Q848620 · 1949–1964

Rover P4

The Rover P4 series is a group of mid-size luxury saloon cars produced by the Rover Company from 1949 until 1964. They were designed by Gordon Bashford. The P4 designation is factory terminology for this group of cars and was not in day-to-day use by ordinary owners who would have used the appropriate consumer designations for their models such as Rover 90 or Rover 100. Production began in 1949 with the 6-cylinder 2.1-litre Rover 75. Four years later a 2-litre 4-cylinder Rover 60 was brought to the market to fit below the 75 and a 2.6-litre 6-cylinder Rover 90 to top the three-car range. Several variations followed. These cars are very much part of British culture and became known as the 'Auntie' Rovers. They were driven by royalty including Grace Kelly and King Hussein of Jordan whose first car was a 1952 75. The P4 series was supplemented in September 1958 by a new Rover 3-litre P5 but the P4 series stayed in production until 1964 and their replacement by the Rover 2000.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Rover P3 · Successor: Rover P6|Rover P5

All Q848620 Rover P4 data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Engineering

The earlier cars used a Rover engine from the 1948 Rover 75. A four-speed manual transmission was used with a column-mounted gear change at first and floor-mounted unit from September 1953. At first the gearbox only had synchromesh on third and top but it was added to second gear as well in 1953. A freewheel clutch, a traditional Rover feature, was fitted to cars without overdrive until mid-1959, when it was removed from the specifications, shortly before the London Motor Show in October that year. The cars had a separate chassis with independent suspension by coil springs at the front and a live axle with half-elliptical leaf springs at the rear. The brakes on early cars were operated by a hybrid hydro-mechanical system but became fully hydraulic in 1950. Girling disc brakes replaced drums at the front from October 1959. The complete body shells were made by the Pressed Steel company and featured aluminium/magnesium alloy (Birmabright) doors, boot lid and bonnets. If the handle was not used to close them they were easily dented so for the final 95/110 models steel was used instead. The P4 series was one of the last UK cars to incorporate rear-hinged "suicide" doors.

Rover 75

Announced by Managing Director Spencer Wilks on 23 September 1949 the new Rover 75, then the only Rover in production, was first displayed at the opening day of the Earls Court Motor Show on 28 September 1949. It featured unusual modern styling in stark contrast with the outdated Rover 75 (P3) it replaced. Gone were the traditional radiator, separate headlamps and external running boards. In their place were a chromium grille, recessed headlamps and a streamlined body the whole width of the chassis. A steering column-mounted gear lever was fitted. The car's styling was derived from the then controversial 1947 Studebakers. The Rover executives purchased two such vehicles and fitted the body from one of them to a prototype P4 chassis to create a development mule. James Taylor's book 'Rover P4 – The Complete Story' says that this vehicle was affectionately known as the 'Roverbaker' hybrid. Malcolm Bobbit states "The P4 set the seal on the future with a vengeance. Rover defied its critics with the P4's new look and to get some idea of the shock of the new, consider some of its rivals ... astonishment at the P4's courageous styling." The P3 had almost no boot at all yet that had been considered rather more than adequate. The new car's bonnet-like extension to its rear was ridiculed; the driver sat well forward looking out over a relatively short bonnet and the rear wheels were set well back behind the back seat. All the new car's proportions were different from all the other new cars. Another distinctive feature of the Rover 75 was the centrally mounted light in the grille, where most other manufacturers of good quality cars provided a pair – one fog and one driving light – often separately mounted behind the bumper. Known as the "Cyclops eye", this did not catch on and was

Rover 60

The Rover 60 was announced on 24 September 1953 to add a more economical four-cylinder engine to Rover's range though leaving trim and equipment the same as the 75 and the new Rover 90 announced at the same time. Rover's idiosyncratic central gear change lever designed to allow three-abreast seating in front was used for this new car. Its 2.0 L (1997 cc/121 in³) 60 bhp (45 kW) engine had been used in the early Land Rover though it now had modifications including an SU carburettor. As the block was shorter than that of the 6-cylinder engine, it sat further back in the frame, and this is sometimes held to have resulted in better handling and compensated for the lack of power. The Rover 60 shared with the Rover 75 and Rover 90 the October 1954 modifications: a bigger boot, wide rear window and flashing directions indicators all announced at the Paris Motor Show. Independently adjustable separate front seats were made available at extra cost from September 1955. In the same way Rover 60 buyers were given the choice of a different style of front seat, two individual seats independently adjustable, available at extra cost from September 1955. Similarly in September 1956 the shape of the front mudguards was rearranged with the side lamps and flashing indicators in different positions. A small chrome reflector on the headlamp rim allowed the driver to know the side lights were functioning. Overdrive was made an option. In their test of the Sixty in 1954 The Motor magazine recorded a top speed of 76.0 mph (122.3 km/h) and acceleration from 0–60 mph (97 km/h) of 26.5 seconds. A fuel consumption of 25.8 miles per imperial gallon (10.9 L/100 km; 21.5 mpg‑US) was recorded. The test car cost £1162 including taxes. The Rover 60 was replaced by the Rover 80 which used an updated vers

