• One of a tiny handful of Graber one-offs on the P6 chassis
• Acquired by the vendor in 1990
• An unfinished project
• Offered with Swiss registration papers

This elegant two-door coupé on the Rover P6 platform is the work of the Swiss Carrosserie Graber of Wichtrach. Hermann Graber's designs were always executed to the very highest standards and his creations were necessarily expensive, costing far more than those of his British contemporaries. Son of a master cartwright, Graber assumed control of the family firm in the mid-1920s and switched production to coachbuilt car bodies. His first car, a FIAT 509 with drophead coupé coachwork, was displayed in 1927. Dropheads were a Graber speciality; he concentrated on bodying high-quality chassis and in 1929 his Panhard et Levassor 20CV cabriolet won the St Moritz Concours d'Élégance.

In the UK he is best known for his work on the post-war Alvis chassis, Graber having acquired the distribution rights to the British manufacturer's products in 1953. In 1965 Rover acquired a controlling interest in Alvis, and Graber turned his attentions to the products of the Solihull firm. In 1965 Graber took delivery of a Rover 2000 (P6) saloon, which was re-bodied as an elegant two-door drophead coupé and displayed at the following year's Geneva Salon. This first Rover-based venture was followed by an even better fixed-head coupé version of the 2000 TC. There was also at least one other such one-off, powered by Rover's Buick-derived 3.5-litre V8. Unfortunately for Graber, none of his designs was taken up for mass production. Hermann Graber died in 1970 and the production of special-bodied cars at Wichtrach came to an end after around 800 had been made. The Rover P6-based cars are among the very last produced.

Offered here is the Rover 2000 TC example mentioned above. Acquired by the vendor in 1990, the car is offered as an unfinished project and sold strictly as viewed. Accompanying paperwork consists of a Swiss registration document; a purchase invoice dated 1990; and a German customs import document dated 1990.

Please note that this vehicle is from outside the UK. Our customs agents, CARS UK, will manage all post sale customs administration. A fee of £350+VAT will be charged on the buyer's invoice to administer both import or export customs movements. If the buyer also chooses to ship with CARS UK, this will be quoted separately. If this vehicle is to remain in the UK, it will be subject to Import VAT at the reduced rate of 5% on the hammer price. This vehicle will not be available for immediate collection after the sale and will only be released on completion of customs clearance formalities. If you have any questions regarding customs clearance, please contact the Bonhams Motorcar Department.