Rover Speed 14 rolling chassis

Following a brief dalliance with a basic rear-engined air-cooled people’s car called the Scarab, Rover wisely decided to focus on with what they were good at – building high quality, refined if slightly staid transport for the middle classes.

By the time the new P1 range of Ten, Twelve and Fourteen horsepower cars was unveiled in 1934, the worst of the Great Depression had passed and the company got stuck into its confirmed direction by producing the excellent designs of Maurice Wilks, technical director, and his chief designer, R Boyle.

In an attempt to inject a bit more of a pulse into the range they introduced a 'Speed' model in 1935. Based on a high-compression, gas-flowed, triple carburettor version of the 1,577cc six-cylinder Fourteen, it was fitted with clever rubber mounts for the engine in a neat underslung chassis with Lockheed hydraulic brakes.

Available with a particularly attractive 'Streamline' 4-door coupe body, the beautifully clean lines certainly looked aerodynamic, with the headlights mounted close together in front of the radiator (a la Talbot) and single colour bodywork. An ability to cruise at 70mph, with a top whack of over 80mph helped justify its £415 price tag. In all just 380 or so were built, but it certainly was a worthy competitor to the sporting Rileys and SS 1 ½ litre saloons of the period.

This rolling chassis has been on display at the Mouldsworth Museum for many years and has always been a most popular exhibit. The car sadly lost its bodywork many years before entering the collection; however the chassis appears to be sound and basically complete although it should be noted that the water pump has been removed and there is currently no dynamo. The engine block is made of Chromidium, a quality high chrome content casting, and the chassis comes complete with radiator, engine, gearbox, propshaft, rear axle, springs, steering gear and four wire wheels with knock-on hubs.

It is being sold with a copy of Eric Dymock’s excellent book, 'Rover - The First 90 Years’ but at present does not come with any other paperwork. What a superb basis for an interesting and attractive ‘special’ this would make.