1963 ROVER P4 110 - Man who likes the Citroen DS tries a Rover P4 110
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- Опубликовано: 14 окт 2024
- #roverp4 #auntie #classiccars
I know nothing about the Rover P4. I do know about the Citroen DS, but this isn't one of those.
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May I suggest you do research before you drive a car? And why go on about the DS that was a unique car, even today.
You've clicked on a video where the thumbnail says "I know nothing about this car", and the title says "Man who likes Citroen DS compares it to Rover P4", and then moaned that I hadn't researched the car and kept going on about a DS.
Have I got that right?
Didn't the thumbnail make sense ? Perhaps more research 🤷🏽♂️
In the mid 70s, I used to regularly walk down the A3 West Hill at Putney where there used to be garage forecourt under the plane trees on the north side of the road that only sold Rover P4s and P5s. I was told they used to buy them up cheap from used car lots, then recondition and renovate them for sale as affordable, reliable, solid and rather posh alternatives to the new modern cars of that time. Certainly the cars for sale were kept polished up with shining chrome and windows - as I recall there were usually at least a dozen cars for sale in a row, headlights facing the road. Always a nice thing to pass by these beauties and stop and take a look.
I used to walk there in 1963 with my Dad. I wonder if that was the garage which sold the new TR4 then?
I restored a 1962 Rover 100. The poor man's Rolls Royce from the Solihull factory! A very Stately and comfortable car.
I prefer to think of the Rolls Royce aa the ostentatious man's Rover
Despite making sense, the P4 wasn't replaced by the P5. It was replaced by the P6 (hence the P5 and 6 both being in production for a lot of years).
Oh, really? I didn't know that!
I believe at one point you could buy a P4, 5 or 6 at a Rover dealership
Not the best environment to enjoy a P4 to be honest. They are tremendous over longer distances. The high torque low reving engine was quite happy at 80mph all day long and most later models had overdrive for relaxed cruising. Whilst not that quick from a standing start, on the move mid range excelleration was pretty good for overtaking particularly with the kickdown from overdrive on the throttle pedal.(this was not an option on the 110 as it had to much power for the gearbox)The crossflow engine has the advantage of not pouring fuel over the exhaust if the float bowl ever overflows!
We owned a 1961 P4 100 model in the 1980s and 1990s when the space in the back was great for changing our kids nappies on a wet day out. The petrol flap also locked from inside the boot and if the boot lid had stayed up as it should (needs the springs slackened of a bit, everyone tightens them up to much and its the opposite of what is required so the springs never get over centre. bit like vice grips.) have done then the spare wheel would be easy, well if the latch has been oiled!
Ours was bought from a small engineering company owner who had bought it new for himself as a retiring present.
The brakes on the later models were excellent using the same disc brakes as the P5 models. This was Rover cars last model to be built on a chassis isolated from the body by rubber bushes to reduce vibration. This example could do with some love really. The back springs probably need replacing and the shocks to give the ride you hoped for.
The early P5 cars used a 3litre version of this engine with a similar weslake cylinder head design as the model you drove.
Utterly reliable, quality engineering. Gave us 50,000 miles of comfortable transport aged between 22 and43 years old during our tenure.
Really enjoyed reading that, thanks
@@UPnDOWN Yes, me too.
I've had a lift in a P6 V8 way back when and it does indeed waft along. The most wafty car I've owned was a Saab 9-5. Smooth ride and the seats are ultra comfortable. I even inadvertently exceeded the national speed limit by quite a generous amount in one of these without realising it, because they are that smooth with little or no wind and tyre noise to tell you that you are going quickly.
I remember my dad had a Rover 90, a 1955 model. He called it sky blue, as kids we called it grey. We lived in Northern Rhodesia and dad bought the rover second hand from Mr Oppenheimer who owned gold mines or was it diamond mines in South Africa. Supposedly Oppenheimer had broken the speed record from Kitwe to Jo'berg in the Rover back in the mid Fifties. An English car on terrible African roads. This low slung model did a marvellous job of taking our family around the federation. We also drove through the Belgian Congo on route to The Samfya, a holiday destination in Northern Part of Northern Rhodesia. We lived on the copper belt at Kitwe. We holidayed at Victoria Falls in 61. A wonderful trip. The car never broke down. It was a total joy. Oh the memories these old crocks bring back. Thank you, it brings back lovely times from a much more gentle era.
