Gangster's Roller under the hammer

September 13, 2005 A Rolle Royce with a distinctly shady past will be one of the star attractions of this year’s Shannons Australian International Motor Show Auction on October 23. ‘Cecilia’ is a 1934 model 20/25 Rolls-Royce swept tail sports coupe – named after one of her earlier and most infamous owners, gangster’s ‘moll’, Cecilia Hall. As the story goes, she was a present to Cecilia from her boyfriend, Melbourne gangster John Anderson, who was in a gang with the notorious Australian gangster ‘Squizzy’ Taylor in the 1930s. They were into drugs, prostitution and sly grog, down by the Melbourne dock area. Apparently, Cecilia was an unfaithful mistress who often enjoyed the company of other gangsters. Her sponsors soon tired of this and believing she knew too much, decided to ‘do her in’. But Cecilia was tipped off and quickly fled Australia, leaving her namesake behind her. ‘Squizzy’ Taylor was later killed in a shoot-out with rival crime boss ‘Snowy’ Cuttmore, and the car was re-acquired and used by John Anderson until he was declared bankrupt in 1948.

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