CityRovers?

[sierraman]

I do like shite cars but the really shit ones like the Shitty Rover, fascinate me as much as they do appall me. They are utterly shit but somehow fascinating at the same time. 

[Datsuncog]

I seem to recall that the area around the fuel filler was a particularly weak spot on the Cityrover - built for unsalted Indian roads, there were a number of quite serious rot-spots on these cars which quickly became apparent when used in wintry old Blighty. Even worse than the Ford Ka.

During my time working as a parts desk monkey in Halfords, I'm pretty sure Car Mechanics mag ran an article about some Cityrovers being scrapped after failing their first MOT on serious/terminal corrosion - this would have been around 2007, probably.

That said, those that have survived into teenagerdom have probably been kept garaged, low miles etc... I wouldn't really want to daily one, but they're certainly a curio and it should be an inexpensive itch for you to scratch...

Here's the last one I encountered in the wild, late last year - a 'Style' limited edition, no less! Tons of giffer-dings, blebs and mismatched wheeltrims FTW.

Wonky fuel filler cap adds an additional air of jauntiness.

Could these be the new Ledbury Maestro? Basically, they were both chasing the same blue-rinse demographic...

Go for it.

[lesapandre]

On 5/15/2019 at 9:28 AM, lesapandre said:

Yup for their time ok styling. They definitely have some appeal. Pity Tata didn't pick Rover up with Jaguar etc. I suppose at the time the buy-out from Ford was some time away. The Rover brand could then have been applied to a cheaper car range under Jaguar - Cityrover is quite a clever monniker. Longbridge was all about affordable cars and a range with a pepped up  Tata Cityrover etc might have taken the company forward on a smaller scale and then a fight back. Ho hum of course not to be. A souped Cityrover with MG badges perhaps and why not.

The classic car future is difficult to predict but they may survive into the collected era - that is if enough survive till then. Some cars like the Citroen Visa or LNA etc survive in such tiny numbers they don't ever get much attention (except here of course)

They do have a certain odd allure. City Rover sounds like some weird offshoot of Range Rover to get their corporate range C02 down. If found one cheap I might tuck it up in my barn. It's 'historic' enough for someone to track down the Indian designers of the nip and tuck - probably some interest there. Tata would not have set out to make a terrible car it just probably didn't get the attention it needed and was really a £3000 budget-mobile sold as something it was not. Interesting to note it must have met the European crash test regs when the Metro couldn't? They would have been better fiddling with the Metro IMHO.

[New POD]

2 hours ago, lesapandre said:

They do have a certain odd allure. City Rover sounds like some weird offshoot of Range Rover to get their corporate range C02 down. If found one cheap I might tuck it up in my barn. It's 'historic' enough for someone to track down the Indian designers of the nip and tuck - probably some interest there. Tata would not have set out to make a terrible car it just probably didn't get the attention it needed and was really a £3000 budget-mobile sold as something it was not. Interesting to note it must have met the European crash test regs when the Metro couldn't? They would have been better fiddling with the Metro IMHO.

They replaced the metro. It's built in Oxford and owned by a German company. 

[lesapandre]

Too true. BMW made off with the only really good bit. Pity Rover could not afford a competitor. And new 'Morris Minor'. If dreams were wishes alas...

[dave j]

I walk past one most mornings when walking the dog, it's really battered as it's owned by a new (not very good) driver. It has a Sprite badge on the back which I reckon could be easily altered to say Shite! 

[lesapandre]

Sprite - good old BMC name. Austin Healey Sprite - Rover must have owned the monniker? Some Chinese company may own it now maybe. First seen on a 35 Riley sports - then name came into Nuffield and then into BMC at the time of the merger. Ended it's days then on a Mini and finally on a  Cityrover.

[Uncle Jimmy]

There's a myriad of second hand motors at knock down prices about, why buy one of the worst, dullest, most unreliable heaps ever built, topped by sticking a Rover badge on a car built in India, that no self respecting Indian would be seen dead in. 

Plus, I knew a bloke about 10 years ago who ran one, he was a total cunt. 

Buy a Skoda.

[C1am]

I've decided to keep what I have. I'm fitting a replacement cambelt kit and water pump tomorrow. It will either go well or it won't.

[DodgyBastard]

On 5/15/2019 at 7:27 PM, Lacquer Peel said:

I thought this was the forum where people are supposed to like rubbish, unloved cars. 

Bahahahaha hahahahaha hahahahaha People on here love rubbish unloved cars? Have you been hiding under a rock?

[sierraman]

Get one bought and let us know how you get on. 

[Lacquer Peel]

 

 

 

Bahahahaha hahahahaha hahahahaha People on here love rubbish unloved cars? Have you been hiding under a rock?

 

 

Get one bought and let us know how you get on. 

 

I don't want one personally but I like them. I wouldn't buy a car just to prove a point.

 

[Austin-Rover]

I have one and enjoy it as an interesting curio. I occasionally use it as my daily every few weeks or so.

Mk2 versions are the way to go, still shit but improved greatly over the Mk1. Parts are cheap at Rimmer Brothers, including the strut top cups that rot away and allow the strut in to the boot (someone mentioned this earlier in the thread) They're easy to keep serviced (the oil filter is the same as the Peugeot 106). Mine needs a clutch at the moment (Interesting to read they don't last long anyway!), They're well screwed together and are very nippy, thanks to the huge engine. They're crap on fuel around town, but will give you near 40mpg on the motorway (so much for CITY Rover!) Keep the arches cleaned out and they don't rot - mine is fine underneath, however some of the worst examples will have been welded at the backs of the sills a few times by now. Anyone thinking of buying one needs to make sure that for the alarm/central locking that the 'learn' fob is still present. This is a key fob with a lead and plug attached. It plugs in to the alarm/immobiliser ECU under the drivers seat and you will need the 'learn' fob to reprogramme your normal key fobs each time you change the battery!

In summary;

Thirsty. Can be rusty, but well screwed together. Cheap stuff from Rimmer Bros. Mk2 is best.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

On 5/17/2019 at 9:56 PM, Nibblet said:

..... a car built in India, that no self respecting Indian would be seen dead in....

There's loads of the things in India. The Indian approach to car design is a bit different.