Oppenheimer?! 😮
Oh, not that one?
I had spotted the white P4 in the background of some of the shots and was hoping it was going to be next! I have a very scruffy 110 (think Clement but P4 and saveable) that I stopped daily driving for works before winter, noticed a few bits about this one that weren't right - that one is much nicer than my own. There are some things that have been covered by other people's comments about P6 taking over (but '63 and '64 they overlapped production and they are very different cars!). The P6 never had a 6 cylinder in production, and the SD1 6 cylinder was Triumph developed. That one has a non standard carburettor, the vikings head is mounted to where the air cleaner/silencer would be mounted - would have a 2" SU HD8. I also noted the wipers weren't parking properly - when you turn them off, they should wipe once more to half way across the screen, then go back and park themselves off the screen. The boot lid failing to stay open could well be the inner wheel arches having rusted out, as that's where the lid springs mount to. And there is an anti roll bar up front.
On the last couple of years of production, Rover changed the stance of what the model number means, so it went from being the approx bhp (eg 80 and 100 that came before), and was replaced with the 95 and 110 - which were the approx top speeds in mph. The 110 is the engine that had a cylinder head design tweaked by Harry Weslake (commonly misspelled with a t) to have larger inlet valves and a longer tract bolt on inlet manifold, combined with the bigger carb, paper air filter instead of oil bath, and larger diameter exhaust than other models made it the most powerful P4.
My friend who orchestrated me getting my 110 (and had them when they were relatively new) says they're a bit of an acquired taste, some people love them, some people hate them, but to truly appreciate how tough they are, you have to daily one especially on longer journeys for at least a month, they can certainly take a good thrashing too, and the 110 (when not misfiring) are quicker than a mk2 Jag (only the 2.4). They're a good motorway classic, even better with overdrive, better than a 4 cylinder P6. (I am more a serial P6 enthusiast). Trouble with P4s is they tend not to break, aside from when they fail to proceed of course, but things like the suspension rubbers change shape rather than break down completely, which makes them less appealing to drive, but still drivable and within MOT tolerances!
I've driven a P4 they are actually surprisingly nice to drive and can keep up with modern traffic just fine which for a car of that era is definitely high praise. The highlights were definitely the gear change and the engine which is very smooth and torquey. The steering isn't the best I think it certainly benefit from power steering at making it feel a bit more up to date
The engine wasn't used in later Rovers, it's an inlet over exhaust valve design, so side exhaust valve, overhead inlet Valve. Don't know why anyone thought that was a good idea, but there must have been some reason for it at the time. And it's a Viking head on the manifold, that being a Rover mascot. I think Rolls Royce used the inlet over exhaust design too, so maybe Rover adopted it as a look at me, I'm the same engine design as Roller sort of gig! I think the best word for his car is stately, it was very popular with bank managers and company directors.
After the war and once he'd retired, I can't help thinking that this would be Captain Mainwarings chariot of choice.
The one I learnt to drive in had a weslake head
It was probably an upgrade over a side valve, but why they chose it over a full overhead valve I have no idea,
Wasn't used in later rovers but it was fitted to some land rovers, was biggest engine available in them pre V8
@@ratchetfox8111 This design allows for a bigger inlet valve than if both valves are in the head
To see the benefit of inlet over exhaust engines (IOE), you need to recall the tax structure of the times, which favoured engines with small bores and long strokes. The small bore design limited the size of valves which could be gotten into the head, and also the porting. So the IOE design allowed for better gas flow than an equivalent OHV engine. Also, the exhaust valves remaining in the block kept them cooler, as cooled water from the radiator passes through the block before it gets to the head. An alternative to IOE which permitted better breathing was crossflow hemi heads, used by Riley, Bristol/BMW, and Jaguar. However Riley and Jaguar had the greater expense of 2 camshafts, while the Bristol/BMW engine had a pretty complex rocker arm system, probably also a bit expensive to make.
I was brought back back from hospital when I was born in 1975 in one. My Dad had to borrow my Grandads because his Viva’s radiator had popped. I was born in June. Apparently it was a very hot summer.Enjoyed that Rich. Thanks
Lol, 76 was way hotter!!!
