'Pre-Production' and 'Launch' Cars

[spyder]

Would anybody know what the earliest surviving car is then, whether in private ownership or a museum.
It would have to be a pre-production car I would imagine?

Craig

[scoubix]

I don't believe there's any older car being accounted for than S525 OVP, which belongs to Christopher here.

[Gate Keeper]

Originally Posted by scoubix

I don't believe there's any older car being accounted for than S525 OVP, which belongs to Christopher here.

I happen to know that OVP ends in 001196
and that LJW ends in 001194
An even earlier 75 exists but the owner asked me last year not to reveal his identity or the identity of the car. The reasons for this are known only to him, but I must respect his wishes.

Here is a piece of club history, people will find interesting. A fascinating read and is a tribute to the owners club, the members in my opinion
An extract from the start of a 33 page thread dated 23rd July, 2009 "Save the Longbridge Four!!!! and other S & T reg cars."

Sorry I was not able to link the remaining pages. Maybe someone can do this for me.

Originally Posted by Rabett_Rover

Thanks to hard work of Martin Green and other members. We have Located 4 Yes 4 S plate Rover 75's all of them are at Longbridge and all are due to be scrapped so Martin and myself are trying to buy them. I am going to add pictures later so keep watching. In adition to the 4 at Longbridge I have spent 4 hous today making up this list.

Pre launch cars have different specs to later cars. Here are some of the differeces from VIN 001482


Boot Plinth without embossed Rover letters.

Matt Black plastic Hazard light surround as apposed to Walnut effect

Smooth Harman Kardon unit in boot as opposed to unit with ridges in it.

Black Parking sensors (Not body coloured)


Here is a copy of the service book opening page from T78 MOA note who the PDI was completed by.

1) M519FYJ any help on the VIN appreciated.
First Registered: No records found
Road tax expired: No records found
On the road: N/A





2) M260TDB any help on the VIN appreciated.
First Registered: 24/6/1998
Road tax expired: 3/4/2001
On the road: No




3) S*** DEH VIN 00 0197
First Registered: N/A
Road tax expired: N/A
On the road: N/A

4) S415 OVP any help on the VIN appreciated.
First Registered: 27/11/1998
Road Tax expires: 1/1/2010
On the road: Yes

5) S527 OVP VIN 00 1047
First Registered: 18/12/1998
Road tax expired: 1/6/2000
On the road: No

AT LONGBRIDGE




6) S530 OVP any help on the VIN appreciated.
First Registered: 22/12/1998
Road tax expired: 1/6/2000
On the road: No



7) S625RNX any help on the VIN appreciated.
First Registered: 23/4/2001 (Manufactured 1998)
Road tax expired: 1/4/2007
On the road: No



S644 JEP any help on the VIN appreciated.
First Registered: Records not found.
Road Tax Expired: Records not found.
On the road: N/A





8) S902 XDA VIN 00 1152, this is the car Martin found on Gumtree
First Registered: 25/1/1999
Road tax expired: 1/5/2000
On the road: No
AT LONGBRIDGE



9) S918 XDA
First Registered: 26/1/1999
Road tax expired: 1/12/2003
On the road: No



10) S750 LJW VIN
First Registered: 22/12/1998
Road tax expires: 1/9/2009
On the road: Yes



11) S751 LJW any help on the VIN appreciated.
First Registered: 7/1/1999
Road tax expires: 1/6/2010
On the road: Yes




12) S525 OVP VIN 00 1196
First Registered: 18/12/1998
Road tax expires: 1/6/2010
On the road: Yes

AT LONGBRIDGE



Or as it is today



13) T979 UOX VIN 00 1255
First Registered: 3/3/1999
Road taxed expired: 28/4/2008
On the road: No



14) S414 AOX VIN 001444
First Registered: 25/1/1999
Road taxed expired: 1/8/2009
On the road: Yes

15) S457 AOX VIN 00 1367
First Registered: 25/1/1999
Road taxed expired: 8/9/1999
On the road: No

