[ROVERNET - UK] Racing Rovers

[Mike Maher]

Alan,

A Rover special Racer has been in existence since the late 1940's.   It was
originally constructed by then Rover employees Peter Wilks, Spen King
(later Range Rover and SD1 engineer) and George Mackie.  They later went on
to build the Marauder on contemporary Rover 75 Chassis.

They wanted a chassis and found one for the racer on the dump at the
Solihull factory.   It was the chassis used on the prototype P3 which was
used as a development 'mule' with Rover 12 hp bodywork from 1938 and
throughout WW2.

This much modified chassis was clothed in an aluminium single seat racing
car body and had some success in the 50's.  In the 60's after a period out
of use, it passed to an enthusiastic owner who raced it until recently (he
was in his early 80's - I last saw him race at Silverstone in 2003!).  It is
now in the hands of another enthusiast in Wales and has a much modified 3
carb 3 litre (P5) engine.

The Beaulieu Motoring picture library has a copyright photo of the car
racing at a VSCC meeting at Silverstone in 1968, to see it click on
www.motoringpicturelibrary.com/full_catalogue.asp  search for 1949 Rover.

The Rover special is the car with race number 12.  (use preview for a bigger
image)

I believe that there was another  racer in the late20's/ early 30's and
Rovers had many successes in timed trials in the UK and in the Monte Carlo
Rally in the mid 30's

Regards,

Mike Maher


-- Original Message -----
From: "Alan Gale" <agale at iinet.net.au>
To: <rovernet at lyris.ccdata.com>
Sent: Friday, September 30, 2005 4:05 PM
Subject: [ROVERNET - UK] Racing Rovers


> Apart from the odd SD1 and the P6 special that raced here in Australia,
> does anyone know of any other racing rovers?
> Where there any 20s or 30s specials which raced at major meetings?
> The question was asked of me at a Vintage Sports Car Club meeting here
> in Melbourne recently and i can't find any references.
>
> Alan Gale
>
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