When we were both 16 my mate announced one day that his dad had scrapped their Rover P4 (I think it was a 90). He was quite put out as it was driven to the scrap yard. He thought if it could still be driven it should be kept on the road!
These are the kind of insightful videos we’ve come to know and love 👏👍😂
The P5 didn’t get the V8 until it was later called the P5B ( B for Buick)
Lovely cars ,it alway looks like the front end is jacked up on this modle
My dad did drive one of these, in fact he had several in the late 60’s early 70’s, he had always wanted one and it was his first decent car despite being at least 10 years old, all his earlier cars had been sheds and required some sort of tinkering just to get going, a Morris Oxford or Cambridge literally rusted around us. I loved the P4 as it was the first car we ever had that had a fitted radio, i think it was a Motorola if my memory is correct, i used to sit in the car alone listening to the radio and thought i was so cool. I learnt how to start the P4 off the starting handle as a result of running the battery down regularly by sitting in the car listening to Radio 1. Great upload thanks and i am tempted to go along and do a test drive
Enjoyed that story Lee, thanks
Rovers are amazing cars! The P4, P5, P6, the Ferrari Daytona inspired SD1, the 827 Vitesse, the 75, such a shame they went under...
I really like the SD1's styling, and I need to try a P6 one day.
The 75 wasn't a Rover. It was a Honda with a badge change.
@@Demun1649 You might want to get your facts straight there. The 75 was the last fully Rover designed and built car they ever made. (With a little BMW help for the diesel engined variants). The 200, 400, 600 and 800 series however, were based off of Honda platforms.
@@laurensnieuwland4657 Still not as good as a Citroën, or a Renault, or a Peugeot, or a Škoda, or a SEAT, or a FIAT. The best car, ever made in Britain, was the Ford Lotus Cortina Mark One.
@@Demun1649 I can tell you haven't driven one. The 75 was amazing, and a sad sign of what we lost. And dude, Renault hasn't made anything good in ages! Same goes for Fiat and Seat. The Lotus Cortina was an amazing car, certainly, but not the best. Because there was also the Lotus Carlton, the TVR Cerbera Speed Six, the Rover SD1, the MG XPower SV, Triumph Dolomite Sprint... I could go on for days.
The engine was not used in any later Rovers (although it was used in series 2 and 3 Land Rovers for many years after), and the P4 was replaced by the P6, the P5 being a larger car (initially with a 3 litre version of the 2.6 in the 110 and other P4s). Showing my age in knowing all that....!
Super smooth engine for the Land Rover 2a/3 but only offered on export models 🤷♂️😡
The IOE engine was in the 1963 Series 2a forward control Landy and the Series 2a and Series 3 long wheelbase from 1967 until they finally put the V8 in the Series 3 in 1979-ish. All could be had in the UK but were pretty rare.
Would like to see you, a Citroen man, try a P6 at some point. I know Hubnut covered that amazingly driving a DS and a P6 back to back, but it would still be cool.
Same. A P6 is on my to-do list, along with a Princess.
@@UPnDOWN, now Matt (Furious Driving) has got his P6 on the road, perhaps you can trade a drive for a dyno test?
I suspect the 4.6 V8 he fitted would have quite a lot more horses than any of Hubnut's cars ...
P.S. I know it's been ages since you posted this video - it's been on my watch list for ages (along with Wrenching Wench), both good but different 'I'm not reviewing this' videos
P4s were usually owned by bank managers and doctors back in the day, they were very higher middle class cars.
Trilby wearing was compulsory too!
@@northstar1950 😂😂😂
You did a good enough out of your comfort zone review on the P4. Nice solid car. Quite fancy trying one out. David Bowie owned one of these.
Also John Prescotts first car I think
I never heard of Bowie owning one, do you have any details of what one he had or even better any pictures?
@@kidcowdy1231 it's in the John Cambridge book. Bowie & Cambo and all the Hype. He had it around Space Oddity era. John was Bowie's drummer then.
To BondBug73.
That David Bowie never ceases to amaze me! Heist liked whatever he liked - crazy or traditional. He also had an old Riley.
I've just got 110 yesterday. Not running found left in a garage since 2019. Learnt from video & comments as now my adventure starts today. Thank you
Nice find!
Auntie!
