The Wilks brothers (Spencer & Maurice) started their careers with Rover at the beginning of the 1930s and had considerable influence in revising the range of cars offered by the company. The P1 designated models first appeared in 1933 with the Rover 10 (1389 cc, 4 cylinders), Rover 12 (1496 cc, 4 cylinders) and Rover 14 (1577 cc, 6 cylinders). The cars were principally available as the 6-light Saloon and 4-light Sports Saloon – both with 4-doors, but with differing passenger compartment styles and numbers of windows (hence 6-light and 4-light). There were also other, more sporting models offered with different bodies.

The Rover 14 employed a six-cylinder, ohv engine designed by B H Thomas, with a claimed power output of 48 bhp and top speed of 69 mph. It had a 4-speed transmission with a free-wheel function. The P1 series remained in production until 1938, when replaced by the (logically named) P2 series.

The Rover 14 offered here is a 4-light Sports Saloon and was first registered in January 1936. We have no early history for the vehicle, until 1957 (buff logbook) when it was with owners in Cambridgeshire into the 1960’s. It moved a little further east to Lincolnshire in the mid-1990s, where the then new owner undertook major restoration work, fully stripping and rebuilding the car, renewing the engine, chassis, timberwork & paint. He held onto the vehicle until 2013 and invoices suggest the next owner had the vehicle re-painted again. In 2016, the Rover moved to an enthusiast in France and was acquired by ourselves at the end of 2023.