Spot of the year*

[Yoss]

*In my world anyway.

 

Occasionally you come across something that deserves a thread of its own. It had never happened to me before. Until now.

 

This is S525 OVP. It is I think the oldest 75 left. There's talk of a LHD one in Sweden but this is the oldest one here.

 

There's all sorts of stuff about this car on the 75 ZT owners club forum though it's gone a bit quiet lately.

 

 

 

 

It's a pre launch test car sort of thing. It featured in a lot of early publicity but rarely left the factory. It seems it's only forays on to public roads was for film work dressed as a police car. Silent Witness and something called Ultimate Force with Ross Kemp. Apart from that it spent it's whole life bumming around Longbridge whilst all the other OVP cars were scrapped straight from the factory or used for crash tests.

 

It was used as a factory ambulance car and also a test car for the ZT. There are several pictures on tinternet of it with various ZT bits on.

 

There was a big fanfare made when the 75 ZT club managed to buy it from Longbridge in 2009 with lots of plans to restore it. The mechanical stuff was done pretty quickly by Lates, a Rover specialist. The bodywork never got done as these pictures show. Personally I'd leave all the little dents and scratches as they all happened at Longbridge and none are serious. I would however give it a bloody good wash.

 

MG Rover plates

 

Base model on steel's

 

And do you know where I found this? Five minutes walk from my house! It's not somewhere I usually go but thanks to Autoshite I thought I'd come back from the shop a different way to see what was round there shitewise.

 

It's parked in the company of another 75. I asked on the 75 ZT forum and they are both owned by the forum owner but obviously being looked after by someone else.

 

 

I'm happy to admit I was more than a little excited by this discovery. Mrs Yoss just wondered why it took me so long to come back from the shop. When I showed her the pictures she said I was, and I quote, 'very niche.'

[BorniteIdentity]

BOOM.

 

I remember a lot of talk about this car when I had my first two 75s.  I think, from memory, progress was slow and people began to get a bit pissed about the lack of progress despite money being thrown into the hat often (sound familiar?!)

 

I didn't think it'd ever be seen in the wild.  When I saw your post I guessed it had been at POL and that's where you saw it.

 

Anyway, top spot.  Played.

[EssDeeWon]

Does look abit sorry for itself doesn't it.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I still can't get excited by these things, but that is an impressive spot . One wonders why it isn't immaculately restored as a perfect example or at Gaydon. It's almost as if anything BL or Rover isn't appreciated until it's too fucked to bother with.

Anyway ,have some pictures of it on telly, it was in NewTricks and Murpy's Law too.

[Yoss]

It needs a damn good wash. The dirt you can see is organic. There are lots of trees around which kinds suggests it hasn't moved in a while. As I said, despite being so close to home I never usually go that way but I will do so far more often now.

[Yoss]

More pictures pinched from tinterweb. Mainly from 75 ZT club.

 

 

With MG bits.

 

It's in the background here too. Interestingly the ZT fire car is really a 75 too.

[egg]

Has a current MOT, but mileage history is all over the place.

[Roverageous]

Looks sorry for itself.

 

I've had dealings with the good professor and it is my opinion fact that he is a cunt. The car should go to someone with the time to do something with it.

[Yoss]

Looking at the pictures again, the detritus between car and kerb would suggest it's been there a while. You can see where a roadsweeper has driven round it.

[EssDeeWon]

I see it once had Unions on it, I wonder if they were the original wheels are the current steels that are on there now.

[greengartside]

Makes me laugh, I read the rescue mission on this 75 and thought that this would be a very-well looked after car and be taken to shows etc.

 

How wrong am I. Looks utterly neglected. Such a shame that it's been allowed to get like this, after all that everyone went through to get it out of Longbridge before it was scrapped.

 

I believe the steels were the original wheels as it's the most basic model.

[bramz7]

Nice. Shame it's a bit...Tired looking.

So I came across an S reg in yellow the other day, 1999 build but not registered until 2001.

I'm sure it also a known car.

[cpjitservices]

Always had a soft spot for the 75, never owned one but drove plenty when I work at Reg Vardy Rover in Croft. 

 

Great spot. Great  car too with a really great story.

[oldcars]

Cracking spot. Did'nt know about this car. Is it old english white? 

[Parky]

I foresee.......a man.......with a note.......tucking it under the windscreen.......it has "if you want to sell this car, please call Autoshite, ask for Bornite" written upon it......

 

That'll be Sixty quid mate, no sorry cash only

[EssDeeWon]

Nice. Shame it's a bit...Tired looking.

So I came across an S reg in yellow the other day, 1999 build but not registered until 2001.

I'm sure it also a known car.

Would it be an S reg if it was registered in 2001?  It could be a private plate that just makes the car look like an S reg.

[fiatdaft]

Nice vrs

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Yoss]

I did see that there and got it in the photo deliberately but didn't think it would be of interest to anyone else.

 

Weirdly I am currently in Budapest and whilst sat in a bar a white 75 went past. No photo obviously.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Finally found this Fred again. Great spot - do you have any links to when it was freed from Longbridge?

[Mally]

I'm a little worried by the amount of people who want to wash and repair it.

We are Autoshite. Leave it alone.

 

Yes I have got one, its very nice but deteriorating week by week.

[bramz7]

Would it be an S reg if it was registered in 2001?  It could be a private plate that just makes the car look like an S reg.

 

 

Searching the reg on Google brings up the 75/ZT Forum as a member spotted it, but it's not a club car. 

Preproduction model that was registered in 2001 but has a 1999 build. Neat!

[Bobthebeard]

Pedant mode...

The early Rover 75's had a different boot badge. My 2001 one has the chrome trim on the boot with a Rover badge on the boot lid.

Unless it has been nicked or something.

[oldcars]

Build data for the car below, vin removed because internets.

 

vin xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx vin_sequence 1196 off_assembly_date Wednesday, 25th November 1998 @ 12:33:13 model 75 variant 1.8 Classic num_doors 0 paint_code NNZ brochure_model_desc R75 C1 Saloon 1.8k Series (120) home_export HOME country GREAT BRITAIN exterior_paint Old English White interior_trim Ash / Light smokestone engine 1800 NA 120Bhp trimlevel Classic bodytype 4DR manual_auto M hand_of_drive RHD model_year 1999 sold_date Unknown General Information

• This vehicle was the 203rd 75 to run off the production line, out of 112,381
• This vehicle was the 22nd 75 1.8 Classic to be made out of 2,641
• This vehicle was the 25th 75 in Old English White (code: NNZ) to be made out of 640 Old English White 75s

Also born on this day...

• 13 75s
• 84 MGFs

 

[greengartside]

Holy Thread Resurrection Batman!

 

I’m very pleased to report that S525 OVP has been fully restored back to original specification and was on display at the 75 Owners Club at the NEC Classic Car Show this year. I even had a little sit in it and it was a lovely little thing indeed.

 

 

 

[Yoss]

Oh, that is good news. I'd noticed it had gone from round the corner, though other random 75s are still there. Having read the saga on the 75/ZT forum I just assumed it had just been parked somewhere else.

 

I may have to go back to 75 forum to catch up on it's progress.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

That's excellent news. Is there a build link anywhere to the full story of the car?

[greengartside]

That's excellent news. Is there a build link anywhere to the full story of the car?

All I can really find is what is mentioned on the 75 forum, I suspect the guy I spoke to was the same guy who owns it in the previous photos as he did mention he was unwell for a while and that’s why the restoration stalled.