The P4 had a reserve fuel tank and that dashboard switch was for when you were low on fuel you flicked the switch and had about 30-40 miles to a petrol station
These engined were used in Land Rovers before the V8, and enlarged 3 litre versions in the P5 also before the V8. The P6 had an all-new four cylinder engine (before the V8) and the four-cylinder SD1 used the O Seried engine also used in the Montego and Sherpa van (actually after and alongside the V8 in this case). The SD1 also used an entirely different six pot. I wonder why British Leyland went wrong...
They never made a 4-cyl SD1.
@@1258-Eckhart According to Wiki, there was a Rover 2000 with a four-pot: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rover_SD1#Further_range_expansion
True. How strange. Missed out on that. @@HowardLeVert
@@1258-EckhartThe Diesel had an Italian 4-cylinder engine with separate cylinder heads.
@@1258-Eckhart I remembered the SD1 Rover 2000 from my youth but never knew at the time if the engine was four or six cylinders.
I love the P4. Sadly, there are few over this side of the pond.🇺🇸
We preferred HubNut back when he had a cat and didn't have a Berlingo. 🐈
My dad drove not one but two of these; a 75 and then a 90. My memory is of the gear lever breaking while on a family holiday in Greece. The 90 was followed by an ID19 Safari,of which I remember more.
As well as the spare wheel compartment, I think there’s another secret feature - a tool tray/picnic table that slides out of the dashboard
😮 How did I miss that?! Especially as the armrest game was so strong?!
P5B was the V8 B= Buick, P5 straight six 3 litre. I bought a P4 (Auntie) when I was 19 for £15, had two new Pirelli Cintuaratoes on the back, MOT had run out and needed a clutch, needed one brake pipe for MOT, I sold it to a mate for £70 and he did about 50K miles with no problems after fitting a new clutch, outside his house, on the road, no mean feat !
The P5 came out and ran beside the P4 for several years, and was originally fitted with a three litre version of the 2.6 six cylinder overheard inlet side valve exhaust fitted in this 110. These engines originally had SU carbs ...
The Buick designed, but Rover redeveloped, V8 went into the P5 in 1967, and latter the Range Rover, P6, MG {derived from the MGB], later Land Rovers, and many more ...
I prefer a straight six to any V8.
I would love to drive this 110!
Best wishes from George
I once owned a Rover 75 in 1973, delivered new in New Zealand around 1953 or 4, a later non cyclops model with a 2.1 or 2.2 liter 6 cylinder engine, earlier model to the 80, 100 and 110, similar shape, it had a free wheeling mechanism that allowed the gears to be changed without use of the clutch, and would freewheel when speed exceeded engine revs, there was a small wheel under the dash that when rotated activated this feature.
It was a very smooth car to drive and although not quick accelerating, once at speed it cruised very nicely and very quietly.
Mine had a collumn shift and although nearly 20 years old at the time was very precise and smooth to shift.
A valve type car radio, Radiola I think was at time of manufacture a bit of luxury, and the heater worked quite well.
My Dad had one of these in the Early 70s. Two tone dark and light green. Plus a go faster streak of sick that I sprayed along the nearside panels every summer trip to Aberporth.
"It's like Jesus" Perfect line 😂
I don't even remember saying it, I'll have to watch it back 😶
KYS doors made me fall off my chair
I think you should do more completely blind tests, this was hysterical
Cheers. They suit me as I'm hopeless at research, and they also seem to upset gammons and boomers.
Bank branch managers and senior golfists mainly.😂 The criminals preferred the jag. I suspect head gasket maybe the source of the misfire. They were a bit notorious for warping. Wasn’t that the engine in the posh Land Rovers also.
Love the use of the DS international standard.
I loved the review, and I found out a few things about the P4 I didn't know before. They have a distinctive gear whine when revved, something they share with the P5.
Dad was obsessed with Rovers had a p4 Cyclops. In the late 70s when my sister needed a car to learn to drive he turned up with a 1956 p4 she called Otto. She failed her first test in the driving school Escort so next time took Otto and passed we loved that car and had it for some years. Mums new car / anniversary gift was a P5 auto… she wasn’t amused as she wanted something like a Matra Simca. 🤣🤣🤣 I’d love a Rover P5.
The first car I remember going in was my Gran's friend's Rover 100. Tried to buy one about 10 years ago but my budget wasn't hefty enough. There are some amazing examples and some right sheds.
