1907 Rover 6hp Two-Seater
Registration no. AJ 498 Chassis no. 1524

The Golden Age of Motoring Sale '1886-1939': Veteran, Vintage and Post-Vintage Motor Cars & Automobilia|5 November 2021, 17:00 GMT|London, New Bond Street

1907 Rover 6hp Two-Seater
Registration no. AJ 498
Chassis no. 1524

• First owned by Sir Francis Samuelson
• Sympathetically restored
• Complete provenance

Footnotes

'AJ 498' was purchased for Sir Francis Samuelson by his father as a Christmas present in 1907. In 1908 he set out to tour France in the Rover, recording the events in a diary that gives a fascinating insight into what motoring was like in those pioneering days. He replaced the car in 1909 with a similar model, and at that point began his successful motor racing career. A four-page article covering his career features in the April 1963 edition of Motor Sport magazine (copy on file).

Sir Francis lost track of his car, but in 1950 saw an advertisement in Autocar magazine for a Rover and wrote to the seller (reply on file). He agreed to purchase the car, which had a few features he recognised, and the local vehicle licensing office confirmed that he had indeed bought back his Christmas present from 1907! Sir Francis kept the car until his death in 1981 when it passed to his son, from whom it was purchased by the immediately preceding owner, who went on to carry out a sympathetic restoration. The current enthusiast owner purchased the Rover at Bonhams' Beaulieu sale in September 2017 (Lot 563) and has used it sparingly since, preferring his Vintage Bentley. Offered with a substantial history file, this charming early Rover is ideal for Veteran Car Cub events, the popular 'Creepy Crawly' in particular.

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