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What ever happened to Baden-Powell's Rolls Royce?1929The Scout Movement celebrated its 21st birthday by holding a World Jamboree at Arrowe Park, England. To commemorate the occasion, Scouts from all over the World were invited to contribute one penny towards a gift to the Founder and Chief Scout, soon to be created First Baron Baden-Powell of Gilwell. At the Jamboree, the President of the Boy Scouts of Denmark presented the Chief Scout with a Rolls-Royce Motor car, which B-P nicknamed “Jam Roll” (from Jamboree and Rolls-Royce), a caravan, which B-P named “Eccles” (after the caravan manufacturer) and a portrait of B-P in oils by David Jagger. B-P used Jam Roll and Eccles on Scouting journeys until his retirement to Kenya in 1938.
Jam Roll is a 20 horse power Rolls-Royce, chassis number GVO-40, registration OU 2938. It was one of the last 20hp chassis to be made. The car was fitted with a custom made 'D' back limousine body that was made by Page and Hunt. It was one of only a few bodies made by the coach builders for Rolls-Royce. The order for Jam Roll was a rush order with the chassis card marked "Urgent 6/8 weeks". The order was placed on the 21 June 1929 and the completed chassis delivered to Page and Hunt on the 19 July. Further notes on the Chassis card state "if this car is not complete by the date of the jamboree R-R to loan car for one day for this occasion". The car was presented to B-P on the 10 August 1929, only 50 days after R-R received the order. 1945On her return to the UK, following the Founder’s death in 1941 and the end of the second World War, Olave Lady Baden-Powell gave Eccles to the Boy Scouts Association who have displayed it since at Gilwell Park. She then sold Jam Roll into private hands. From then on until 2008 the car was owned by eight different private individuals, occasionally being lent to The Scout Association for special occasions such as the 1957 and 2007 World Jamborees. 2007Inspired by the sight of Jam Roll and Eccles reunited on the lawn at Gilwell Park at the 2007 World Jamboree, four Scouters, including Michael Baden-Powell, a grandson of the Founder, formed a charitable company with the aim of purchasing and conserving Jam Roll. Their vision is to ensure that, once again, she can be seen and enjoyed by Scouts, to remind them of the link between the Founder and his Movement.
2008The company, B-P Jam Roll Limited, purchased the car thanks the generosity of donors and an interest free loan. They are now discussing with the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust how best to conserve and maintain the car. Among the many people who have congratulated the company, Derek Twine, Chief Executive of the Scout Association, said, "I am delighted that a group of Scouters has succeeded in buying Jam Roll, ensuring that Scouting's gift to the Founder remains within the Movement. I wish them well in their endeavours; to enable part of our history to play its part in supporting our future." The FutureWe would like to display Jam Roll in a suitable museum and to make her available for major events around the UK, so that she can be seen and appreciated by today’s Scouts. To find out more, to leave your comments or questions or to enquire about booking Jam Roll for an event, please go to our website, www.JamRoll.org or email enquiries@jamroll.org.
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