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The Rover P-4 story or - From nothing to classic car

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Created on May 1, 1985

Text:

Hanspeter Gabriel

Photos:

Archiv

19

Archiv

19

Rover 75 (1959) - stately and elegant - illustration from a sales brochure

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Rover 90 (1959) - Illustration from a sales brochure

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Rover 75 (1959) - perfect for the Landlord - Illustration from a sales brochure

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Rover 105 (1959) - equipped with high-speed gear - Illustration from a sales brochure

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Rover 75 (1959) - Interior of the Rover P4 - Illustration from a sales brochure

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Rover 75 (1952) - new face and detailed improvements to the bodywork, with the gas turbine to the left

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Rover 75 (1950) - View of the chassis of the P4

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Rover 105 (1956) - View into the engine compartment

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Rover 60 Saloon (1956) - with four-cylinder engine

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Rover 90 Saloon (1954) - still up to date

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Rover 90 Saloon (1956) - one of the faster six-cylinder models

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Rover 90 Saloon (1955) - the more powerful models had a six-cylinder engine

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Rover 90 Saloon (1956) - the body remained almost unchanged for many years

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Rover 90 Saloon (1956) - the different models were difficult to distinguish visually

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Rover 90 Saloon (1957) - side view of the six-cylinder engine

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Rover P4 (1959) - the Rover model range

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Rover (1959) - Advertisement from 1959 - 60 75 90 105 S

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Rover P4 (1950) - contemporary advertising

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Rover 105 S (1957) - Advertisement from 1957

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Summary

The Rover was never a car for fashionistas, rather it appealed to the "old British gentleman". This image seemed to secure Rover's immediate post-war future. And so they set about developing the Rover P-4, which was to be the main source of sales for the British car manufacturer for many years. This report tells the story of this important model and shows it in historical illustrations and the original sales brochure from the time.

This article contains the following chapters

In the beginning there was a hole
The rust was stronger
How the "Roverbaker" came about
The "Alliance" plan
Technology must not stand still
Rover's engine policy
Testing is a passion
"Cheap Rover"
The Marauder sports car
The Pininfarina Coupé
An eventful and innovative history over 15 years
Technical data and production figures in comparison
Further information

Estimated reading time: 11min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Even before the Second World War, the Rover was not a car for fashionistas; rather, it appealed to the "old British gentleman". This image seemed to secure Rover's immediate post-war future. The English manufacturer's most important new development was based on the following excerpt from the minutes of a board meeting on July 4, 1947:"Mr. Spencer B. Wilks (General Manager since 1933) explained to the Board the features of the P-3 models with regard to all technical innovations. Mr. Wilks also described the developments which had taken place to date on the P-4 models which were to replace the P-3. He explained that there was a tendency towards wider and roomier vehicles, making it necessary to extend the body to the full width of the present running boards, and that this in turn would entail a change in body shapes.

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