accelerator mounted on the steering wheel, a hand-operated clutch lever integrated with the gear selector, and an additional brake lever operating the rear-wheel brakes.

The car remained in the possession of the Udaipur royal family until Maharana Bhupal Singh’s death in 1955. In keeping with tradition, it was then donated to the Kankroli temple, which periodically received cars from the royal household. In 1987, the temple sold several vehicles, including this Rolls-Royce, which was acquired by Kolkata-based collector Shashi Kanoria. The car remained with the Kanoria family for nearly two decades.

In 2006, the unique Twenty was purchased by Bhubaneswar-based collector Dharmaditya Patnaik. It is believed to be the only surviving Rolls-Royce Twenty in the world fitted with hand controls.