Ex-demonstrator Car?

Matt_75 · 23rd August 2023, 12:26

Hi all,

My wife and I have been trying to find out some info about her 75. I contacted Reebs to enquire about the build records, but unfortunately the car falls into a group of Cowley built cars where the records are missing.

The car was registered in May 2001 (on a Y plate) and has a number plate ending with a PR suffix, which I understand was the area code for Bournemouth. This makes sense as the paperwork shows it was sold by a dealer in that area.

To try and get an idea of the build date I've had a look at a couple of stickers hidden under the rear seat and behind the LSM. These both feature the correct VIN and interestingly a date of 15/10/1999. On my Longbridge built 75, the same stickers have a date of 09/08/2001 and I know the car came off the production line the day after, 10/08/2001.

Does anyone have any theories on why a car built roughly in Oct 1999 would not be registered until May 2001? Was it possibly an ex-demo car?

Cheers

Briodyjl01 · 23rd August 2023, 13:22

What is the numbers at the end of the chassis number? I have a v reg that isn’t in the data but see how far away from mine it is.

Matt_75 · 23rd August 2023, 13:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Briodyjl01

What is the numbers at the end of the chassis number? I have a v reg that isn’t in the data but see how far away from mine it is.

Good point, I didnt think to compare it to other cars built around the same time. The VIN ends 129899.

Cheers

Rogue · 23rd August 2023, 16:37

Mine appears to have been built Nov ish 99 but was not registered until April 2000.

Dorchester2 · 24th August 2023, 09:57

Mine is 106404 and got out of the factory precisely - as written below - on the 1st of July 1999. She was sold on Xmas eve 1999. Hence clearly not an ex-demonstrator car which were built earlier in Spring.

Yours being 129899 I guess she may have been built in the beginning of Autumn.

Matt_75 · 24th August 2023, 12:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dorchester2

Mine is 106404 and got out of the factory precisely - as written below - on the 1st of July 1999. She was sold on Xmas eve 1999. Hence clearly not an ex-demonstrator car which were built earlier in Spring.

Yours being 129899 I guess she may have been built in the beginning of Autumn.

That looks to add up. Supposedly Rover built around 53000 75s in 1999: https://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/for...read.php?t=481

Your car being roughly number 6000 that year would place my wife's car, roughly number 29000, as being made around Autumn of 1999, assuming production was fairly evenly distributed between July and the end if the year.

I just find it odd that a year and half passed between manufacture and registration. Weird.

Cheers

Dorchester2 · 24th August 2023, 19:36

I've looked for your VIN.
The 123611 was built on the 25th of September 1999 and the next one which was kept is 167302 on the 29th of February 2000.
Hence my guess for yours is around the first half of October.
Can't find better.

Matt_75 · 24th August 2023, 20:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dorchester2

I've looked for your VIN.
The 123611 was built on the 25th of September 1999 and the next one which was kept is 167302 on the 29th of February 2000.
Hence my guess for yours is around the first half of October.
Can't find better.

Thank you for looking for me, it's good to know I was in the right ball park with my October estimate based on the stickers.

Matt_75 · 28th October 2023, 14:19

A while back I started this thread because I was confused as to why my wife's 75 was manufactured in Oct 1999, but not registered until May 2001. Well, I think I may have found a possible reason.

We replaced the carpet, headlining and some interior pieces recently and found multiple stickers with Sept and Oct 1999 dates on them, further backing up the conclusion that the car was made around this time. But none of this helps understand why a year and a half passed between manufacture and registration.

The car is an odd spec, being a Dorchester Red Club (not even SE) but with manually adjusted heated Sandstone Leather seats, powerfold mirrors, traction control, additional side impact airbags, driver's side cupholder and Symphony audio system.

The car also has a seatbelt warning light that doesn't go out until the driver's seat belt is clipped in, something I've not seen on the other five 75s I've driven. There was also this holder in the passengers footwell which I thought was something put in by a previous owner, but now think might be a flare holder:

The jack also has a yellow sticker with Japanese writing on it which isn't present on the spare jack I have which is from a 1999 built UK car:

Finally, when replacing the rear number plate, we found some threaded inserts in the boot lid which, having read another thread on this topic, were used to affix the plates on Japanese cars.

All of this suggests to me that her 75 might be one of the Japanese spec cars I've heard about previously. Does anyone know what the story is with those cars? I've heard they were made for the Japanese market but returned to the UK for reconfiguration to UK spec when BMW pulled out.

Thanks

trikey · 28th October 2023, 14:58

Yep, sounds like a jap spec, the other giveaways are dimpled crown alloys, and headlight washers fitted with standard headlights.

Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk

23rd August 2023, 12:26	#1
Matt_75 Gets stuck in 75 Saloon Join Date: Apr 2022 Location: North Somerset Posts: 575 Thanks: 13 Thanked 20 Times in 8 Posts	Ex-demonstrator Car? Hi all, My wife and I have been trying to find out some info about her 75. I contacted Reebs to enquire about the build records, but unfortunately the car falls into a group of Cowley built cars where the records are missing. The car was registered in May 2001 (on a Y plate) and has a number plate ending with a PR suffix, which I understand was the area code for Bournemouth. This makes sense as the paperwork shows it was sold by a dealer in that area. To try and get an idea of the build date I've had a look at a couple of stickers hidden under the rear seat and behind the LSM. These both feature the correct VIN and interestingly a date of 15/10/1999. On my Longbridge built 75, the same stickers have a date of 09/08/2001 and I know the car came off the production line the day after, 10/08/2001. Does anyone have any theories on why a car built roughly in Oct 1999 would not be registered until May 2001? Was it possibly an ex-demo car? Cheers __________________ Matt 2001 Rover 75 Connoisseur SE 2.5 (BRG) 1999 Rover 75 Club 2.5 (Dorchester Red) 1973 Triumph Dolomite (Honeysuckle)