AT LONGBRIDGE



16) S473 AOX VIN 00 1384
First Registered: 25/1/1999
Road taxed expired: 25/1/2007
On the road: No




17) T207 JOP VIN 00 1481
First Registered: 1/3/1999
Road taxed expires: 1/12/2009
On the road: Yes



18) T78 MOA (Rabett Rover's Car) VIN 00 1482
First Registered: 10/3/1999
Road taxed expires: 1/6/2010
On the road: Yes



19) T262JOP

First Registered: 1/3/1999
Road taxed expires: 1/3/2010
On the road: Yes

20) T235JOP VIN 001500

First Registered: 1/3/1999
Road taxed expires: 1/12/2009
On the road: Yes

21) S543 OVP VIN 00 1536
First Registered: 16/2/1999
Road taxed expired: 25/3/2002
On the road: No



T318 JOP
First Registered: 10/3/1999
Road Tax Expires: 1/7/2010
On the road: Yes



22) T385 JOP VIN 00 1598
First Registered: 2/4/1999
Road taxed expired: No records found
On the road: N/A



23) T36 MOA VIN 00 1599
First Registered: 1/3/1999
Road taxed expires: 1/12/2009
On the road: Yes



24) T907ABD VIN 00 1743

First Registered: 18/3/1999
Road taxed expires: 1/6/2010
On the road: Yes
Colour Blue now Red



25) T954 ABD VIN 00 1796
First Registered: 18/3/1999
Road taxed expires: 1/10/2009
On the road: Yes



26) T499 JOP (Starman's saloon) VIN 00 1801
First Registered: 18/3/1999
Road taxed expires: 1/10/2009
On the road: Yes



27) T977 UOX VIN 00 1869
First Registered: 13/4/1999
Road tax expired: 1/11/2008
On the road: No

28) N269 FYA any help on the VIN appreciated.
First Registered: 1/6/1999
Road tax expired: 10/4/2001
On the road: No


29) X541 JOH any help on the VIN appreciated.

First Registered: 18/9/2000
Road taxed expired: 6/9/2005
On the road: Yes

[Gate Keeper]

Originally Posted by Bigga

Hi, i was asking about ovp in the wrong thread as knew nothing about it, is it Christopher's car then and not a club car? I'm getting confused lol

OVP belongs to Christopher in its entirety. If you want to know anymore, do a search and all of the posts will come up from the search engine

[suzublu]

Didn't the late Dr. Alan Cranston have the oldest in Sweden Seem to remember it was

[Gate Keeper]

Originally Posted by suzublu

Didn't the late Dr. Alan Cranston have the oldest in Sweden Seem to remember it was

God rest his soul, Dr. Alan Cranston RIP. Alan did in fact at the time, own the oldest 75 in the club. His car remains in Sweden and is currently owned by a fellow member.

One much older, came to light last year and belongs to the member who I referred to earlier, the chap who prefers to remain anonymous. I have the vin number and all I can say is, that it is a really early example. It just goes to show, how one can never make assumptions, as to who owns the earliest surviving known Rover 75 in the UK.

[Speedblock]

Yes - Late member Dr Alan "Roverowner" Cranstons Lhd S-Reg VIN M001149 lives well here in Sweden and has just had its first run on the roads for this season after a deep winter sleep in my garage. It passed the yearly swedish cartest yesterday with no problems.
It now has 59.290 miles on the clock.

A even earlier one? - yes we can refer to the existing VIN M001128. Maybe there are some even earlier existing examples to discover?

Regards Speedblock

[suzublu]

Thank you for the update Christian
so pleased everything is in good hands. I hope Kirstie & family are doing well

[Mike Noc]

Bit off topic but I saw these two crash test cars in a scrappy in Aldershot. Wonder how many were used for testing?

[IMG][/IMG]

The scrapper was under strict instructions not to let any parts be taken off, but looks like someone had helped themselves to a set of alloys and fitted spacesavers instead.





.

[Reebs]

Perhaps a timely reminder of the video I made some years back to celebrate the S Reg pre -launchers. Keep your eyes peeled for a certain white one in its prime.