Rover Sports Register Forum

Hello,

My name is Nick Blackhurst and I would like some help in identifying what car our Godfather may have had between 1926 and 1933. Our Godfather, Julian W. de la Poer Beresford, brought up my Sister Anna and he left her a clock which he said came from his car. He apparently crashed his car whilst looking at the view going round a hairpin bend (not a good idea!) We think that the car may well have been made as a special order for him as he told Anna that the clock is mounted on a piece of the dashboard. We took the clock to Beaulieu and they said that if it was part of the dash it is none standard, it is made from a piece of mahogany 1 13/16 inch thick. They also said that the clock is non-standard and it is usual for it to be a Jaeger, there is no makers name on the dial of the clock. He also had his initials mounted on the dash in silver. There is a a plaque mounted on it which was made from a hubcap, I believe, it was silver plated and says:
"Miss Rover
Mileage 250,995
April 1926
Feb 1933"

From what we were told at Beaulieu there are only 2 or 3 models of Rover which this car could have been and we think that it waan't seem to work s most likely a 16/50.

I would send some photo's but I can't seem to work out how to insert them. I have uploaded the photo's to photobucket http://s274.photobucket.com/albums/jj26 ... lackhurst/

Regards,
Nick

Hi Nick,

thanks for adding the link to the photos. I personally cant give you any extra information I am afraid, we do have a couple of 16/50 experts/owners on the forum but they may well be away at the moment. I just thought I would reply so you didn't think you were being ignored!

Best of luck with your search.

Hi Paul,

Thank you for your reply, it was very kind of you to respond. It is a bad time of year to post questions anywhere I suppose!

Hello Nick,

After looking at your photos I compared your clock to the one in my 1929 Rover 6 and while my face is black it appears to be the same clock. I would agree that it is likley from a 16/50 or a 14/45 or even perhaps a 6.

Too bad you don't have the car to gone along with the clock

All the best
Dirk in the states

Hello Dirk,

Thank you very much for your reply. It is great to hear that you have a very similar clock in your 6, we were a bit worried because we were told that it should be a Jaeger clock. Yes, it would be wonderful to have the car too.

Regards,

Nick

Hi Nick,

As Dirk says, it is indeed a shame the car has not survived, but over 250,000 miles is pretty hard use, especially if it really was a 16/50! Any family photos that show the car might help us to identify it. I have attached a photo of my dashboard showing the clock, it is a Smiths so not the same as your clock. However, in the couple of years that they made these cars, no two seem to have been the same so it is always possible that the clocks changed too.



Regards

Hi Nick,

Further to my last posting, the dashboard itself is cast, so is not a thick piece of wood. As for the hub cap with the inscription, the normal hub cap can be seen in the picture below of my car, it would be very difficult to make a flat disc out of one of these very thick and heavy castings.



However, it could possibly have been made from the hub cap of one of the wire wheels fitted to the Sports models and as an option to the other models, see below.



Regards

Hi Stewart,

I am sorry that I haven't replied before now.

What info we have came from my Sister Anna, she was brought up by our Godfather (who we always called Grampy.) He was from an aristocratic family and had property in Russia so may have driven there in the car, but we don't know for sure, and as Russia was then ruled by the Bolshevics I would have thought that he wouldn't have been welcome! Unfortunately all we have is what is in photo's and what is in Anna's memory. We are planning to go to Gaydon to see if they can shed any light on which car Grampy owned, but I don't hold out too much hope of ever knowing for sure. If we come up to the Lakes would it be possible to see your 16/50 please Stewart?

Regards,

Nick

Hi Nick, yes, any time you are coming up this way just let me know, if I am at home you would be most welcome.

Regards