1959 Rover P4 80 |

Closed Auction- Unsold

1959 Rover P4 80

This auction has now closed - click 'Register Similar' below to get notified when we consign a similar vehicle.

Mileage~6,236 on clock
TransmissionManual
Engine2.3L
LocationBasildon

AUCTION CLOSED

1959 Rover P4 80

Introduction

Dom Ginn

Professional Consigner

A timeless tale of British elegance, the Rover P4 boasts classic lines and refined details.

The Rover P4 was first introduced to the public in September 1949 and caused quite a stir with its breaks from tradition in its styling. It had an American look and an overall "modern" feel, unlike the pre-war shapes Rover had been producing. In September 1959, the P4 80 saloon was introduced as a replacement for the 75, which had been in production for around ten years prior. Body-wise similar to its predecessor, the new model featured a 2,286cc, four-cylinder, overhead valve engine which developed ~77BHP. It had servo-assisted front disc brakes as standard, a combined starter/ignition switch, and incorporated the previous model's upgrades of a larger windscreen and raised rear wings to increase boot space.

This car comes to market from ~1 year ownership, with just 5 former keepers registered. With over ~64 years spent on the road, this lovely example has had ~£2,000 worth of restorative work completed in the last ~5 years. It's ready to drive away today but would also make a lovely base for carrying out plenty more restoration work.

This listing was written from information supplied by Dom after meeting Terry 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

Owning the P4 80 is like keeping hold of a beautiful piece of motoring history!

Ever since he was able to drive, the seller Terry, has always been a fan of British cars. "I love that classic British motoring feel; there's something about owning a piece of history that I can't get enough of". The car is being offered for sale after a year of ownership. "I've loved every minute of owning the P4 80, I've been a fan of that lovely Rover shape for many years now. I owned one of these cars over 60 years ago, and I thought it would be nice to have another one to potter about with and bring it back to the best condition I could".

Terry goes on to tell us, "Driving it takes me back to the 1960's. However, as I'm getting a little older, I'd like to offer it up to a good home that can care for it as much as I have. At 83 years old, I'm no longer able to work on it, and it needs a younger enthusiast to bring it to its former glory". Terry will be available to answer any questions about the car in the comments below.

Terry

Vehicle Owner

Ask Questions

CONTACT OWNER

Exterior
Interior
Mechanics
History
All Images

EXTERIOR VIDEO

Exterior

Graceful curves and vintage charm, this iconic saloon captures the essence of a bygone era.

Wheels and Tyres

The P4 80 is fitted with 15" original wheels with chrome hubcaps with Rover center-placed emblems. Finished in a body-matched red color, the wheels appear to be in good condition, although we did note some signs of age and paint chipping. There were signs of age-related wear on the wheel centre emblems and pitting on the chrome finish, although this did not look out of place given the age of the car.

Fitted with Avon Super Safety 640H15 tyres, these appeared to have a respectable amount of tread left as all four were replaced in January 2020 following restoration work. For a more detailed view of the Rover's exterior and a closer inspection of the wheels and tyres, please refer to the photos and videos.

Bodywork

The Rover maintains well-aligned panel gaps, and the body and wings are free of any major dents. All four doors, bonnet, and boot open and close smoothly during our visit to the car. A notable feature of the exterior styling is the rear-hinged passenger doors.

We've highlighted our observations in more detail through our hi-resolution images and videos, so please take the time to look through all the media files for a detailed view of what’s on offer and to assess the condition of the car for yourselves.

Paint

Finished in an attractive shade of red, the paint showed well across the panels, with an even colour and finish. The paint coverage is consistent, with no major concerns noted. The car shows well given it was resprayed in late 2021, with a colour change from grey to red.

Again, we have taken high-resolution images and videos of the car for you to assess the condition of the bodywork and paint for yourselves. The images are taken from various angles to provide a comprehensive view of the car. Please take the time to fully assess these high-resolution images and videos to form your own opinion about the condition of the paint.

Glass and Trim

All the glass sections on the Rover, including the windscreen, side windows, and mirrors, appeared to be in good condition. The front and rear lights also appeared well-maintained. During our visit, we didn't observe any cracks, chips, or scratches.

A nice touch indicating the car's history was the original tax disc still located in the window corner. The badge emblems on the front grille were also in good condition. We did observe some signs of pitting on the chrome to the front and rear bumpers, in line with the age of the car.

Take a look through the exterior gallery and review video. We take you across all areas of the car as if you were standing there yourself. This way, you can see in greater detail how the car is presented.

VIEW ALL

INTERIOR VIDEO

Interior

From the sumptuous leather upholstery to the rich wood trim, every detail exudes sophistication from a previous time.

Seats and Carpets

The Rover features a front bench seat upholstered in comfortable cream leather. There are age-related creasing to the leather, and we observed a tear on the driver's bolster seat edge. Overall though, the front and rear seats have aged nicely.

