ROVER MYSTERY! The Rover 75 Coupe Story - The "Lost" Prototype
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- Опубликовано: 15 окт 2024
- In this video we explore the enigma that is the Rover 75 Coupe designed by Peter Stevens in 2004. We look at its development story and try to solve the mystery behind this long lost car and perhaps one of the greatest could-have-beens of the MG Rover era. We also look at Gerry Lloyd’s brilliance, creating his own Rover 75 coupe from two cars and summarise this project.
Gerry, anyone with Coupe information or any other interesting cars to review and topics if you’re watching feel free to email me: Thomas.cowling@protonmail.ch
Link to autocar: www.autocar.co...
Link to the extremely talented Peter Stevens: www.petersteve...
Follow me on Instagram for more cool stuff: / daddmin
That original concept model was built like a custom car from the 50's or 60's, incredible work in such a short time.
The lines of the 75 works so well as a coupe it’s criminal that this wasn’t done sooner and put into production. It could pass as a Bentley especially from the rear
Thanks Tom for this vlog. I find the whole BMC, Leyland, MG Rover thing just so frustrating. They were always so close to something that would be a massive success. I had 3 R8 Rovers, which at the time were everywhere. Remember all the different types of R8 that we're offered, from convertibles to estates .After that massive success, the range of cars shrank right back and made everyone look elsewhere. This coupe looked incredible, even now. What a shame. Thanks again Tom.
The Rover 75 Coupe is superb looking motor. Great post Tom.
Superb job Tom , yet again you have presented a video that shows the talents of UK design and engineers .
I truly believe that if the coupé was released today it would sell . It is a tragedy that it never made production . The timeless reference you made was spot on .
Keep up the great work . 😎
Thanks! And I agree with you
This could have saved Rover, it would have been awesome, although our stupid media and sheeple may not have bought it, they’re sucked in by so called premium German cars that really aren’t all that great .
Totally agree I love B.L and think it needs to be brought back
Maybe turn we wud have some industry again !!! The E.U throttled us
@@matthewc.419 agree 💯 %
Great video Tom. I’m a loyal fan Rover. Out of all the coupes at the time and likes of the 406, 3Series etc I’d probably have went for the Rover 75 coupe myself. I did like the Rover 150. On Top Gear James May did do a great conversion of 2 front ended vehicles in an episode.
I second your words
I would love a coupe version of the 75, even today. If only
Same here, I wish it’d been produced.
@@tomdrives I have one of the last Mercedes clk coupe. I love it. But would have a 75 coupe over it any day!
Now that was a very pretty car, I think it would of been a big seller Tom.
I think it would’ve been also, just a shame they put the money into the wrong things like the SV
what a fantastic tribute tom ,its the if only that only should have been
Thanks Chris :)
The first one of these was black, I can confirm that it did not have a kv6 engine in it, some of us Rover/MG techs were at Longbridge do a course and in on of the many sheds was housed this strange looking vehicle, as we were waiting to be escorted to our next workshop we decided to have a look around it, I can confirm it was a fully running vehicle, when some of us techs started to inquire about it we were told that we had not seen this nor any other vehicles in that shed, if we continued to ask about them we would be removed from the site and banned from returning for any more courses, once we were in the workshop we could hear vehicles being started and moved, 3hrs later when we left that workshop not one vehicle was in that shed, we even checked the round house, not one vehicle was seen again. The following day when we returned for the 2nd day of a 5 day course we were all called into the main canteen and told under no circumstances where we to talk about what we had seen, if we did the dealer that we worked for would be banned from coming on anymore courses. I'm only saying this now as I no longer work for any Rover/MG dealerships,
That’s a good one thanks for the insight into that time. I can imagine why they were so jumpy about it, considering it was their “Skunk Works” if you will.
@@tomdrives we also seen a MGZt with things that no other MGZt had, it was being driven around by the security and was on a W registration plate, some of the toys we seen at Longbridge was unreal. No wonder we had to hand our phones in at the beginning of the each day, very top secret there in its day, if we were gone for more than 5 minutes out of the workshop a party of staff would come looking for you, seen plenty of techs sent home early from courses because of that. Even at Basingstoke in their workshop there you could only move around with staff. Same at Studley workshops.
Why didn’t they put the Rover/MG 75 coupe into production?! Imagine if they made the coupe RWD with entry level being an improved version of the 1.8T K series, then KV6, and the top model with the Mustang V8.
Could of been a serious competitor with the E46 coupe,Audi TT and even the 350z, so many “what ifs!”.
Channels getting bigger, keep it up!
I think they should’ve put money into this instead of the SV and done essentially what you said! And thanks it’s doing great :)
Great work , Tom . A true " WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN " , sadly all to little , too late!!
yet another most awesome video! You're on fire sir!
Stunning car. Just wish they’d been able to produce it.
They should of made this as a convertible hardtop as well. Looks stunning.
Gerry made a cabrio 75 and it’s stunning
Great video Tom and congratulations on the channel growth.
The 800 coupe was a very handsome car and I think that the 75 coupe would have done very well for the brand's image, especially with the V8 engine.
Hi Tom .
Rover 75 coupe , would I have bought one? Absobloominlutly I would . It was a stunning piece of design from the original car . Badged as an MG with a big engine , it would have scared BMW to its roots if the quality had been there. Such a wasted opportunity.
What a stunner and a shame it never got further. MG Rover was criminally run into the ground by incompetents then in charge.
Great episode! Have been considering for a EV conversion on my 99 75 Cony or I would need to find another one for the project. There was one well converted as seen on RUclips but I don’t have such a skill to do it right. 😢
Just do it it’s easy
Many missed opportunities, I recently read about a near production ready saloon car called the p8, they planned a coupe called p9 but Jaguar being part of the then “British leyland” soon put a stop to that. Pity Alvis got axed too.
