[the mole]

The Rover was always known as one of Britain's finest cars and quite popular with the upper class in India at one time. However of late they have become extremely hard to find and rarely seen in Vintage and Classic car rallies in India.
The intent of the thread is really to document of what is left of this beautiful marque in India.

I am starting the thread with pictures of my very own 1960 Rover P5 Mk1a. There are 3 others I know of in Bombay unfortunately only one of them is running at the moment besides my car.

[gautomobile]

hi amol, i just love your rover and am sure this is going to be an interesting thread...

cheers!

[predatorwheelz]

Here's a Rover P4 belonging to Mr. Ojha of Kolkata. Pictured at the Statesman Vintage & Classic car show of 2010.

The listing describes it as a 1948 car. However going by the grille and twin sidelamps it looks more like a late 50s model.

[the mole]

Somehow most of the Rovers especially the classics seem to have West Bengal registrations.

This is a nice one that appeared in the Chennai rally last year. She is a MkI the diffrence being she has no quarter glass windows and the hubcaps are of a different style. Mostly pre 1960.

[predatorwheelz]

Originally Posted by the mole

Somehow most of the Rovers especially the classics seem to have West Bengal registrations.

Well, Dewars Garage on Council House street was for long the only appointed seller/service centre of Rover (and Land Rover) vehicles in India. I have a Land Rover owners' manual from 1949 that documents this fact. That could be a reason why more classic Rovers were sold in West Bengal than anywhere else.

[the mole]

can someone identify the type for these Rovers, they must be rare internationally because I could not find any external reference for them on the internet.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vintag...ml#post1965700

[predatorwheelz]

Originally Posted by the mole

can someone identify the type for these Rovers, they must be rare internationally because I could not find any external reference for them on the internet.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vintag...ml#post1965700

The movie rover in that thread had been identified as a Rover 12 tourer by Prabal. I guess the other 2 are models of the same car.

[the mole]

Originally Posted by predatorwheelz

The movie rover in that thread had been identified as a Rover 12 tourer by Prabal. I guess the other 2 are models of the same car.

Okay Wikipedia says on 200 were made in the years 1947 -48 so these must be super rare. Bodies were by Tickford.

[harit]

Originally Posted by predatorwheelz

Well, Dewars Garage on Council House street was for long the only appointed seller/service centre of Rover (and Land Rover) vehicles in India. I have a Land Rover owners' manual from 1949 that documents this fact. That could be a reason why more classic Rovers were sold in West Bengal than anywhere else.

You are 99% correct, but there was another dealership in the Indian subcontinent, though not a part od India at that time. Goa had a lot of pre 1960 Land Rovers, many were with Govt. Depts. and therefore many ended up in junk. A dealer would have sold them.

Cheers harit

[wasif]

There was one of these large Rover DHC's in Hyderabad too at one time

[Prabal]

Originally Posted by predatorwheelz

The movie rover in that thread had been identified as a Rover 12 tourer by Prabal. I guess the other 2 are models of the same car.

Thanks for pointing that out, Aniket. Glad that you notice.

Since yesterday I was wondering why nobody remembers good information! This was the original post for whatever it's worth.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vintag...ml#post1334579

[predatorwheelz]

Originally Posted by harit

You are 99% correct, but there was another dealership in the Indian subcontinent, though not a part od India at that time.

Interesting. I actually pulled out the manual now and had a re-read of the "where we are" section. The following countries of the subcontinent are listed, along with dealership names and addresses.

India - DEWARS GARAGE & ENGINEERING WORKS, 4 Council House Street, Calcutta, India. Telephone 3226-7.

Ceylon (Now Sri Lanka) - COLONIAL MOTORS LTD, Union Place, Colombo, Ceylon. Telephone 3342/44

Pakistan - MANDIWALLA MOTOR CAR CO, 4 Grant Road, PO Box 893, Karachi, Pakistan. Telephone 2756

Pakistan (East) (Now Bangladesh) - Same as India

Burma - STEEL BROTHERS (Wonder why they were called that) & CO LTD, 622 Merchant Street, Rangoon, Burma. Telephone South 616 and 591 (eh?)

[predatorwheelz]

Found these 2 Rovers parked in Bhowanipore area:

The first is Mr. Ojha's Rover 90. Had seen it in the Vintage car show at Kolkata in full preparation. The viking logo in front is gone, and it seems to wear a coat of dust. Maybe waiting for the spit and polish due in January, before next year's edition of the Vintage car show:





The second was this magnificent earlier example (probably a 75), with whitewall tyres, and the very rare body coloured front grille and cyclops headlamps. Was wearing an out of state registration.

[the mole]

Originally Posted by predatorwheelz

The second was this magnificent earlier example (probably a 75), with whitewall tyres, and the very rare body coloured front grille and cyclops headlamps. Was wearing an out of state registration.

Aniket the second car is new and I have never seen pics of it before, your right the early P4's are extremely desirable because of the distinctive body colour and cyclops eye.

Are you aware of any other P5's besides the ones already posted on this thread (thats mine and the one in Madras)? I am writing an article for the Rover P5 club in England about P5's in India and can't seem to find any!

[wasif]

There is a Rover, not sure if its a P5 or P6 with Rashed Bhai in Hyderabad, probably the only one left in Hyderabad.

I think there are pictures of it on the thread about his cars