I had a P4 80 in the 1970s. Steering was not assisted, so a little heavy when parking.
Engineering features: the fuel tank had second level in it which worked as a reserve (hence the switch on the dashboard). Also, there was a dipstick inside the car to allow you to check the oil in the gearbox. Also had a overdrive feature.
Well, f*ck me, this is a car I wasn't expecting. Good stuff!
"come along Richard" in Mrs Bucket voice 😂😂 really enjoyable review Rich for a car you did not know much about.
A car I always wanted a ride in but have never managed to do so yet, I learned to drive in a P5 coupe my first car being a mint P6 which pass down the family for £100 I was the third in family to own it then duly handed it onto my sister for £100 when I had my time with it, lovely well engineered cars.
In 2010 my cousin and I would like to take part in the Mille Miglia. It is really difficult to get in, because too many people apply for it and you have a bigger chance to participate if you drive a really special car. My cousin found out that you would be eligible in a Rover 75 (P4) from 1956 and also that such a Rover had never participated in the "new" Mille Miglia. So he bought a really good one, applied, and we were in. It's not a real rally, but you get to drive on a lot of interesting roads between Brescia and Rome, and the Italians are very enthousiastic. I drove the last leg, back from Rome to Brescia, and it was fantastic. I had to drive really fast in the heavy car, and it held itself really well. It wasn't too difficult to get it to drift through corners, and you could drive over speed bumps without slowing down. As a bonus I had to drive three laps on the circuit of Modena in the Rover. Wonderful car, wonderful experience.
My dad had one when I was born do first car I ever rode in. 😊
I got to drive one of those once and I was surprised at how nice it was. The steering is far more precise and nicer than many of the 70s solid axle RWD cars.
God, what a magnificent presence these cars had...on this example there was a lot of overspray on the weatherstripping which doesn't bode very much good news.....
Someone I was at school with was the son of an accountant, so I got to be driven in a P4 occasionally. That was in the days when you could trust accountants. You wouldn't rob a bank in it: the bank manager might drive one, though--that was in the days when banks wondered if you were respectable enough for them to look after your money. Not a Hyacinth Bouquet car, because they were quintessentially not pretentious, but very solid, traditional, excellent quality. Whereas Jaguars: somehow or other I got involved with a very posh girl, who once made a remark about "Little factory owners driving Jaguars." But perhaps she was just a bit try-hard.
The comparison with the DS is almost too total to be useful: the DS struck us as being almost a spaceship; very much the result of highly intellectual design, and the single spoke steering wheel was a great big emblem of that--first thought was "How does it work with just one spoke?" Whereas the Rovers were developed, over time. IOE engines I think happened as something better than side-valve, without going all out on this new-fangled OHV stuff. Don't want to be too radical.
When new, driven at the speeds of the 1950s, they were smooth, and the leather upholstery absorbed you (though it probably wouldn't pass a modern ergonomic audit.) Never drove one, alas.
The thing was that Citroen was somewhat barred from the more conservative (with a small C) mass market by its very idiosyncrasy that frightened the general public. I sometimes fear that the needlessly excessive avant-garde styling of current EV cars will have the same effect.
@@robinwells8879 Yes, I think there was a bit of "épater les bourgeois" (shock the establishment) about the design; and as you'd have to find a garagiste who understood Citroen engineering (in England, in the 1950s) you can't entirely blame the middle classes for being a bit, err, stand-offish. The one couple I knew who had a DS were New Zealand academics in England, massively Francophile. As for styling--who knows with that? American land yachts with monstrous fins are now regarded as beautiful.
@@michaelwright2986nailed it. Ahead of their time or at least their market. Designed by auto enthusiasts and free thinkers. ❤
Back in 1978 I bought a P4 110 and used it for a few years to commute from Cambridge to St Albans every day. Always wanted one but boy do they use oil! Loved the leather, chrome and wood. It finally gave up the ghost (for me) when it expired just as I drove my wife, who was in labour, through the maternity hospital gates and coasted into a parking space. Talk about cutting it fine. It went to someone that was opening a car museum. I’d love to track it down.
Wasn't a museum in Derby, was it...?!
@@UPnDOWN I think it was actually. Derby certainly rings a bell. It was in Damson paint when I had it and I’ve got some old photos that might just have the registration number on it.
