1935 Rolls Royce 6 Light Salon
by: Timothy Sexton
Posted on: Tuesday, June 17th, 2008 at 6:12 pm by: Timothy Sexton
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The 1935 Rolls Royce 20/25 Six Light Saloon proved just as popular with owners who intended to drive it themselves as with the more elite Rolls customer base who found the idea of actually driving themselves to be a bit gauche. It is entirely possible, in fact, that more working stiff chauffeurs actually drove this vehicle than those rich enough to buy it. The “Six” in the name of this Rolls Royce was derived from its six-cylinder overhead valve engine. The 20/25 Light Saloon’s engine was boosted to a more substantial 3699 cc through the decision to amplify the bore to 82 mm. The model was also equipped with a single carburetor. The gearbox was a four-speed and was mounted with the engine. Not intended for speed, the car could still get upwards of 75 mph.
The design of the Rolls Royce Six Light Saloon was highly influenced by the very similar Riley Nine. In fact, if you placed a 1935 Rolls Royce 20/25 next a 1934 Riley Kestrel the average person might have difficulty picking out the vaunted Rolls. The chassis followed the design of Rolls Royce’s Phantom II but was tailored to be more suitable for the coach-style body. These modifications include a more substantial axle design that utilized a suspension design and elliptic springs. Braking control was increased with the addition of a servo system supporting all four brakes. Added to the mix was a handbrake that controlled another set of rear brakes. Drivers even had control over engine cooling with adjustable vertical louvers on the iconic Rolls Royce radiator.
The 1935 Six Light Saloon was ideal for those owners who let others do the driving. Again following the lead of the Riley Nine design, backseat passengers rode in style and comfort allowed by the addition of boxes beneath the front seat to give them more room to place their feet. Whether you were a passenger or driver, you were guaranteed to look great while inside this Rolls Royce. The sleek and polished lines of the Light Saloon scream 1930s style, from the running boards to spare tire mounted on the side. Capable of holding five passengers, the vehicle was perfect for limo work as well as for showing off how much money you had. Owning any Rolls Royce meant you were doing well, but the 1935 Rolls Royce Six Light Saloon possessed the kind of extraordinary indefinable “oomph” that marked its owners as the elite of the elite.
