1. Rover P2 saloon in Cyprus.
The first three photographs shown below feature a RHD Rover P2 (16hp) saloon car, with its owner. I'm told that the owner, an RAF officer, was based at RAF Heany in Southern Rhodesia at some point, yet these photographs all appear to have been taken in Cyprus, presumably whilst he was stationed at RAF Akrotiri.
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The first photograph shows the trusty Rover, registration N4910, on the road between Limassol and Larnaca with its owner and two friends. The P2 Rover visually is very similar to the later P3, although the wiper arrangement, and style of front bumper, point to this being a 16hp P2. Incidentally, photos of the previous 12/4 series, retrospectively known as the P1, may be found on this page, here at OCC.
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Photo #2 shows the group with the car parked on the road to Polis, a small town situated on the North West corner of the island. As in photo #1, the P2's sunshine roof is open, the scuttle vents and screen are open also, suggesting a fine warm day.
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The final picture in this set shows the Rover stopped near to Polis, its occupants enjoying the view.
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2. A Rover P2 in the UK.
Back on home soil now for this next pair of P2 Rover photographs. They both feature car HOC 641, making it a car that spent its early years in the Birmingham area. The location of the car in photo #1 isn't known, two ladies can be see sat in the Rover, parked in the corner of a field. The lady in the rear compartment is clutching a cup of tea, not in a mug but in a proper cup, with saucer.
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The second, admittedly not-that-brilliant, photo of the Rover, shows it parked outside Pendennis Castle in Falmouth, Cornwall.
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3. Rear view of a 1946 saloon.
According to Bonny, who was kind enough to send over the following photo, this Rover P2 was probably captured on film at Norman's Bay in Sussex. The Southend-area registration, BJN 939, points to it being a 1946 example. The interesting old caravan in the background shares the Rover's registration, yet in this photograph at least, there doesn't appear to be a tow-bar fitted to the car. Or if there is a tow-bar, perhaps the ball had been removed while the caravan was parked up.
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4. Two ladies and a P2 saloon.
P2s were quality-built, sturdy, cars, and they had to be if two ladies testing their Rover's running boards was a common occurrence. No doubt it passed this sternest of tests with flying colours. While the car is identifiable as a P2 (but whether it's a 10hp or larger-engined version I don't know), the identities of the two ladies posed with it will forever remain a mystery, lost to the mists of time, as will the location shown.
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Return to Page 12 in the vintage car motoring gallery, where, amongst other classic cars, you'll find a photo of a rare Rover P2 tourer.
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