At Bilweb Auctions, a genuinely nice 1936 Rolls-Royce in original condition is now up for auction. The car has a fascinating story that begins in Helsinki prior to World War II.
This Rolls-Royce was originally sold to Walter Gräsbeck, a Finnish high commissioner with Russian diplomatic ties. The fact that he drove a Rolls Royce was not taken lightly at the time. Especially with Russian connections, as the high commissioner had. As a result, the high commissioner's car was stored and he had to drive a Russian-made ZIL instead. Certainly not something he cared for.
Baron Gustaf Woldemar Wrede, who also lived in Helsinki, bought the car. Because it was not driven much during the war, the car had only travelled about 200 miles when it arrived in Sweden in 1947.
The car was then sold to a captain Sven Jeansson in Kalmar by the car company Wiklunds Bil AB in Stockholm. It became well-known and widely discussed there. The car was equipped with CC plates when Sven Jeansson became German consul a few years later.
Consul Jeansson was afraid of flying, so he drove across Europe on several occasions. He was caught speeding in Spain, among other things. On a few occasions, the entire family had to travel long distances, and the car was packed with seven people, including a nanny. In 1957, Consul Jeansson's daughter married Konrad Adenauer's son, which was a major event in Kalmar's social circles. Jeansson's fine Rolls Royce was used to transport the bride and groom to and from the church.
After Consul Jeansson's death in 1985, the car was sold to new owners and displayed at Borgholm's and Rydaholm's car museums until 2005, when it was purchased by current owner Anders Björkman. He has driven the car extensively, including at annual Rolls-Royce meetings. Since he took over the car, it has rolled about 1500 miles.
– It is enjoyable to drive and performs well in today's traffic. If you want to ride with your top hat on, there is plenty of room according to Anders.