To really experience a p4 you need to get it on the road, they can really get a move one and the handling is exceptional at speed
I always think there are SOME cars everyone should have a ride in. This is one of them! The black ones, like these lovely white ones are truly iconic! It is actually good you didn't know much about these - so it would be a real discovery to find out! Interesting and unbiased review - so I've subscribed to your channel!
Thanks. That's the way I wanted to approach it. I know nothing about them, so I'll have no preconceptions.
For me there are a lot of older cars that look great but might not offer such a good driving experience, such as this. Having driven many cars of my era 1980's till now, I think I'd be very hard to please so although I love looking at older cars that's probably were the attraction would end for me. I bought an E46 BMW last year and although it is only the 2.2 M54 it is nothing like anything I've driven before, just wonderful. I suppose it also depends on what type of car it is and any driving experience has got to match the cars function e.g. sports or cruising etc.
I remember our doctor had one, he drove it for at least 20 years, that good these cars are. By the way, it is not misfiring. The motor runs on 5 cylinders. Needs to be sorted asap.
Is it not misfiring if one or more cylinders are failing to fire?
That is a handsome car that would be nice to drive the family around in and a solid cruiser.
I should have mentioned, they were nicknamed the Great Aunt R overs. They used to call them Bank Managers cars. Well my uncle wasn't the manager, but HE had one!
all that rain on that day will probably have caused that misfire Richard.
They were the kind of cars that bank managers and reasonably high up civil servants
I don't think it was the rain, but I doubt it helped!
That horn quack is hilarious!
Just purchased the same car in the same colour. It isn’t a sports car but it does look good.
Perfect comic timing.... Made it funnier than Fawlty Towers. Austin 1300GT - Truly a great car. (oh yes it was)..
I'd like to have had a go in that one, but I think UK Barn Finds got to it.
2:06 110 is the wheelbase, as opposed to 90. Like the Landrovers
Is it? Doesn't seem right as they ranged from a 75 up to the 110, and they all look *roughly* the same size to me?
And again great video, must give this a try thank you
The engine from the P4 came from the P3 and found its way into the P5, by which time it had grown to 3 litres. It was an inlet over exhaust valve construction like a smaller version of the Rolls/Bentley six of the period. No way was it used in the SD1.
Panel should do your speedo backlights.
You have shown me something I didn't know there about the p4 , the spare wheel well.👍.
I did fit a windscreen to one many moons ago they are luxurious.
Never driven one though.
This is something I did NOT expect to read!
Yes, they did do a turbine version as an experiment. I think there was even a PG Tips collector's card on it
Great prod & poke on the Rover refreshing style looking at intersting features. Eg the spare wheel mechanism.
When you look at a Rover P5 you will find the P4 Rectangular Orange 'Brake' warning light!
P5 and P6 are on my to-do list now.
My first ever car was a 1969 River P5B coupe and my second eas a Rover P6 3500s manual both daily driver cars, looking back I was very lucky, then again the P6 cost me £20 a week to fill up at Asda for my lical commuting back in 1982
Alex's Assets on youtube uses a P4 as a daily driver.
Brave man (or lady!)
She also has a P6 an Allegro and a Land Rover lightweight and is a AA patrol driver.
Nice! She's got taste! (Glad I didn't assume she was a he, too!)
I could never warm to them myself. They looked frumpy. My dad a few old rovers. They were comfy, but seriously, compared to a DS? They were an alien spaceship..btw. The early p5s had a straight six 3 litre, the V8, I believe was slotted into it in 1967
There is a very stock looking p4 that has raced at Santa Pod, small block chevy, 10.5 second quarter mile, 0-60 3 seconds!
Unfortunately there is not, it was rolled at Shelsley Walsh hill climb at the RSR 70th event last June.
@@adambirch3400 ruclips.net/video/0U6Uc9XnxW4/видео.htmlsi=rBEHA647jLk7ZGyx
Thanks once again Mr UpnDown, the P4 6 cylinder engine was a traditional push rod engine OHV engine, and the Engine in the SD 1 Rover was a more modern Overhead Cam 6 cylinder 2.6 liter engine with slightly reduced piston stroke to achieve higher engine revolutions.6-cylinder
It was’nt actually an OHV engine completely Andrew, it had overhead inlet valves and side exhaust valves. This was the same configuration used by RR and Bentley in their 4.5 litre straight sixes in their post war models.