23rd August 2023, 13:22	#2
Briodyjl01 Gets stuck in Rover 75 Tourer, Rover 75 Saloon Join Date: May 2018 Location: Castleford Posts: 982 Thanks: 237 Thanked 185 Times in 113 Posts	What is the numbers at the end of the chassis number? I have a v reg that isn’t in the data but see how far away from mine it is. __________________ Too many Rovers to count ……

23rd August 2023, 16:37	#4
Rogue I really should get out more....... 75 CDT SE 160 Saloon Join Date: May 2017 Location: Thorpe St Andrew, Norwich Posts: 2,680 Thanks: 1,386 Thanked 1,096 Times in 774 Posts	Mine appears to have been built Nov ish 99 but was not registered until April 2000. __________________ Glutton for punishment --- Previously ... 2.6 SD1 x 2, 3.5 SD1, 820S, 820Si x2, 216 Gsi, 220T saloon, 414, 45 1.4 x2 and now a Cowley 75 CDT

24th August 2023, 09:57	#5
Dorchester2 incurable Rover addict Rover 75 Saloon V6 2.5 1999 - Rover 25 1.4 2002 - Rover 214i cab 1994 - Rover P5b coupe 1968 Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Bioule. South West of France. Posts: 1,645 Thanks: 612 Thanked 385 Times in 223 Posts	Mine is 106404 and got out of the factory precisely - as written below - on the 1st of July 1999. She was sold on Xmas eve 1999. Hence clearly not an ex-demonstrator car which were built earlier in Spring. Yours being 129899 I guess she may have been built in the beginning of Autumn. __________________ Rover 75 V6 2.5 Auto Connie born 1 July 1999, 24 kOhms resistor, 10 kOhms manual starter, full E85, modified airbox, full derestricted SS exhaust line, power & torque remap -> 202 bhp This vehicle was the 7,517th 75 to run off the production line, out of 112,381 This vehicle was the 1,190th 75 2.5 V6 Contemporary to be made out of 8,214 This vehicle was the 2,032nd 75 in Atlantic Blue Pearlescent (code: JEY) to be made out of 2,572 Atlantic Blue Pearlescent 75s Last edited by Dorchester2; 24th August 2023 at 10:00..

24th August 2023, 19:36	#7
Dorchester2 incurable Rover addict Rover 75 Saloon V6 2.5 1999 - Rover 25 1.4 2002 - Rover 214i cab 1994 - Rover P5b coupe 1968 Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Bioule. South West of France. Posts: 1,645 Thanks: 612 Thanked 385 Times in 223 Posts	I've looked for your VIN. The 123611 was built on the 25th of September 1999 and the next one which was kept is 167302 on the 29th of February 2000. Hence my guess for yours is around the first half of October. Can't find better. __________________ Rover 75 V6 2.5 Auto Connie born 1 July 1999, 24 kOhms resistor, 10 kOhms manual starter, full E85, modified airbox, full derestricted SS exhaust line, power & torque remap -> 202 bhp This vehicle was the 7,517th 75 to run off the production line, out of 112,381 This vehicle was the 1,190th 75 2.5 V6 Contemporary to be made out of 8,214 This vehicle was the 2,032nd 75 in Atlantic Blue Pearlescent (code: JEY) to be made out of 2,572 Atlantic Blue Pearlescent 75s

28th October 2023, 14:19	#9
Matt_75 Gets stuck in 75 Saloon Join Date: Apr 2022 Location: North Somerset Posts: 575 Thanks: 13 Thanked 20 Times in 8 Posts	Japanese spec car? A while back I started this thread because I was confused as to why my wife's 75 was manufactured in Oct 1999, but not registered until May 2001. Well, I think I may have found a possible reason. We replaced the carpet, headlining and some interior pieces recently and found multiple stickers with Sept and Oct 1999 dates on them, further backing up the conclusion that the car was made around this time. But none of this helps understand why a year and a half passed between manufacture and registration. The car is an odd spec, being a Dorchester Red Club (not even SE) but with manually adjusted heated Sandstone Leather seats, powerfold mirrors, traction control, additional side impact airbags, driver's side cupholder and Symphony audio system. The car also has a seatbelt warning light that doesn't go out until the driver's seat belt is clipped in, something I've not seen on the other five 75s I've driven. There was also this holder in the passengers footwell which I thought was something put in by a previous owner, but now think might be a flare holder: The jack also has a yellow sticker with Japanese writing on it which isn't present on the spare jack I have which is from a 1999 built UK car: Finally, when replacing the rear number plate, we found some threaded inserts in the boot lid which, having read another thread on this topic, were used to affix the plates on Japanese cars. All of this suggests to me that her 75 might be one of the Japanese spec cars I've heard about previously. Does anyone know what the story is with those cars? I've heard they were made for the Japanese market but returned to the UK for reconfiguration to UK spec when BMW pulled out. Thanks __________________ Matt 2001 Rover 75 Connoisseur SE 2.5 (BRG) 1999 Rover 75 Club 2.5 (Dorchester Red) 1973 Triumph Dolomite (Honeysuckle)

28th October 2023, 14:58	#10
trikey Premium Trader Rover 75 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Devon Posts: 33,808 Thanks: 8,837 Thanked 14,831 Times in 8,030 Posts	Yep, sounds like a jap spec, the other giveaways are dimpled crown alloys, and headlight washers fitted with standard headlights. Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk __________________ Lest we forget..