The 1986 Rover CCV was presented as a warm up act for the Rover 800, and specifically for the Coupe version. The styling was led by Roy Axe, and got a strong reaction at the Turn Motor Show in 1986.
Sadly, time and funding were an impossible challenge for Rover, especially given that the brand was essentially Europe only at this time. There was an ambition to sell into North America, with the Rover 800/Sterling 825, but this car was never brought forward as the Sterling struggled.
Ultimately, there was a Rover 800 Coupe, clearly derived from the second series saloon and showing few CCV genes.
Contrary to popular belief, Rover did think about expanding the Land Rover line in the 1950s. This is a 1955 prototype known as the Road Rover, effectively a cheaply executed Range Rover concept based on the chassis of a Rover P4. This photo flatters it; there was a lot work to do to make this anything like a Range Rover.
And in the 1990s, thought was given to a new Defender. This is the 1997 LCV2/3, built on a bonded and rivetted aluminium frame with aluminium panels. The styling is clearly Defender, brought up to date. Never progressed with, but in 2002 we did see aluminium Jaguars…..
Loyal CC readers may be aware of the history of Rover and gas turbines, all evolving out of wartime jet engine building activities. Nothing ever made it to the market (for cars at least) but this is the 1956 T3, with a mid mounted engine driving all four wheels, such was the power and its abrupt arrival.
And this is the 1961 T4, clearly based on the body structure of the 1963 Rover 2000 saloon, which famously had a complex front suspension arrangement to permit space for a turbine engine to be fitted. This was actually the last road focussed Rover turbine car, but the company did enter Le Mans in 1963 and 1965 with a turbine car
And to finish, another Rover 2000 derivative, known affectionately as Gladys. Rover bought the Alvis luxury car and military vehicle business in 1965, partly for synergy with Land Rover, partly for factory capacity.
Stylist David Bache soon came up with this development of the Rover 2000, intended (despite the badging) to use the Alvis name. Again, funding and capacity constraints limited its progress, but if you ever wondered if the Buck Riviera concept came to Europe, then yes, it did.
Interesting look at some cars that would have been cool to actually see production
The Vanden Plas one…. To me it kinda looks like our favorite Brougham father Lee Iacocca had his padded ways with a pinto.
Could you imagine if Ford had made a four door pinto? And a brougham version?
The shooting break looks lovely. With the six and a manual transmission, that would
be a perfect, expensive, daily driver.
Count me as another fan of the Jag Shooting Break.
Those Jaguar prototypes are stunning, and well photographed. Why were these design cues so pared back in the production versions?
A v8 Triumph … history says that engine was not the best…
Great summary and insights into BL decision making.
I think by then it would have been the rover engine for the lynx
Yes, it was the Rover 3.5L V8 from the TR8, SD1, Range Rover, etc. Pretty solid engine unlike the earlier Stag V8.
If the ECV3 and SD2 were French, we wouldn’t bat an eyelid. Thanks for a great post that brings back memories of my school field trip to the Auto Museum in Beaulieu in 1964. Though oddly I remember less about the cars than about the train trip there, and seeing the Canberra in Southampton harbor. Or harbour. As an American kid going to school in the UK for six months I was not given a break on my spelling.
I first found out about the T4 Rover from a poster in the Isle of Man motorcycle museum back in 1981. Perhaps the most surprising thing was that it was widely shown publically well before the P6 saloon was launched in 1963 even though most of it is identical.
The Lynx was to be powered by the Rover V8 prior to its cancellation.
As for the Metro saloon, there would have been a number of markets in Europe where it could have met success to some degree alongside the Renault 7, VW Derby, Vauxhall Nova / Opel Corsa A and Fiat Duna, etc. especially upon being expanded to a 4-door.
The Road Rover is the proto-CUV
I’d say it’s the proto-SUV. The Land Rover and Jeep were still almost exclusively UV’s, utility vehicles. Unless your sport was hunting.
That TR-7 hatchback concept closely resembles some Opel Mantas and also a touch of Lotus Eclat.
Wow, what a fantastic assortment Roger! I thought I knew my BL history, but there were quite a few there that are new to me. The XJ40 wagon has long been a favourite of mine, but it’s the R-Coupe Concept for me please; what a beautiful design!
Some real beauties there – quite a few I was unfamiliar with – thanks Roger…
Ah yes nice propagana by Jaguar Ive heard the same from a salesman about Jaguars 2.2 Diesel 4 but they are actually Peugeot/Citroen engines including the twin turbo 2,7 shared with Ford and Jaguar Fords V6 diesel is a 3.0 with or without turbo one washed up in Auckland ex Japan the importers were having trouble selling it I spoke with someone who test drove it, we were both viewing a 2.7 twin turbo Citroen C5 at Turners auctions that would not start (flat battery) no amount of jump starting had any effect so I explained to the other gentleman why (as he was dead keen) and how to get it going, I think he bought it and I hope ne beat them up on the asking price it was already thousands below market value and sales staff ignorant of how they work should have got him an absolute steal.
I do feel like I’ve been peeking into someone’s bedroom closet, in a good way.
Lots of things I’ve never seen before. Thanks for taking us there.
That first Jaguar is divine; I would have bought one, in some alternate reality where it had gone into production and I had been able to afford one !
One of the most common misspellings in all of autodom, on the Internet anyway, is the name of this body style, isn’t it—or can someone demonstrate that Wikipedia got this one wrong ?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_brake#:~:text=Shooting%20brake%20is%20a%20car,1900s%20in%20the%20United%20Kingdom.
ON E bay people often mention that the shitbox they’re selling has “new breaks ” !
Certainly in the 19th Century the words brake and break were used interchangeably. Example with railway brake vans – equivalent of a Caboose.
1860s – Break
https://collections.hampshireculture.org.uk/sites/default/files/styles/max_1300x1300/public/objects/DPAAGP88.jpg,qitok=mxMjItVC.pagespeed.ce.JmfUC1kf9P.jpg
1913 – Brake
https://www.mumfordbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Q777ne12X_.jpg