Rover P4

Reprinted after a long absence, this Veloce Classic is the definitive history of the dignified Rover P4 from 1949 until 1964, which includes Marauder and jet-powered, experimental cars. Nowadays affectionately known as the ‘Aunty’ Rover, the dignified P4 series of cars was launched in 1949 to carry Britain’s Rover company into the postwar era. Rover’s well-deserved reputation for building high-quality cars, and the marque’s upmarket image, ensured that the P4 series appealed to the company’s traditional clientele - doctors, solicitors, bank managers and others of similar social rank. Despite the rather staid image of the P4 series, over the years the cars had many interesting features, like the original ‘Cyclops’ central headlight, disc brakes, a freewheel device and overdrive. The larger-engined versions were also rather nifty and could whoosh their occupants along at a very unauntie-like pace!

Production continued through several model variations - but always with four or six-cylinder engines - until 1964. In the meantime, Rover experimented with gas turbine power units in P4 bodies, and created the famous JET 1. The Marauder sports car was also P4-based. An amazing number of the sturdy P4s have survived to the present day and most are now enjoyed and cherished by enthusiasts.