1953 Rover P4 75
September 2019 - Initial condition
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My first inspection of the car was that it was a fairly rust-free original survivor that you would expect to see after having been in the dry desert Southwest for almost 50 years and then Texas since 2014. It had a rare left hand Gethins gearshift conversion to install a floor shifter that appeared similar to the P3, this conversion replaced the original column shift. The gas pedal and transmission tunnel had been removed by the previous owner perhaps to inspect this conversion. Also the fuel pump located in the rear trunk space was in a disassembled state. Everything else on the car including the patinated exterior appeared untouched since at least the 1990s.
1950-55 Rover P4 Serial Number decoding
Serial numbers for 1950 to 1955 model years have 8 digits in the format ABCDZZZZ.
- A = Single digit model year starting at 1950 (i.e. 0 = 1950, 5 = 1955)
- B = Model (3 = "model 60", 4 = "model 75", 5 = "model 90")
- C = Assembly (3 = complete or 6/7/8 = model 60/75/90 knocked down for local assembly)
- D = Configuration (0 = RHD domestic, 6 = RHD export, 3 = LHD export)
- ZZZZ = 4-digit production serial number
This is a photo of the car taken in 2014 by the second owner on the day it was sold to Kent and shipped to San Antonio, Texas.
Serial number 34330735 indicates this is a 1953 LHD export with production number 735 (out of 2036 made according to "The Rover P4 Story" by James Taylor). As I would later uncover during the restoration and further confirm with a factory record certification from the British Motor Museum, this P4 originally left the factory with an Ivory (No. 5) colored exterior paint and Red interior upholstery. It was built on February 13, 1953.
A view of the car as seen in late 2019 in Kent's shop.
The interior is all original except for the hole in the carpet due to the Gethins shift kit and the seats were reupholstered once probably in the 1970s or 80s. The dashboard and window wood trim has lost its finish due to hot storage conditions.
The engine is original and correct to this car with serial number 34303051.