1955 Rover 75 **Mille Miglia 2024 entrant**Restored**

1955 Rover 75 P4 in Sage Green (VFO 933)

2230cc in-line six-cylinder engine with a single carburettor.

Showing 76, 700 miles

Restored between 2011 to 2016 with further maintenance work carried out in preparation for the 2024 Mille Miglia, this British motoring icon has been subject to an extensive amount of investment to make it a super fun and reliable car for UK and European tours and classic rallies whilst still maintaining lots of originality and patina.

Upon completion of the necessary works, VF0 933 took part in the legendary 2024 Mille Miglia. With a starting number of 379 and finished 305, gaining a respectable 74 places.

Not only that the owners drove all the way from North Devon to Brescia, Italy, completed the race and then drove all the way back home, no mean feat and covering circa 4, 000 miles in the process!! And just for fun they also drove out to Brescia again in 2025 as a standby candidate for the 2025 Mille. Although they just missed out on an entry slot they toured the region and clocked another few thousand miles of smiles.

The Background

Don’t be deceived by the ‘aunty’ the Rover’s nickname, it’s derived from a compliment by legendary Mille Miglia winner Denis ‘Jenks’ he was Stirling Moss’s Navigator in 1955 and that record still stands today.

Jenkinson after a Rover P4 had made a particularly tortuous journey seem “just as if it was going to Aunty's for tea”.

This car was loved by the royals and the powerful and is a British motoring icon.

The 1955 version of the P4 saw a facelift to Gordon Bashford’s design by David Bache. Bache introduced the three-section wraparound rear window, indicator lights replaced trafficators and it got a raised, bigger boot.

The interior has the optional two-seat arrangement at the front and has been fully re-trimmed in green Connolly leather with restored woodwork. All the window runners were re-felted during the restoration.

The whole of the interior is in good condition and very clean. The chromework is bright and all the levers are present and correct. It has the original tool tray under the passenger-side dash. The fuel gauge only operates between one-third full and empty. However, that is the most useful range!

Various new chrome parts were sourced and the front grille was re-chromed. New Lucas P700 headlamps were fitted.

It had a new clutch at 66, 000 miles as well as having the high friction brakes and a new master cylinder recently replaced.

The is a full thick file of paperwork including the original bill of sale, handbook, workshop manual and a parts catalogue, all in good condition.

The Exterior

The paintwork is good with minimal signs of rust and just a couple of chips on the door edges. The finish presents well all over.

The chrome parts that haven’t been replaced or re-plated wear their patina with pride. But this doesn’t diminish the car’s appeal. Quite the opposite, in fact.

The glass shows minor scratches, as you’d expect on a 70-year- old car. Overall, the exterior looks like this old Rover is nowhere near its pension.

Dry stored and always hooked up to a CTEK battery charger means it starts on the button.

The engine ticks over very smoothly and quietly with decent power. The inlet-over-exhaust engine is quiet even when being worked hard and the four-speed gearbox plus freewheel clutch behaves impeccably.

Like most cars of the era, driving is an engaging experience. The steering seems a little ponderous as most old cars do, but the ride is smooth.

This Rover 75 looks the business, sitting confidently on the road with its slightly squared headlamp recesses and ‘suicide’ rear doors. It looks quintessentially English and the typical owner in 1955 would have been a well-to-do business-owner or bank manager. But today, the P4 is appealing to a rather racier customer, thanks to an Italian racing driver.

1955 was the year Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson won the Mille Miglia, the same year Paolo Lando Barsotti drove a P4 in the historic road race. As a result, this P4 is now eligible to enter the modern version of the event, which runs every year from Brescia in northern Italy.

As a passport to the Mille Miglia and other sanctioned events this could be just the ticket.

In preparation for the 2024/ 25 Mille Miglia and in getting her ready for sale the current owner has invested well over £12, 000 and there are a whole boot load of spares to cover further race events such as the Mille Miglia.

Some highlights of work

New heavy duty roll bar fitted, has improved handling no end

Pertronix Electronic Ignition fitted

Second Fuel pump fitted along side the other one with hidden switch to use as a back up if needed.

2 x Pertronix Ignition coils fitted for easy switching if needed

New heavy duty radiator fitted a large electric cooling fan switched on the dash

1 x Fog light & 1 x Spot light fitted with switched on the dash

New headlight rubber seals fitted

New High Friction brake liners & New Master Cylinder fitted

New 12v Lucas washer pump fitted with switch on the dash

New classic car front seat belts fitted

Front Bumper set Re-chromed

2 x 12v Cooling fans fitted

12v USB socket fitted on the dash

Heater Matrix & fan refurbished

Air filter housing refurbished & new air filters fitted

New fuel filter housing & new fuel filter fitted

New engine mounts fitted

New voltage regulator fitted

Newly refurbished dynamo fitted

Radiator fan blade refurbished

New fan belt fitted

New wiper arms and blades fitted

Oil breather refurbished

New cylinder head gasket set fitted and aluminium head skimmed

Small oil leak noted, not unusual for a Rover of this era!

List of some spares

Second set of keys

Spare wheel, tyre pump, jack, wrench etc

A-series Easy-steer power steering kit inc wireless horn assembly not fitted (value £600)

1 x Oil filter

5 x Wheel nuts

1 x Full set of Water hoses inc jubilee clips

1 x Full set of Bulbs and a few spare fuses

2 x Fan belts

17 x Spark plugs inc a few used ones

1 x Complete Distributor and another for additional spares

1 x Complete set HT leads, Distributor Cap for easy switch over

1 x Dynamo

2 x Voltage Regulators 1 new & 1 original

1 x Original Coil

1 x Water pump, inlet by-pass pipe & gaskets

2 x Wiper blades & old arms

1 x Diff Axle Gasket

1 x 2m Length of fuel hose

1 x New passenger side rubber window seal

2 x old fuel filter housing

Various other bits & bobs

Selling on behalf of the current owner

Recent service work completed

Current FIVA card and current Mille Miglia Registro (both of which can be continued for the new owner)

Nationwide and International delivery can be arranged