1935 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Shooting Brake conversion
During the Great Depression, which began in 1929, Rolls-Royce launched the 20/25 as their answer to maintaining luxury sales during economically challenging times. The model was very successful, becoming the most successful selling inter-war Rolls-Royce, with 3,827 20/25s were produced, and incredibly, more than 70% of these survive in use.
While most examples received elegant bodywork from prestigious coachbuilders, some chassis were transformed for more adventurous purposes. This particular 1935 example represents an extremely rare variant: a purpose-built African hunting vehicle.
Originally delivered as a conventional H.J. Mulliner saloon, it was later converted by an unknown coachbuilder into a “shooting brake” for big game expeditions in Rhodesia. The conversion retained the original front section and wings while adding a boxy estate body behind the front doors. Specialized hunting features included gun storage compartments under the front seats, fully retractable windows allowing hunters to shoot from inside the vehicle, and modified bumpers that could support poles for an awning system to provide shade across the entire car.
This utilitarian rear section contrasts sharply with the typical luxury touring bodies that characterized most 20/25s, demonstrating how Rolls-Royce chassis served as foundations for highly specialized applications during the golden age of African safari hunting.
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