The Rover 12 is a British made, medium sized, family car produced by the Rover car company between 1905 and 1948. From the early days the Rover 12, as you can imagine, has changed somewhat dramatically from the original design in 1905. Starting off with a four-cylinder 1767cc monobloc engine, the car was a 4-seater open top vehicle with no bonnet, which was in production until 1907. Rover then switched to a two-cylinder engine in 1909, and modified the rear axle that would continue to be used in the models produced from 1912. The Rover continued to be improved over the years with models such as the Rover Sleeve-Valve 12, and the Rover Clegg 12, both of which had major improvements with new engine and chassis design from Knight Rover, and then another design from Owen Clegg who had joined Rover from Wolseley.
In 1931, the Rover Pilot was designed by Spencer Wilks who had been given free rein to make improvements to the model at the time. They came up with a new chassis and another new engine which, although was reported to be “nice but quite gutless”, did fit into the desired tax rating as planned. The success of the Pilot design would set the style for the newly designed Rover 12 in 1934. Introduced by the Wilks brothers, the car had a new chassis which was based on the Pilot, and a new 1496 cc engine with a 4-speed gearbox that featured a freewheel mechanism. With a claimed top speed of 70 mph, 24 mpg and a large interior, it was a popular choice as a family car. This became known as the Rover 12 P1.
With great success the 12 was further improved in 1937 with the introduction of the P2, like the one we have here today. The new model featured a few cosmetic changes such as fixed bonnet sides, and the tourer body was no longer an option. The chassis was stiffened and rod brakes with a mechanical servo replaced the earlier hydraulic ones. Production of the P2 ran up until 1948, which was the end of the Rover 12 model.
The seller of this 1939 Rover 12 P2 has been the custodian for the past 24 years. He purchased the car on the 12th June 1997, after seeing it for sale and remembering from his childhood his parents having one of the same.
Having owned the car for so long the seller has enjoyed the car as it is, in the original condition, without wanting to go down the route of fully restoring the P2. He has ensured the mechanical side of things has been kept in check, with regular servicing, the most recent carried out in February 2021.
There was a light recommissioning in 2009 at a cost of £4,067.15. Included in this, the shock absorber rubbers were replaced, a brake service, new fuel pump, half shaft seals replaced, coolant hoses replaced, propshaft, plus much more, all of which is documented in the paperwork.
The Rover is getting used less and less each year nowadays, and so rather than sitting in one place the seller has decided to part with his childhood memory and let someone else enjoy the Rover 12 P2.
The V5 is present and shows 5 previous keepers. It also states that the seller acquired the vehicle on 27th February 2021. This is in fact incorrect and it is believed the DVLA put this date on after a replacement log book was applied for.
Nice to see, especially on a vehicle of this age, is that it comes with the original instruction manual explaining how to maintain and adjust the car.
There are 11 previous MOT certificates with the oldest dating back to 1982. Other paperwork includes the recommissioning in 2009, and receipts for work carried out and parts fitted in more recent years.
Inside, this 1939 Rover 12 is all in the original trim and so, as you would expect, does have some patina. The seats to the front and rear are in good condition and still extremely comfortable. The leather is cracked and has lost some of the colour, but.this could be easily sympathetically recoloured with some of the products available today for carrying out this task. The door cards are again in good condition with matching carpet to the bottom that matches the floor. The carpets are in good condition for the age with just a couple of small wear patches to be seen.
One thing that has fared really well with age is the wooden topped door cards and dashboard. All of this is in really good condition, it doesn't look like it’s had any sun damage as there is no real fading or any noticeable splits to the wood on the dash or door tops. The instruments are in good condition. The seller has reported that the fuel gauge is sometimes a little misleading and is empty when the gauge is showing some petrol in. That said, there is an electric reserve switch which, at the touch of a button, switches to the reserve side of the tank to get you to the nearest filling station should this happen. The temperature gauge is not working, everything else is reported to work as it should. The odometer has a reading of 47,212 miles.
The windscreen does open outwards. The seller has never really attempted this and, although it does move slightly, this looks like it will need some freeing off, and the same for the sunroof. It does open but gets a little tight after approximately 8” of being open. The headlining does have some slight sagging to the rear of the car. On the driver's side window this can sometimes slip on the gears going up, so a gentle persuasive lift is always helpful.
Into the boot, and this is lined with the same underlay material as under the floor carpets, which is in good condition. There are some tools included with the car, and the spare wheel resides in the boot lid. This is a solid wheel, unlike the spoked wheels on the car, but does fit and the tyre has good tread remaining.
Finished in a Navy Blue, this Rover 12 looks to be generally in original condition as regards to the paint work with some nice patina showing. If it had any paint, it would have been many, many years ago.
Starting with the front of the car, the chrome has worn off the bumper and the horns, but shows no real signs of corrosion to them. The headlights are in good condition with just some very slight discolouration to the reflectors behind. The grille and Rover 12 badge are nice and straight with the bars on the grille still nice and straight. The bonnet opens and closes to both sides as it should and this lines up nicely with the fixed sides.
Around to the sides of the 12, the wings do have some slight blemishes from stone chips, but this looks to be just surface rust and hasn't gotten any worse for many years. The passenger side wing by the side light does have a slight split coming from the side marker. Following the wings down to the running boards, these look to be in good condition, although the finish to the paint has cracked with age. The chrome trim that attaches to the side does have a couple of areas of corrosion where the screws go through to attach it. The bottom of the doors do have some light corrosion, probably to be expected for the age. The doors align well and open and close with a firm feel to them. The rear arches to both sides look to be in good condition with no obvious areas for concern. The windows are all in good condition with just some age related marks as you would expect.
To the rear, and the bumper like the front has lost the chrome finish. The boot lid aligns in the recess as it should and opens and closes nicely. The wheels are spoked versions which are in good condition, with some slight surface rust in places. The hub caps are the original Rover items which are in good condition. The tyres are all matching period looking tyres which are new. ext.jpeg672.94 KB
The Mechanics
Fitted with a 1450 cc 4-cylinder engine, the Rover 12 P2 fires up within a second of turning the key thanks to a recent new distributor cap, coil, HT leads, and spark plugs. Once running, the car sounds perfect with no unwanted noises. This is coupled to a 4-speed gearbox, and the seller reports that the car pulls well through the gears and the change is as it should be.
The car stops as well as it runs with a recent brake service and adjustment at the same time as the ignition parts were fitted.
Looking under the car there doesn't appear to be any real areas for concern, there is surface rust along the chassis and floor but this all seems to be superficial.
The last Rover 12 made was the P2, making it the most refined version of the 12.
This 1939 example is in a lovely unrestored condition with a nice patina, but for your peace of mind does have the mechanical reliability you can rely on to use it.
A true British classic from Rover, waiting to be driven, shall you be the one?
Notice to bidders
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