CONTENTS. Acknowledgements... 4

Transcription

1 P4 CONTENTS Acknowledgements... 4 Introduction... 6 Chapter I STARLEY, WILKS & THE P Sewing machines, cycles and cars... 9 War, boom years, the Depression Spencer Wilks arrives Quality, not quantity One of Britain's fine cars Shadow factories and the war effort Enter Solihull The M1 project New era: postwar design and the P3 stopgap The Studebaker affair The P4 emerges Arrival of the Viking Chapter II DEVELOPMENT & CHRONOLOGY cylinder 75, 90, 95 & 100; 105 & Popularizing the P4, 60 & 80 4-cylinder cars Auntie explained Early problems Creature comforts Stopping power First changes to the P The 2.6-litre Cyclops Rover Exit Cyclops: enter a new image The model range widens The 1954 model range - enter the The 90 makes its debut David Bache and the 1955 facelift Expanding the range again Old friends depart - new arrivals Chapter III GAS-TURBINES & THE JET ERA Gas-turbine - the potential power JET 1 makes its debut The Jabbeke Trials The next phase: the T2 & T2A T3 - a new direction T3 - impressive by all standards T4 - almost there Rover BRM - the ultimate gas-turbine Chapter IV MARAUDERS, COUPÉS & SPECIALS Enter the Rover Special From the Rover Special to the Marauder The Marauder takes shape The Marauder - 'for fast touring' Fixed and drophead coupés A drophead for The Farina episode and the Italian connection The Irish connection Royalty and the P What might have been COLOUR GALLERY Chapter V LIVING WITH A P Owning & buying a P What to pay for a P The down-side: foibles & weaknesses Publicity & the P Thirty years on Profile of a P4 enthusiast Appendix I Original specifications & general data Appendix II At-a-glance chronology Appendix III Production figures Appendix IV P4 colour schemes Appendix V Rover specialists Appendix VI Clubs Appendix VII Bibliography Index

2 The chassis shop at Solihull. This picture actually shows Land Rover assembly, but compare this picture with those on pages 51 and 54. (Courtesy BMIHT/Rover Group) 1000 less than the Daimler 2.5- litre Special Sports Coupé. Triumph s Renown, still with running boards and classic styling, was fetching 991, only 115 less than the new P4 Rover 75. The Autocar, in describing the P4 in its motor show issue of 1949, summed-up the car quite eloquently: It is a superb car, beautifully suspended, accurate and light in steering, steady and stable on corners, deceptively lively because of its quietness, and possessed of one the best steering column gearchanges so far experienced. Altogether a car of superlative charm. Rover s display at the London Motor Show understandably created considerable attention. Five new 75s, like prima donnas, revealed their splendour, fit for a queen. As a car on a turntable pirouetted to show off its finest features, four others in static display showed their classic style to a curious audience, some of which were ecstatic while others mourned the passing of an era. Along with the sparkling new cars with their abundance of chrome, Rover displayed a P4 chassis in cutaway section which exposed all its mechanical parts. The company had what amounted to a virtual obsession with cutaway models, no doubt out of some pride for their technical prowess. Modifications to the chassis from that of the P3 version were quite evident; the frame swept over the rear axle 30 and the engine sat further forward, so allowing increased cabin space. There were other features, of course; the generous width of the cabin was a result of the new body style and the front passenger space was remarkably clear due to the column gearchange and positioning of the handbrake on the right hand side of the driver s leg. In fact, none of the quiet luxury and discreet appointment of the Rover had been lost: dignity still prevailed, soft hide adorned the seats and deep-pile carpets covered the floor; walnut embellished the fascia and door cappings while, throughout the car, an air of excellence prevailed. Lower and wider than the P3, extra passenger com-

3 Below: The Auntie nickname for the P4 was meant as an endearment rather than criticism after journalist Ted Eves completed a marathon tour in the newly announced 90. In this picture the 90 has been sold and it would be interesting to know whether the car has survived... (Courtesy BMIHT/Rover Group) Below: The Cyclops cars were soon modified with an 8-bar grille to improve cooling. Less chrome adorned the front in an effort to reduce the rather garish effect this gave on early cars. (Courtesy BMIHT/Rover Group) 37

4 Possibly the most coveted P4 of all. This Tickford drophead is a remarkable car with an even more remarkable history. Now belonging to Bill Henderson, LOK 918 has been the subject of a 9-year restoration project. (Photo: Bill Henderson) have been a success and, had not fate played a hand, there would almost certainly have been a healthy market for the car. Possibly the most fitting tribute to the Marauder is car number 5, OUG 777, which completed the 1994 Monte Carlo Challenge. Fixed and drophead coupés There is clear evidence that Rover was keen to proceed with variants of the P4 in the style of fixed and drophead coupés to provide a viable alternative to the standard Cyclops 75 saloon. The fact that the Marauder venture was allowed to get underway using Rover chassis and components was another sign that the company was keen to expand its model range. What is doubtful, though, is whether Solihull had the capacity to produce the cars in any volume, hence an approach to the Tickford concern of 112 Newport Pagnell to produce a couple of prototype cars. Whilst the existence of the two drophead coupés was known of, the actuality of a fixed head coupé was less certain. The only clue to the car s existence is a pencil note in the Rover despatch records now held at the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust at Gaydon, Warwickshire. The proof that the car did actually exist arrived in 1964 when an advertisement for it appeared in the for sale columns of the Exchange and Mart, where it was described as a normal P4 Cyclops model. The Tickford-bodied fixed head coupé was registered LAC 447 on 18th May 1951 after having been built in November The car did not leave Solihull until September 1951 when it was delivered to Henly s of London. The car was distinctive for its two large doors and extra large rear window - more in the style of the 1955 saloon models - but it had chromed joining strips rather than the rubber of the later cars. The rear side windows were designed to wind down in an arc which was pivoted at the leading bottom edge. The roof was also different to that of the saloon cars and was covered in a rubberised canvas material; the quality of the covering was not completely perfect and quickly wore away exposing the bare metal beneath it. A further feature of the car was the dashboard panel which had circular dials at a time when the normal Cyclops 75 had rectangular instruments. The car s interior had the luxury that was to be expected of such a coachbuilt car: the front bench seat was retained but the seat back was divided and hinged to allow access to the rear seats.

5 COLOUR GALLERY 'One of Britain's Fine Cars'. The Rover range for 1954 was expanded to include two new models: the 4-cylinder 60 and the 6-cylinder 90. In this brochure illustration the P4 sports a duotone colour scheme. (Courtesy Matt White) Right: Early styling changes resulted in the disappearance of the Cyclops grille. Note the boxshaped headlamp fairings, small rear window and sharply-raked boot. (Author's collection) Drawings in this style were popular during the mid-50s. In this picture of the 60 in what appears to be a Swiss scene, note the ladies' fashions and obligatory pipe-smoking gent. (Courtesy Matt White) 118