Museum Photo Report – The British Motor Museum Gaydon – Part 2 – Possibly, Perhaps Or Best Not To?

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– Posted on November 5, 2021

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.

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