Rolls-Royce that carried Dame Vera Lynn to Ditchling Fair up for auction

The majestic 1931 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Cabriolet De Ville, which was first owned by Major General Sir Miles William Arthur Peel Graham, is lot 68 in the auction at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford.

The event takes place on Wednesday, October 19, at 1pm, and will be held by H&H Classics.

The vehicle is expected to be sold for an estimate of £25,000 to £30,000.

James McWilliam, of H&H Classics who sourced the car, said: “Icon and entertainer Dame Vera Lynn lived in the same village as the car’s current owner and annually attended the Ditchling Village Fair, riding in 'GX 7255'. She can be seen with the car in a photograph taken at the Village Fair in 1982.”

National treasure and Forces’ Sweetheart Dame Vera is best known for her 1939 recording of the song ‘We’ll Meet Again’ during the Second World War. She toured Egypt, India and Burma with the Entertainment National Services Association to perform for the troops.

Over the years Dame Vera supported many charities, including St Peter and St James Hospice, The Bluebell Railway, and Princess Royal Hospital.

She was a Ditchling resident for many years and in 2001 she founded the Dame Vera Lynn Trust for Children with Cerebral Palsy, which was later changed to Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity.

H&H Classics said the coachwork of the Rolls-Royce is by Thrupp and Maberly Ltd of London. It was first owned by Major General Sir Miles William Arthur Peel Graham and has been in its current family ownership in Ditchling for over 60 years, driven around the Ditchling area by its GP owner as he carried out his rounds.

H&H Classics added that the car has been recently serviced and mechanically checked and there is a photographic capture of the £2,292.47 invoice. It is offered with the driver’s handbook, the Autovac handbook, a collection of old MOTs and invoices dating back to the 1960s. The car is also accompanied by an original 1930s ‘Buff’ logbook and a copy of the chassis card record.

Visit www.handh.co.uk to find out more about the car.