1947 Rover 12 P2 |

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1947 Rover 12 P2

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Sold Price

£6,360

Mileage~22,000
TransmissionManual
Engine1.5L
LocationRoss-on-Wye

SOLD

1947 Rover 12 P2

I WANT ONE

Introduction

Jacob Boodrie

Professional Consigner

Praised by the contemporary press for its quality, looks and performance - the beautiful Rover 12 P2.

The Rover 12 was a name given to several medium-sized family cars from the British Rover car company between 1905 and 1948. Being a 1947 example this is the last generation, a P2 with many styling changes from the predecessor, stiffened chassis, Girling rod brakes and a synchromesh was added to the top two ratios on the gearbox. 11,786 models were made pre-war and only 4,840 after.

This example has been owned, restored and enjoyed by John for the last 14 years. He's driven it to France, to his children's weddings and loved getting it out on sunny weekends. Now due to downsizing, John has approached us to help him find a new home for this rare classic.

This auction listing was written from information supplied by Jacob after meeting John the owner, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

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Secure Auctions

We verify all our sellers and buyers to keep our community safe whilst also providing the highest levels of website security.

Full Transparency

8 out of 10 people that buy cars via our service don’t feel the need to visit due to the transparency and thoroughness of our listings.

Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Meet the owner

After many comfortable road trips to France, I can confirm the car is lovely to drive and will be sad to see it go - it's been like part of the family.

John and his wife Rita, have absolutely loved owning and using this Rover 12 over the previous years. John a trained engineer fully restored the car many years ago for use at his children's weddings and taking it on French road trips along with many other friends with classics cars. John also admitted that he's always wanted to own a Rover 12 after seeing one in Foyle's war.

The car is currently stored at John's friend's house undercover, due to moving to a smaller house. John had to pick between letting go of this Rover 12 or a later convertible singer. It was a difficult decision but he went with the latter and therefore is looking for a like-minded classic enthusiast to take over ownership of this rare Rover 12.

John completed the exterior and interior restoration himself many years ago, and has photographs documenting the whole process. He's left in the original seats and replaced the headlining himself, something he quite proud of and rightly so. The car had been sat cold for a few weeks now, so we filmed a proper cold start, take a look at the mechanical video to see the car starting with ease.

John will be more than happy to answer any of your questions in the comments below.

John

Vehicle Owner

John saved £1,080* when they
sold their Rover with us.

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EXTERIOR VIDEO

Exterior

Handsome curves - the Rover P2 turn heads wherever it goes.

Wheels and Tyres

These large 19" wheels look great on the P2, painted in the same colour as the body with chrome hubs all around. Please take a look at the photos to see the wheels up close, there is some slight wear in places as you would expect for a 74-year-old car.

John reports replacing the rubber rather recently, Firestone wraps each wheel and looks in great condition with plenty of grip for the new owner to enjoy the car this year. They would benefit from a deep clean and tyre polish.

Bodywork

John showed us a handful of photographs from the restoration which can be pictured below in the paperwork section. The bodywork looks generally good i.e. the body lines up tight and a good fit along the panels with the shut lines of the doors, bonnet and boot looking good too.

There are some places that would benefit from some light TLC, most noticeable is a ding on the near side passenger door and a few scratches around the car - on the offside and rear boot.

Some of the edges along the boot and engine bay is beginning to show a little corrosion - these seem easy to access and work on areas that could do with a little TLC one Sunday afternoon.

Paint

The cellulose paint looks good and gives a dark grey/navy colour to the bodywork. The paintwork appears even in colour and coverage across the panels which could be made a lot better with a little TLC. We noticed some areas where the touch-up paint had been applied - noticeably on the rear offside wing.

Please take a look at the photos for a closer look at the exterior paintwork.

Glass and Trim

The glass looks great on the car along with the chrome trim. The glass appears free from damage such as chips or cracks, and the chrome trim on the front also looks good.

There are some very minor dents to the chrome trim in places, please take a closer look at the original trim and glass on this classy classic.

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INTERIOR VIDEO

Interior

An elegant and advanced interior for the '40s -John reports a very comfortable drive to France from inside the cabin.

Seats and Carpets

The seats are all original as John decided to leave them just like that over his ownership. Of course they're showing their age but that's all part of the experience giving you a feel of real history.

The carpets look good inside the 12, with no wear, tear or rips noted, and replaced in 2000 - please take a look at the interior videos for a detailed tour.

Dashboard

This wooden dashboard looks great and in line with its age and mileage.

A metal panel creates a home for all the black gauges, dials, and controls. It looks great as it's presented here, and John reports everything is working well to his knowledge.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

The steering wheel and gear stick look good too - free from much wear or tear with the wheel and stick matching the age and general condition of the car - putting you in full control of this large classic.

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'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO

Mechanics

The robust 1496cc four-cylinder Rover 12 P2 produced 53bhp with a top speed of 70mph - impressive stats back in 1947.

Engine and Gearbox

Fitted with a new 1496cc, four-cylinder engine. We filmed the car starting from cold for the first time in weeks without much fuss. John also showed us the car ticking over nicely, his regular maintenance and oil changes have assisted this.

John reports a steady and reliable speed in the Rover 12, "an absolute pleasure to drive", he mentions.

Suspension and Brakes

The suspension was conventional with rigid axels and half elliptic leaf springs all around offering a luxurious and comfortable ride in the classic.

Perfect for transporting your children from weddings, or perhaps the occasional holiday road trip, as John did.

John also reports quick and responsive brakes which he says work without fault.

The Drive

A steady and swift drive in the P2, the 1496cc straight-4 is more than enough to get you to where you need to be, both in style and comfort.

John and his family have taken the car on many road trips, often across to France with rallies of other classics.

Electrics and Other

John reports all the electrical systems are reliable and working to his knowledge.

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History and Paperwork

A very special yet usable British classic and with not many of these rare examples left on the roads, its the perfect base to improve over time.

The car comes with a very tidy folder of registration documents, MOT history certificates, various receipts for work completed, its original record of licences and even basic petrol rations issued.

Within the photographs you'll also find various photographs taken by John over the many years he's spent restoring the car - completing all the work himself. It's a lovely example ready to be used, or alternatively a great base for further improvement.

We've actioned checks on: Seller ID, V5, HPi.