The car is fitted with era-appropriate brown carpet showing some signs of wear and minor fading. The roof lining looked good after being replaced in 2006, although a few marks were noted during our visit. There were slight marks noted on the door trims, but overall, the interior showed no major issues. Inside the boot, the presentation is respectable, although it would benefit from a light cleanup. Please see the interior gallery for more detailed images.

Dashboard

The car features a beautiful wooden dash trim, with smart black covering around the dials and switchgear. There were some slight scratches on the main dash trim, reflective of the car's age, but nothing that was overly concerning. The odometer displayed ~6,236 miles at the time of our visit.

The dials, switches, and controls all looked to be in order, with display dials and digital elements functioning well; everything seemed to work as it should. Our interior gallery section takes you through some closer images of the P4 80's dashboard.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

An original 3 spoke Rover branded steering wheel is in place. The black steering wheel looked in good condition, we did notice some age-related pitting on the metal areas. The gear selector positioned near the dashboard, making gear changes easily within the driver's reach.

We've captured high-resolution photos for you to review and appreciate the condition of the interior in our gallery section.

VIEW ALL

'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO

Mechanics

A rebuilt engine, the 2.3L naturally aspirated 4-cylinder produced ~77BHP from factory, delivered via its 4-speed manual gearbox.

Engine and Gearbox

Starting up the car, we noted no concerns with the engine. It idles smoothly, and warning lights remained off during the initial start. The current owner, Terry, reports that the engine and gearbox are smooth, and everything is working as it should to his knowledge.

We took the car out on some local roads with Terry to get a better feel for the vehicle. During the drive, we went through the motions, shifting through the gears, and seeing how the car performs. Take a look at the mechanical video for an overview out on the road and a closer look at the engine bay.

Suspension and Brakes

We noted no knocks, bangs or other issues from the suspension whilst on the road with Terry, and it gave us no concerns in its performance or handling. The braking felt good and reassuring, bringing the rover to a stop without any concerning vibrations noted.

We cover the underside of the car in our 'Mechanical Gallery' section. Head over to our video section, where we've summarised our visit in more detail for you to view for yourself. We take you around the mechanical elements of the car and give you an overview of what's on offer here.

The Drive

The P4 80 feels more spritely than its ~77BHP would suggest, thanks to the its lighter weight, it feels nimble through corners too.

The car seems to glide effortlessly when driving and exudes classic charm through every twist and turn.

Electrics and Other

All switches, dials, and gauges appear undamaged and in good condition. As the Rover is approaching its ~65th birthday, the electrical components on this car are relatively minimal.

Terry mentioned that he's had no issues with the electrical elements of the car and believes that everything should be working correctly as far a he was aware.

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History and Paperwork

With ~64 years spent on the road, this lovely example has had ~£2,000 of restorative work completed in the last ~5 years.

The Rover engine and gearbox have been rebuilt, new sill rubbers were fitted in June 2023, a new brake servo was installed in May 2023 and a new battery in February 2023. The colour of the P4 80 was changed from grey to red in December 2021. A rebuilt carburettor, new coils, leads and distributor cap and also any welding that needed, was completed in January 2020.

For a comprehensive look at the car's history and maintenance, please refer to the history and paperwork media, which includes previous MOT reports and service receipts.

We’ve done all our usual seller checks including photo ID, V5 and actioned a HPi check on the vehicle.

Should any questions be required, Terry would be happy to answer these in the 'ask the owner' section.

We've summarised our own view on the car based on information gained from the seller in the listing above, however, and as you can see, we go to great lengths to photograph and video the car in hi-resolution detail - this has been done for you to make your own assessment from the comfort of your sofa. So please sit back, have a cuppa and take your time to review everything on this listing in order to make your own assessment on the vehicle's condition. Viewings are also welcomed with all our listings, so please get in touch with us to arrange a suitable time - we just need to speak to you first and receive a valid photo ID before confirming.

If there's anything you're unsure about, no matter how small, then please first ask the owner in the comments area below before placing your bid/s, as bids can't be retracted and form a binding contract if you win the car - just like a traditional auction house.

Service History

Date	Type	Mileage
09.05.2023	Brake Servo
06.01.2020	Restoration Work
16.05.2012	MOT	45,420
03.05.2011	MOT	44,342
04.05.2010	MOT	43,613
08.05.2009	MOT	42,695
30.04.2008	MOT	42,564
22.05.2007	MOT	42,564
2006	Misc Restoration Parts
19.04.2005	Welding & MOT	42,195
14.05.2004	MOT	42,117
23.04.2003	MOT	42,009
07.05.2002	Brake Pipe & MOT	41,949
23.04.2001	MOT	41,770
01.05.1969	Service	3,000
17.05.1962	Service	1,000