1934 Rover 14 Streamline Coupé

1934 Rover 14 Streamline Coupé

Chassis Number:  

Registration Number:  

Pre-war Rovers were always aimed at, and popular with, a certain section of society.

Not right at the top, where aristocrats, plutocrats and others denizens of the upper echelons opted for cars bearing the logos of Bentley, Rolls-Royce or Lagonda.

And certainly not lower down, where Morris and the like catered to the needs of the masses.

No, Rovers were the cars of choice for tweed-jacketed country doctors, bowler-hatted bank managers, and a whole class of chaps with dark suits and serious expressions from The Ministry of Something Awfully Secret or Jolly Important. 

But this iteration, the Rover 14 Streamline, added another dimension – one designed to appeal to the owner-driver’s inner aesthete.

Rover's 14 model was launched in 1934 on a lengthened chassis, retaining its predecessor's 1,577cc, six-cylinder, overhead-valve engine. 

The new frame allowed for the incorporation of a wide range of body styles around a standard chassis specification that included a four-speed gearbox with freewheel, Lockheed brakes, Luvax-Bijur automatic lubrication and electric windscreen wipers.

Later in 1934 a new ‘Streamline’ body-shape joined the fray, with both Saloon and Coupé versions available.

Clearly a product of the broader Art Deco age, the Rover 14 Streamline Coupé was specifically a nod to the Streamline Moderne movement, a subsidiary school of Art Deco design expression that lent itself to everything from ocean liners and skyscrapers to trains and, of course, cars.

Indeed, manufacturers as varied as Bugatti, Cord, Talbot, Tatra, Chrysler and Studebaker all penned Streamline Moderne designs, with the results being some of the most stylish and eye-catching vehicles ever built.

This exceptional car found its way to Luxembourg in 2014, by which time it had undergone a fairly basic restoration in the UK.

Prior to that it had been found languishing somewhere near Reading in 1998, when it was very much in ‘barn find’ condition. 

The vendor bought the car at auction in the UK in 2014, largely because he was impressed by its originality, completeness and suitability for a far more ambitious restoration. 

The car made the trip to Luxembourg with him, where it joined his collection of classic vehicles.

The car then commenced a full, total and exceptionally thorough ground-up, bare metal, nut and bolt, no-expense-spared restoration over the course of 6 years. 

Among much other material, the car comes with photographs of the restoration and a hand-written note outlining some of its back-story.

According to the note, the car had just four family owners from 1946 until 1998. 

The engine was rebored in 1955, when the odometer was showing 100,000. 

The steering was replaced in the 1960s. 

By 1969 the mileage had increased to 117,060. 

In 2014 it was 120,080 (with the 5-digit odometer showing 20,080).

Today, the odometer reads 20,976 miles, so the true total is 120,976.

The car starts, runs and goes as you would hope and expect to find in a car of this vintage.

Well, just look at it.

It’s wonderful.

The Rubenesque swoops and curves of the aluminium bodywork are untroubled by any dinks, dents or creases, and the car’s graceful lines are both enabled and enhanced by the elegant ‘suicide’ doors.

The black paintwork has a remarkable depth of shine and lustre and is in excellent overall condition.

Just the right level of understated and classy colour contrast is afforded by the green-painted front grille and wire wheels.

The wheels are shod in matching Michelin rubber which looks barely acquainted with any kind of road surface.

The car’s brightwork is gleaming and unsullied by any foxing, pitting or tarnishing.

The sun roof, which is covered in the same black vinyl finish as the rest of the roof, seals tightly and operates smoothly.

The car’s running boards are firm, solid and covered by very fresh-looking rubber treads. 

All doors and the boot lid close with plenty of reassuring weight and precision, and all lights, lenses, badging and other exterior fixtures and fittings are in top condition.

You’ll be impressed by the attention to detail lavished upon this car during the restoration. It’s exemplified by the soft leather pads affixed to the bonnet doors in order to prevent scratching during opening and closing.

If you look really hard you might find the odd, small swirly scratch here or a stone chip there, but they’re far more notable for their absence than their presence.

The interior of this car is every bit as wondrous as its exterior counterpart.

The upholstery and trim is presented in soft green leather. 

On the door cards the leather is fluted in an Art Deco pattern that is sure to put you in mind of New York’s Chrysler building.

The seats, front and back, are support and comfortable.

The green carpets here and in the boot are almost as soft, close-fitting and smooth as the baize on a snooker table.

There’s a beautifully muted satin finish to the dark wood on the door cappings and dashboard. 

The headlining is mostly good, although some of the fabric around the rear screen and on the trim at its base is a little ragged in places. 

Given the nature of the forces acting upon them, it’s perhaps not surprising that the novel, drop-down, ‘guillotine’-style front quarter-light windows have a few scratches in evidence. 

The controls look to be in fine order, as does the car’s splendid Jaeger instrumentation. 

The green-carpeted boot is immaculate and contains a period gentleman’s valise of the sort apparently favoured by Paddington Bear. 

The engine bay looks clean, dry and orderly. 

Everything we can see appears to be in its right and proper place.

The undersides of the car look equally sound, solid and possessed of structural integrity – as you might expect to find on a car that’s done very little since being comprehensively restored from the ground up. 

The car comes with photographs of its restoration, an original 1950’s UK registration document, various copies of manual and guides, a letter of authenticity provided by the Rover Sports Register to the Luxembourg licencing authorities, and various other letters and cuttings.

Viewings are by appointment near Berkhamsted Herts.