@@malcolmherbert5127 Also referred to as an "F" head. Van den Plas 4-litre R was also this configuration.
@@malcolmherbert5127 Thanks for correcting me, , which means the inlet Valves were OHV, but the Exhaust was sleeve Valves/ Side Valves relying solely on Piston position, Okay I now understand thanks 🙏.
@@RobertSmith-jl4yw Yes of course, that was a Rolls Royce engine
The gear shifting mechanism must be one of the best l would love to be a passenger in one of and watch as the driver changed gear and you found out some of the features on this P4
I would like one of those with a 2 berth caravan of similar age.
The Great Train robbers used a P4 amongst other vehicles!
Solid old things, the P4. The P6 had a four or eight cylinder lump. The P6 would be well worth a go. Nice ol' things. Especially the V8 Coupè.
Wasn’t the V8 “Coupé” in the P5 Series ?
Yes.@@Mancozeb100
Oops, typo. Sorry. I owned a P5b Coupè so I really do know.
@@grayfool 👍🏻👏🏻😆👍🏻
I need to try a P6.
Knicker flasher ! What we used to call the Fiat 500 very early model
I like the Rover (or Austin?) with Hydragas-Suspension
In the science museum in London, a jet turbine powered prototype is on display; registration number JET 1.
I knew I wasn't imagining it!
No, the engine in this P4 never appeared in the P5 or the P6 and nor is it related to the all new but Triumph derived 2.6 in the SD1. The 2.6 ioev 6 was used in the S2A and S3 Land Rovers. It’s related to the similar but smaller ioev 4 cyl in the P3 and the S1 Land Rover.
Good info, cheers
I must go there one day. I’m just down the road in Notts (“up north” lol)
Totally agree. Grandma had a Daimler Double Six in the 70s. So would we not be allowed to drive it?
It's possible my inner feminist is causing me to be a little bit too literal!
Thanks for an entertaining look at this P4. Unfortunately this one will have an entirely incorrect soundtrack, due in part to the missing door seals, and also due to the non original carburettor and air cleaner setup. It should have an SU and a bloody great induction silencer atop the motor, and you definitely shouldn't hear induction roar! On top gear being very tall, I guess no-one told you about the overdrive available on top gear, which may have been left switched on. Cheers.
Apparently the 110 doesn't have O/D as the engine was too torquey for it. How true that is, I don't know.
Hi UPnDOWN. No, the 110 does have overdrive, but it has a cheaper companion model, the 95, which lacks it. The 95 instead got a taller final drive, 3.9 as opposed to 4.1 in all the others. That 3.9 diff centre is highly prized by all the P4 owners who want their gearing a little taller.
Honest review. Enjoyed that
Glad to hear it
I agree with the use of timber in the car interior. Why, just why?
I don’t think in the 60s they used to have the rear light, so the center back light was the number plate light
Most of the body is aluminium and in the 2007 Peking-Paris Motor Challenge, that followed in Prince Borghese's original 1907 wheeltracks across the Gobi Desert, Inner and Outer Mongolia, Russian Steppes to Moscow and into Europe. The Rover P4 came first in its class (the largest class in the event), competing over 8500 miles against Aston Martins, Jaguars and Mercedes and won Gold medals for its owners. So no you wouldn't lose if you went rallying in "one" unless brought a 50+ year old unloved standard car that was only working on half it`s cylinders .
Aluminium, really?! I didn't spot that! I guess performance is relative, as although this wasn't running right, it felt a lot bigger and heavier than it really was, but then I guess it depends what you're used to.
@@UPnDOWN Aluminium was because steel was scarce just after the war. After the 100 Rover made the 110 all steel.
the p4 was designed not to break down, no throttle or clutch cables, all solid linkages, starting handle, toolkit under dash, reserve petrol, my 100 only broke down when the electronic ignition i fitted failed, went back to points, 110 had steel doors bonnet and boot instead of earlier alloy, chassis like a lorry, if you looked after these they could last a lifetime, as the saying goes "one of britains finest cars"
Not a sports car as you say very heavy on the steering needs a conversion really but built like a tank and very reliable my dad had many different rovers Inc a 12 14 coupe a Cyclops then went on to various others i had several p4s and loved them I am still thinking about one today but who knows
There not to everyone's choice a bit of an odd Ball pleased you liked
It is a pity they didn't have a 1956 2.4 litre Jaguar to drive. Firstly, it was my dad's car until I was 11. Secondly, it is a better car to compare to a DS.