Great video Tom, thanks.
The coupe looked good but it should have had a decent engine too, so like the 260 it was only ever going to be another penny pinching failure if it had got to production. (The old Buick V8 bored out to 4.4 + a supercharger might have done the trick.)
I liked the Rover 75s anyway, but that coupe version looks superb. (I’m minded of the Audi A4 cabrio that still has a big value following) Given the soaring values of modern classics right now, I hope someone starts building them. Fascinating subject! 👌
My mate once had a 420 saloon proper stunning looking shape in a dark blue colour , had all the toys cruise control leather seats , the only thing it didn't have was a sat nav
The 75 coupe was a beautiful thing - and it’s a great shame that it didn’t make production (along with the MG TF coupe) - these would have made some wonderful halo cars for MG Rover………
such a striking, brash beautiful car - a thing of wonders. if only this was mass produced, potentially could of helped rover rise back?
Had the MGZT. Had this been available I would have bought one without doubt.
This would only have ever been a niche very low volume seller. Difficult to imagine it even making back the design and retooling cost, tbh!
It is ridiculous that so many of the development and concept cars have just vanished though.
Do you remember when their was talk of it being called a "Riley" and BMW management nearly had a fit, and slapped Rover down hard.
Do you think the windscreen was specially made for the original prototype coup or out of another car like BMW Saab Audi etc
It looked like a Saab screen to me only saying as I'm usually a Saab and Volvo guy but rovers hold a special place in my heart as grandad worked at Longbridge for a while part of reason my first propper car was a s plate 600 :) soon to be getting a low mileage s plate 600 again been sat 8 ish years but in dry storage so could be put back on road if not will be broken or scrapped
Should have done a convertible version of the 75
Gerry created his own version of that as well
What about thr coupe that Chris at Retro sports cars ltd was building?
Defo shoulda brought it out but with the 4 headlights
I had a conversation with my dad about the downfall, instead of putting money into the sv and city rover, they should’ve tried to bring in the rover 35, or a new super mini to replace the then 10 year old design of the 25
My thoughts exactly
Why Didn't Any Brits Buy The Brand? No Pride Anymore
The 75 coupe was brought by an ex employee when siac mg closed longbridge and moved back to china stuart is his first name but the real coupe dose exist and still in longbridge bit I've not herd anything for about 2yrs now
The real coupe is still in Longbridge?
@@tomdrives not at the old plant but the ex employee that brought it lives in longbridge 👌 but as i said I've not heard anything for approximately 2 years as it was a friend of an old acquaintance
@@andrewhumphreys I remember the new owner posting briefly on one of the Facebook Rover groups that he'd bought it. He was initially dismissed as a troll by many (including me!) 'till he showed a few photos of himself in possession of the vehicle and gave more detail. I can't recall the details now, but it seemed he really had purchased it.
@@Teflon_75 he did buy it i have no reason to lie it was nearly ready for its first ever mot last i heard anf its a kv6 not a v8 as some claimed
@@andrewhumphreys Yes, I know you're right, I just didn't believe him when he first posted on Facebook. Then he put up some photos and gave a little more detail and I realised it was true. A great purchase, and I'm more than a little jealous 🙂
I lake what you do rover is the best
Car still exists an ex employee owns it, it's not road legal I believe
Hope it wasn't scrapped 😣
It wasn’t as far as I know, it was purchased by someone in 2019
Still exists and in private ownership.
A far more cohesive design than the Bentley Continental - it could have been a true Halo car for Rover.
Fab car
Unfortunately the brand was tarnished beyond recovery by the media, such as the likes of Clarkson, Top Gear, and Sewell who narrated the TV commercials in a particularly pathetic cheap laughs manner. Project Drive, the well known complete lack of funds, and even the collapse of TWR taking with it all the development work on the rather dubiously styled all new Hatchback which was destined to be the future for the company were the nails in the coffin.
Whilst fantastic concepts like the 75 Coupe showed the brilliance of the design team, they needed the vast development capital like any motor manufacturer to bring these plans to production. Only the likes of BMW could have provided this, and the then Labour Governments inexperiance apathy and failure put a stop to that.
Let's hope the planned rebirth of Jaguar in 2025 is successful, rather than that brand go the same way!
I would have had 1., I had 2 800 coupes, a 827 honda unit and latter a 2.5 kv6, love the 75 coupe, i had an mg260 it was ok but the engine was lazy and low on power for a v8, they needed a more modern power unit to compete,
I’ve got an 827 Vitesse and I love the Honda unit. I’ve also had a KV6 75. I agree with you there re the more modern engine
Why did saic want to rid of any rover ? Any not use the name for anything ??
I really think some manufacter take over the rover name like Dacia or skoda.
How do I join dobby club?
whut
I'd have one.
The Audi A4 Coupe of Rover
Bmw were never going to let be released any competition to the 3 series coup
Me at 3:27 😊
You did some great work
Maybe the facelift was a mistake.
I had the 75tourer, lovley car, and did what i wanted, but the 1800 k series, was crap in it,
Was it a none turbo?
@@tomdrives yep non turbo,
Mg Rover went to the Labour Party cronies that knew nothing about building cars. there was loads of bids from people that built cars other manufacturers . From memorie mcklaren put a bid in for the plant as well. he was very out spoken about the deal at the time.i Recon if it went to them. rover would still be here. Chinese deal went bust because they were pissed. The deal went sour. they weren't business people the phenix 4. They just milked the plant for there gains. one of them had a cheek to go on the secret millionaire on channel 4 . Says it all labours history with the rover plant and credit crunch at the time i wouldn't vote for the muppets
Rover became too "Jules Verne" with its interior. Wrong Place: Wrong Time.
too young to even commet