1948 Rover P3
2025.0030.0001, Savoy Collection, Generously donated by Marshall & Alice Bandy of Ringgold, GA
Engine: 128 cu. in. (2.1L) Cast-iron block, I-6
Output: 75 HP @ 4,200 RPM
Transmission: 4-Speed Manual/Free Wheel
Wheelbase: 110 in.
Overall Length: 169 in.
Top Speed: 60-75 MPH
No. Produced: 9,111
Original Price: Unknown
Manufacturer: Rover Motor Co. Ltd.
The Classic Car Club of America describes “True Classics” as “fine or unusual motor cars built between 1925 and 1948, [and] distinguished by their respective fine design, high engineering standards and superior workmanship. This description fits the 1948 Rover P3 perfectly. Unlike other manufacturers, Rover maintained its pre-war body design which appealed to many conservative middle-class customers. Sales brochures described the look as “attractive and dignified”. During the war, Rover engineers were busy developing technological advances.
Rover engines were quiet and fuel efficient. A special feature of the car was the “free wheel”. The Autocar in 1948 described this feature, “At the back of the gear box is an inbuilt controlled free wheel which permits noiseless and easy gear change without touching the clutch pedal, merely by releasing the throttle and moving the gear lever.” The big news for Rover in 1948, however, was the debut of their four-wheel-drive Land Rover.