[ROVERNET - UK] Wheels and press photos

[Slatskars]

Fascinating to me that a Rover 2000TC was in the $4,200 price range. I 
bought a new 68 Chrysler 300 fully loaded with a 440 ci engine with a four 
barrel Holley for $4,500.

Slats
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "S Manwell" <s_manwell at alum.swarthmore.edu>
To: <rovernet at lyris.ccdata.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 01, 2006 6:30 PM
Subject: [ROVERNET - UK] Wheels and press photos


> Here is more P6 wheel and press history -- I trust that Rover intended for 
> this press information to be distributed freely, even if this is 40 years 
> late:
>
> 1966:
> A press folder from The Rover Motor Company of North America Limited 
> containing a March/April, 1966 price list includes a press photo featuring 
> a TC with the white and blue color scheme, round Icelert, round bullet 
> mirror on the rear corner of the hood ahead of the driver's door, license 
> plate bracket hanging below the front bumper and Magnum 500 wheels.
>
> The caption reads:
> "The new Rover 2000 TC, making its debut at New York's International 
> Automobile Show at the Colliseum, 9 - 17 April.  With twin carburetors and 
> a 124 horsepower engine, the TC is Rover's hotter version of the 
> successful and interesting Rover 2000 sports sedan.  The TC specially 
> equipped for the United States market has mag type wheels, simulated 
> wooden steering wheel and gear shift knob (not wood because it might 
> splinter), and a tachometer, as well as a special blue and white paint job 
> in the case of the white cars."    Don't you love the preposterous 
> marketing spin on the fake wood?  And after all that, the gear knobs 
> actually were wood on the production cars.
>
> 1967:
> A press folder from early 1967 introduces the 2000 Automatic from The 
> Rover Motor Company of North America Limited.  There is no press photo in 
> the folder that I have, but the included brochure shows Magstars on the 
> Automatic.
>
> 1968:
> I have an incomplete press folder from March, 1968 labelled "Leyland Motor 
> Corporation of North America" (combined Leyland and Rover logo at the 
> bottom) that demonstrates that the North America organization was not too 
> concerned with helping get our historical details right.  The press photo 
> shows a dark colored 2000TC with Magnum 500 wheels and other pre-1968 
> features:  round Icelert, alloy bumper overiders, bullet mirror on the 
> hood and earlier rear-view mirror with map light.
> The caption is clearly for a Federal car:  "Rover 2000 TC for 1968 
> required only minor changes to meet all federal and state smog-control and 
> safety requirements.  Four-wheel disc brakes, modified de Dion rear 
> suspension, and overhead camshaft engine have made the Rover 2000 TC a 
> stopping, handling and going machine while the safety-in-adversity design 
> philosophy has made it a reputation as a safety car as well as a luxurious 
> one.  At the suggested P. O. E. retail price of $4,198, the Rover 2000 TC 
> compares very favorably with far more expensive sports sedans."
>
> Interestingly, the first brochure for the Federal cars including an engine 
> bay photo showing the twin brake servos, also shows an earlier April 
> Yellow car on the cover.  The odd mix of obsolete and new in this brochure 
> includes detail photos of the round Icelert, Magstar and Magnum 500 wheels 
> (obsolete and repeated from an older brochure) along with photos of the 
> new twin servos and federal door mirror.  The only wheel option listed on 
> this brochure is "MagStar Wheels"-- maybe there was a brief period in 1968 
> after Magnum 500's were phased out before Rostyles were offered?
>
> 1969:
> A press folder with "British Leyland Motors Inc." on the cover and 
> containing a press release promoting the Rover/Triumph presence at the 
> April 1969 New York auto show.  The same folder contains a press photo of 
> light colored 2000TC with Rostyle wheels (not Magnum 500).  Other 
> post-1967 features include a rectangular Icelert, license plate bracket 
> mounted to the leading edge of the front bumper and plastic break-away 
> mirror.  Late 1968 or later features include a driver's door mirror 
> (similar to the later Wingard, but not the same) and trapezoidal side 
> reflectors on each fender.
>
> The caption on the photo reads: "The Rover 2000 series which includes the 
> TC (for Twin Carburetor) and the Automatic is an automobile of unique 
> construction in that it is virtually a steel cage onto which 19 body 
> panels are attached. With that beginning, Rover engineers went on to 
> reason and consider every other aspect of the car's design and 
> engineering, which is why the 2000 handles well, holds the road, and is a 
> delight to drive."
>
> 1970:
> I don't know if there was a press kit for 1970, but there is a single 
> sheet brochure for the 2000TC that must be for 1970 cars by British 
> Leyland Motors Inc:  the car on the cover has amber parking and 
> turn-signal lenses, repeater turn signals below the bumpers, side 
> reflectors and the federal door mirror.  Oddly enough, the wheel option 
> listed is "Mag-Style Sports Wheels".   Was this BL shorthand for "we'll 
> sell you MagStars or Rostyles, depending what we can find in the 
> warehouse"?
>
> I looked through a few different 3500S brochures and, as Geoff pointed 
> out, their were no (official) wheel options for the V8 car in North 
> America.  Still, I would imagine that Rostyles must have been sold as 
> accessories for some V8's.
>
> Did I mention that I like Rover press kits and brochures?
>
> --Steve Manwell
>
>
>>
>
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