As I am a fan of classic BBC TV series as well as of old cars, I managed to bring two strands of information together which at a first glance don't seem to be related at all. I've always found "All Creatures Great and Small" a great panorama of vintage and classic cars. In the first couple of episodes one of the main characters (actor Robert Hardy as senior veterinary Siegfried Farnon) drives a car which was not easy for me to recognise, and perhaps will be difficult for you, too:
In case you don't know, it's an early (1932/33) Hillman Minx, a quite handsome little car.
Now, in various books on Rover's prewar history I found information that the Wilks brothers obtained a licence from Hillman, their former employer, to use this model's coachwork for their then-new Rover 10. I have been searching the web to find photographic evidence of this, and the photo below is as close as I could get:
Just compare the windscreen's frame, the roof line and the position of the door handles. I think this example photo of a Rover 10 to be quite plausible evidence for carrying the Hillman Minx' body. Do any of you know more about what has been carried over from the Hillman design and what has been changed for the Rover 10?
The BBC, Hillman Minx and Rover 10
The BBC, Hillman Minx and Rover 10
Klaus
1954 Rover 90 (LHD)
1954 Rover 90 (LHD)