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Chassis:
Ordered as a rolling, right-hand drive chassis, this 540 K was delivered early in 1938 to The Lancefield Coachworks Ltd. in London. Here it was fitted with a distinct drophead coupe with a disappearing top. Six bodies were believed to have had this elegant design, which saw the folded down top stored underneath the rear deck. Once completed, the 540 K was featured in the May 20 issue of Autocar magazine. The car had been commissioned by a Mr. Grey-Cheape, who retain the car for nearly a decade but only used it sparingly. After being offered for sale in 1947, it remained in London until it was sold to the United States in the early 1950s. Between 1962 and 1988, it was in the hands of just two collectors and then joined another longterm ownership in the early 1990s. At around that point, it was restored and painted in a two-toon maroon and black with a maroon leather interior. The only known Lancefield bodied 540 K known to have survived, it was consigned to the 2022 RM Sotheby's Monterey auction with the rest of the formidable 'Masterworks of Design' collection.
Chassis details |
Manufactured in |
1938 |
Engine number |
169317 |
First owner |
Mr Grey-Cheape |
Most recent auction(s) |
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