Tourer launch date? - Page 2

JohnDotCom · 23rd July 2007, 23:09

Slightly off thread for the Moment, allegroman,
Do you still have an old Allegro?

Doris · 23rd July 2007, 23:09

The 75 Tourer went on sale on the 25th May 2001. It was first unveiled to the press on 13th June 2000.

Hope this helps.

allegroman · 23rd July 2007, 23:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnDotCom

Slightly off thread for the Moment, allegroman,
Do you still have an old Allegro?

Sadly I am Allegroless at present... having 'exported' one to the Gambia and one to Central Asia I sold my VP1500 over a year ago. I've had a 1991 827Si since last January (now for sale) but finances and impending baby don't allow me to return to the rust-ridden world of Aggro ownership just yet...

...I need to sometime, if only to use the Equipe wheels cluttering up my cellar!

Thanks to Doris for confirming the date of first sale.

Inabit · 16th January 2019, 15:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by EnEnGee

Unfortunately , I can't give you an exact date. BMW did develop the Tourer along side the Saloon but held back on giving the go ahead for Tourer production. This was possibly as a result of the disappointing sales following the explosive speech by Bernt Pischetsrieder at the 1999 Motor Show, which overshadowed the launch, and must have affected customer confidence in Rover, due to uncertainty as to the company's survival.

Consequently after BMW bailed out and Phoenix took over, the transfer of production facilities from Cowley (Oxford) to Longbridge took place over the summer of 2000 with production restarting in around October that year. The trim tracks and paint shop were commissioned first with the body line and robots coming later due to the additional time in installation. I believe that the earliest saloons built at LB were with Cowley built shells which were stockpiled at LB while the "body in white" plant was installed in LB West Works. At the same time, the plant was adapted as necessary to accomodate the Tourer which were never built at Cowley.

My Tourer was built in Dec '01 and was registered in March '02 and was numbered SARRJxxxxxx245771. I think that the Tourers had serial numbers in the same series as the saloons with a T showing Tourer and L showing Saloon at position 7 in the VIN number. The earliest Tourer I have seen was on a Y plate and had the door engine variant (torpedo) badges which were one of the first Project Drive deletions.

www.austin-rover.co.uk reports that the body in white plant at Longbridge (i.e. producing the primed body shells) was up and running in "early 2001" with the introduction of the estate planned (at the time the article was written) for "mid 2001".

There is however a photograph on the Rover 75 part of this site, ostensibly showing a Tourer on cold weather testing in Switzerland in 1999. It carries the pretty meaningless registration number N269 FYA. The car looks pretty much as the production variant as far as I can tell, but it does have the black sills, as carried by the Cowley built cars. This is likely to indicate, it would have been a hand built development vehicle using as many of the production components as possible. Tourers were afaik all built with body coloured sills at Longbridge. I'm afraid that is the sum of my knowledge.

My 75 Tourer has a reg of Y201 and a Vin of 219441 reg date 28/07/2001

trikey · 16th January 2019, 16:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inabit

My 75 Tourer has a reg of Y201 and a Vin of 219441 reg date 28/07/2001

There is a lot on here of early tourers, I’m sure someone will be along with a link shortly.

Les4048 · 16th January 2019, 17:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by allegroman

Hi
I am new to 75 ownership, having just bought a Y-reg CDT Club SE, formerly an MG-Rover company car. I'm wondering just how early it is, can anyone tell me the launch date for the Tourer, and is there any way to find out what the chassis numbers began at?
Cheers

I’m confused as you started this ages ago

https://the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/s...d.php?t=155261

trikey · 16th January 2019, 18:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Les4048

I’m confused as you started this ages ago

https://the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/s...d.php?t=155261

Resurrected thread Les, check the dates!

trikey · 16th January 2019, 18:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inabit

My 75 Tourer has a reg of Y201 and a Vin of 219441 reg date 28/07/2001

You should be on the list then

Les4048 · 16th January 2019, 18:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by trikey

Resurrected thread Les, check the dates!

Ballcocks, missed that. Thanks Andy

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alanaslan · 16th January 2019, 18:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doris

The 75 Tourer went on sale on the 25th May 2001. It was first unveiled to the press on 13th June 2000.

Hope this helps.

My first introduction to the Tourer was in June 2000, I was also introduced to a VP at this meeting, it was a 200mm stretch. The build quality was fantastic on the VP the finish of the leather was some of the best I have ever seen including that in Aston’s and Bentley,s.
Sadly the cars I was introduced to that evening were finished to a much higher standard than the production models I have owned.
I still say my best ever 75 was the Launch car I took delivery of when Rover Garages up and Down the country had their big night.

I have to say that that is the only VP I ever saw all other LWB were sold as either LWB or as Limos. Can anyone tell me if the VP badge ever found its way on to production LWB cars.
Alan

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23rd July 2007, 23:09	#11
JohnDotCom * Rover 75 FaceLift Tourer CDTi 170BHP Auto ConnSE 2005 Model Starlight Silver Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Abergele Posts: 28,735 Thanks: 0 Thanked 6 Times in 5 Posts	Slightly off thread for the Moment, allegroman, Do you still have an old Allegro?

23rd July 2007, 23:09	#12
Doris Regular poster Rover 75 2.0 CDTi Connoisseur - 03 plate Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Chipping Campden Posts: 57 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	The 75 Tourer went on sale on the 25th May 2001. It was first unveiled to the press on 13th June 2000. Hope this helps.