Lot 218: 1923 ROVER 8HP 'CHUMMY' OCCASIONAL FOUR SEATER

Car No. LC 91865
Brown body and wheels, black mudguards and chassis, dark brown interior
Engine: two cylinder horizontally opposed and air-cooled, 85 x 100mm bore & stroke, 1,103 ccs. Gearbox: three speed, centre change. Suspension: front and rear, quarter-elliptic leaf spring; Brakes: rear drums. Right hand drive.

The Rover 8 was a simple design, aimed at the first-time buyer, and was briefly successful from its introduction in 1920 until the market was stolen by the overwhelming success of the Austin 7: production of the Rover 8 tailed off in 1924-5. This example is in good original condition, and has a most unusual factory body style: known as the 'Chummy', the back of the front passenger seat lifts out to allow access for one or maybe two small children, or one very uncomfortable adult, to a basic bench seat in the rear. From inside the car, the interior of the small luggage boot that protrudes at the rear can be reached. No other example of this type of Rover 8 body is known.

This example was supplied by C.R. Barrett & Co of Canterbury, and first registered on the Canterbury roads on 7th August 1923. By the time its surviving logbook was issued in 1949, it remained in Kent and was the property of Roland John Redvers Foxley of Charing. In 1953, upon acquisition by Martin Baker it moved to High Wycombe, Bucks and passed through 3 ownerships in quick succession in 1954/5. Last road taxed in 1956 in Buckinghamshire, we imagine that it passed into the Sharpe Family Collection at around this time. It was later put on exhibition in the Ramsgate Motor Museum.

The only forward-facing lights are by CAV, attached to a board carrying the windscreen, and the dashboard carries a Lucas switchboard, the front of which is missing. The single door is on the nearside. The interior has been nicely reupholstered in leathercloth. An interesting feature is that the bonnet sides are held in place by spring clips which when removed release either side completely. The simple two-spoke steering wheel is another Rover 8 hallmark. Under the bonnet, the magneto is a Lucas AC2, and a Zenith carburettor is fitted. Rovers increased the stroke of the '8' from 88 to 100 mm in 1923, and this is one of the first fitted with the larger capacity engine. Disc wheels carry 700 x 80 beaded-edge tyres.

A buff log book and V5 document accompany the car.