Rover 90

The top-end Rover 90 appeared with a much larger more powerful 2.6 L (160 cu in) inline-six at the same time, 24 September 1953 as the four-cylinder Rover 60 was introduced. Rover's idiosyncratic central gear change lever designed to allow three-abreast seating in front was used for this new car. This engine produced 90 hp (67 kW) and could propel the car to reach 90 mph (145 km/h). It has a cast-iron block with an aluminium alloy head, a bore and stroke of 73.025 mm (2.9 in) by 105 mm (4.1 in) and a 6.73:1 compression ratio. This was upped to 7.5:1 in 1956. Rover's stated intention was to cater for a wider field of motorists requiring varying degrees of performance and running costs. The Rover 90 shared with the Rover 60 and Rover 75 the October 1954 modifications: a bigger boot, wide rear window and flashing directions indicators all announced at the Paris Motor Show. The 1956 model was launched in September 1955. Independently adjustable separate front seats were made available at extra cost and at the same time the engine's compression ratio was increased from 6.73:1 to 7.5:1, lifting power by 3 horsepower to 93. Free-wheel was dropped and Laycock de Normanville electric overdrive made available. More sensitive power brakes were provided of a redesigned pattern. The recesses in the 'B' pillars that previously housed the trafficators in pre-1955 models were deleted in this update. Pleats were added to the seats, this treatment continued on subsequent P4 models. In September 1956 the shape of the front mudguards was rearranged with the side lamps and flashing indicators in different positions. A small chrome reflector on the headlamp rim allowed the driver to know the side lights were functioning. Testing the Ninety in 1954 The Motor magazine recorded a top speed of 9

Rover 105R, 105S & 105

Announced on 16 October 1956, the 105R and 105S used a high-output, 8.5:1 compression version of the 2.6 L (160 cu in) engine used in the 90. The higher compression was to take advantage of the higher octane fuel that had become widely available. This twin-SU carburettor engine produced 108 brake horsepower (81 kW). Both 105 models also featured the exterior changes of the rest of the range announced a month earlier. The 105S featured separate front seats, a cigar lighter, chromed wheel trim rings and twin Lucas SFT 576 spotlamps. To minimise the cost of the 105R, these additional items were not standard; however, they were provided on the (higher priced) 105R De Luxe. The 105R featured a "Roverdrive" automatic transmission. This unit was designed and built by Rover and at the time was the only British-built automatic transmission. Others had bought in units from American manufacturers such as Borg-Warner. This unit was actually a two-speed automatic (Emergency Low which can be selected manually and Drive) with an overdrive unit for a total of three forward gears. The 105S made do with a manual transmission and Laycock de Normanville overdrive incorporating a kick-down control. The 105S could reach a top speed of 101 miles per hour (163 km/h). The Motor magazine tested a 105R de luxe in 1957 and found it to have a top speed of 93.9 miles per hour (151.1 km/h) and acceleration from 0–60 miles per hour (97 km/h) of 23.1 seconds. A fuel consumption of 23.6 miles per imperial gallon (12.0 L/100 km; 19.7 mpg‑US) was recorded. The test car cost £1696 including taxes of £566. Production of the 105 line ended in 1958 for the 105R and 1959 for the manual transmission 105S, 10,781 had been produced, two-thirds with the manual transmission option. For 1959 the manual model was des

Rover 80

The 3-litre P5 car introduced in September 1958 was in full production and the obsolescent P4 range was reduced to just two cars, this new four-cylinder 80, announced on 24 October 1959 and the Rover 100 announced at the same time. The 80 engine was a new Land Rover-derived straight-four overhead-valve engine displacing 2.3 litres (140 cu in), entirely different from the units used in all the other models. With 80 hp (59 kW) available, the car could top 85 mph (137 km/h). Girling 10.8 inches (270 mm) vacuum servo-assisted disc brakes at the front were new, and the car used wider tyres and had updated styling. Overdrive, operating on top gear only, was standard on the four-speed transmission. Options included a radio, two tone paint schemes, and either a bench or individual front seats. These options also apply to the 100 (see below). The four-cylinder cars were never popular, and just 5,900 had been built when, after 3 years, production ended. Its place was taken by the new Rover 95 announced in September 1962. The Motor magazine tested an 80 in 1961 and recorded a top speed of 82.9 miles per hour (133.4 km/h) and acceleration from 0–60 miles per hour (97 km/h) of 22.4 seconds. A fuel consumption of 23.5 miles per imperial gallon (12.0 L/100 km; 19.6 mpg‑US) was found. The test car cost £1396 including taxes of £411.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Rover P4 series
Manufacturer: The Rover Co. Ltd.
Production: 1949–1964, 130,312 units
Assembly: United Kingdom: Solihull
Successor: Rover P5 (concurrent from 1958), Rover P6
Predecessor: Rover P3
Body style: 4-door saloon
Class: Mid-size luxury car
Layout: FR layout
Wheelbase: 111 in
Width: 65.6 in
Length: 178.25 in
Height: 63.25 in
Designer: Gordon Bashford

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1784446CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rover_P4CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1356676700 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rover_110_P4_(7895828508).jpgCC BY 2.0 · Photo: Andrew Bone from Weymouth, England · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.