It was designed at the same time as the DS and had (for Jaguar) significant engineering novelty. It was their first unitary body, their first rubber isolated front subframe, their first short stroke engine. It is a pity that it didn't get the rack and pinion steering from the XK140.
A different video for you, I must visit there this year, have they got a Citroen DS that people can drive ??? That I would love to do.
Being that the DS isn't very 'British' (even the Slough-built ones), I doubt they do!
Wasn't the 75 design based on the P4 or P5?
I've no idea mate!
the 100 had a dash button that when pressed told you the engine oil level
That Hubnut is a cheeky sod!
Perhaps they have an SM you could drive
Not very 'British', is it? lol
Think the P4 and P5 era of Rover was more about quality of engineering rather than revolutionary engineering which was more the P6. Post war they were also quite limited in what they were able to produce Vs what the engineers would have been capable of, but what they made they made pretty well (and poured some RnD budget on gas turbine cars which ultimately didn't work out).
Quality of old cars can often be misjudged in modern times as newer cars, even basic ones, have much better durability and refinement anyway where as old survivors are often a bit worn out, rusty and suffering from neglect so aren't what they were but in period the P4 was pretty tough, reliable, refined and respectable (Not like Rover today where a lot of people just think Metro, 200 or BL build quaility issues when they hear Rover). The fact the the P4 can cruise at motorway speeds even though most were built before UK motorways existed shows something as many cars upto the 1960's couldn't really sustain what is now the motorway speed limit (so rural speed limits wern't really needed).
Good comment. I think you're right. The P4 certainly felt tough. I really do need to try a P6, though!
Are there any sold in Europe? I’ve never seen a P4 until this video. (Maybe because I am more a French car enthusiast…) But OK, it seems to be a very British comfy luxury car for the middle class. Thanks for the ride and see you soon --- Martin
I honestly don't know! Can't have been a big seller if they were.
@@UPnDOWN I have a 100 from 1961 that was sold in the Netherlands
You occasionally see them in the Nordic countries, they are not as rare as eg. Wolseleys and Rileys. Many years ago I bought a collection of all issues of 1955 of a Danish motoring magazine and there was a test of a Rover 75 (P4) in one of them.
Run a very tired 110as my everyday car loaded with tools and crap had loads as did my dad won't have owt els love your humour 😂😂👍👍🛠️⚓🤠JB
Quite a comfy and chilled out way of driving around with some tools! I did quite like it tbf.
Nice!! I have always preferred the straight 6 over any other engine. Too bad efficiency and economics made them undesirable to produce. Mercedes went to the V6 in the 90's and BMW went away more recently. Sad.
I always like a straight six for the refinement. I don't need insane power but I do appreciate a smooth engine and big squashy chairs (not seats) in a car.
Perfectly balanced engines, but just too damn big.
@@UPnDOWN Yep, fair enough comment. You're not fitting one in an Escort without rearranging the seating layout...
Watch the pavement Richard, watch the pavement! There is a pedestrian over there!
Took me a while 😆
Lol, sorry for that. It's a scene I will always remember, good old hyacinth. Enjoyed the video btw! Thanks!
The DS is a French car. That’s all, ahead of its time for sure. However, the DS is no match quality wise for a Rover P4. There will come a time we are going to value quality again, quality that was so normal in everyday life. And now….all we can do is listen to the echoes of the past, so clearly told by this car.
Having spent a fair bit of time in both cars, I wouldn't say there's a massive difference in the quality, to be honest. The Rover felt 'heavier', but the quality of materials in a DS is superior (lots of aluminium in places the Rover had steel, iron or even wood!)
They're both nice cars. Knowing nothing about the P4 going in to this, I was keen to see how 'advanced' it was as a design, as I know later Rovers and some other BL stuff was, and I used the DS as I know them, and because it's a famous yardstick.
Conclusion: DS was miles ahead in terms of technology and engineering, but the Rover was conceived early in post-war Britain. Different objectives entirely, and in terms of durability and class, the P4 did the job.
Imp.. Fun tiny car.. as long as it works lol