“Hell, yes! What red-blooded American wouldn't want a machine gun?”
And that's the middle of the story.
The beginning is actually stranger, involving California car enthusiast Jim Faulknor, a potential Porsche 911 purchase and a mobile blood bank.
En route to San Francisco to check out the Porsche, Faulknor was running early, so he stopped to donate when he saw a roving bloodmobile. It ended up being an instance of giving a little and receiving a whole lot more in return.
As Faulknor sat waiting for his turn at the needle, he spotted a fellow donor wearing a TRG (The Racer's Group) shirt. Being a fan, Faulknor struck up a conversation with someone who turned out to be vintage-stock-car racer Mike Cesario. During the course of the conversation, Faulknor commented on his Lotus 70 F5000 and Bugeye Sprite.
“Oh, you like the British stuff?” asked Cesario
Thus the conversation turned to Faulknor's father, Forrest, who, as the vice president of British Motors San Francisco, held the record in the 1970s for selling the most Rolls-Royce cars in one year.
Cesario said he had a friend looking to sell a classic Rolls and asked whether Faulknor would be interested. Business cards were exchanged, and the following week, Faulknor received a call from classic-car collector Rubin Jurman, asking if he wanted a Rolls-Royce--and a machine gun.
The answer? “Hell, yes!”
Overkill?
Faulknor headed over to Jurman's place in Los Gatos, Calif., to find not just one, but three jaw-dropping Rolls-Royces. There was Bing Crosby's famous Silver Shadow, a 1954 Silver Wraith and the reason he came--a fire-engine-red 1925 Rolls-Royce Torpedo Tourer with a matching machine-gun trailer attached.
This particular Torpedo has a nautical theme, including a pointed bow motif and working nautical ventilators on the cowl. More ominous is the powerful searchlight that swings side to side for spotting animals at night.
The rest of the “optional equipment” is geared toward killing animals. For example, a Howdah gun--a double-barrel shotgun pistol--four rifles mounted in the rear section and a Lantaka cannon attached sideways on the bumper for elephant hunting.
As it turned out, the Rolls was built by Barker Coach Works of London for India's Umed Singh II, Maharaja of Kotah. He used the car to hunt Bengal tigers and other wild game in India including, presumably, elephants.
Propulsion comes courtesy of an 8.0-liter, six-cylinder engine with a dual-spark ignition. The Torpedo also has tall wheels and a low gearing ratio, allowing it to creep through the mud and brush of the Indian outback.
The car came to Jurman about 24 years ago via American golf pro and noted Rolls-Royce collector Gene Littler. Littler was a PGA Tour player from 1954 to 1977 who won the U.S. Open in 1961. He found the priceless antique sitting innocuously at the Rolls-Royce dealership in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Shortly after Jurman took delivery of the car he was contacted by the Indian Consulate. Officials claimed the car was a piece of history and should be donated to the country's museum. Jurman politely declined and instead began taking the car to shows and other Rolls-Royce meets before deciding to sell.
The Deal
“We're old-school,” says Faulknor. “When we shook hands on the deal and I drove away, I felt fine. Our word is our bond.”
Halfway home, Faulknor's feet got a little cold and he gave Jurman a call.
“Can I come back and talk to you for a minute?” Faulknor asked.
“Sure.”
The two decided to write up a contract, just in case something crazy happened--for example, the Indian Consulate calling and offering Jurman $200,000 more than Faulknor was going to pay for the car, which it did.
Fortunately, Jurman kept his word, and Faulknor is now the proud owner of an 86-year-old tiger-hunting Rolls-Royce.
If you're headed to Pebble Beach this summer, you can see the Torpedo for yourself. You can also purchase it: Faulknor plans to display and sell the car this August at the Bonhams & Butterfields auction at the Quail Lodge in Carmel, Calif.
