Lot Ended
Description
From a deceased estate; recent £55k restoration; displayed on the
Rover P5 Club stand at the NEC last year; driven over 200 miles to the
sale; a wonderful example of this refined and handsome British icon
It’s hard to
think of any car more quintessentially British than the magisterial Rover P5B
Saloon. An early Jaguar XJ6 comes close, but somehow the Rover is just that bit
more dignified. The ministerial car
of choice for every Prime Minister from Harold Wilson to Margaret Thatcher, it
just exudes continuity, tradition and trust in the Establishment.
However, this being the era of Get
Carter, the P5B also has a dark side which is perfectly expressed in the
Coupe version. Too shady for the ministerial classes, it was ideally suited to
the raffish types who inhabited the demi-monde clubland scene of London in the
Sixties and Seventies. No car was better cast than the menacing P5B Coupe in
which gangland psychopath Vic Dakin (played to savage effect by Richard Burton)
prowls the mean streets of the capital in the 1971 British noir classic,
Villain.
First
registered in Worcester in March 1973, this P5B Coupe was acquired by our
vendor’s brother in 2017 at which point it had been in storage for 31 years. A
devoted P5 fan, he was suffering from a life-limiting illness and determined to
turn CFK 995L into the finest example available which he could then enjoy in
whatever time he had remaining.
In
2023/24 it was treated to a professional restoration while retaining as much
character and originality as possible. Although there are no bills to show the
full extent of the work carried out, we are told that the restoration cost over
£55,000, much of the process being documented in photos and notes on
file.
This included a full body restoration and
bare metal repaint; rebuilt engine and gearbox; brakes, suspension and steering
overhauled; interior refurbished – see last few photos for a more detailed
summary.
Sadly the owner was only able to make a
few short journeys in the car before he passed away. In November 2024 his
brother drove it from Kent to the NEC Classic Car Show in Birmingham where it
was displayed on the Rover P5 Club stand, a 380-mile round trip during which it
performed faultlessly.
In late-June this year, it
was again driven from Kent to Brightwells on a boiling hot day, another 220-mile
trip which it once more completed with ease. This included a Friday
afternoon crawl along a 50-mile section of the M25 during which it behaved
impeccably and did not over-heat – always a tough test for any classic V8.
As you can see in the photos, this is a fabulous
looking Rover in a great colour scheme with wonderfully original and
well-preserved burgundy leather upholstery. As good an example as we have ever
seen, it is on offer here from a deceased estate and now only needs a caring new
owner who can reap the rewards of all the good work so recently carried out.
As you can probably tell, we are big fans of this luxurious British
cruiser and we love the subtle Jekyll and Hyde contrast of the Saloon and
Coupe versions. These old Rovers are held in great affection by the
vast majority of other road users and you will be treated like Royalty wherever
you go in this one - with a hint of Vic Dakin menace should anyone dare to cut
you up...
Consigned by James Dennison – 07970
309907 – james.dennison@brightwells.com