Leyland Press Cars. Any Left???

[Charlie Croker]

Going by the intrest in ford press and tv cars in other threads i started to wonder about the fate of the Leyland/BL ones. I have not heard anything on any of the launch/press cars. I did hear somewhere that cowleys yellow rover (MOC 229P) used in the pro's was only scrapped last summer after 20 odd years in a scrapyard. If you google... very rusty rover...you should get a picture of it. Anyone with any info on this or any other launch or press cars?

[Pete-M]

There's a chap on the SD1 forum who's got one of the first "P" reg SD1s. He put it on ebay recently but it only got to around £2800 and he was messed about by the winning bidder so I think he's kept hold.

 

The chap who owns the Vandentesse that was on Ashes To Ashes is on there as well.

[shite_meister]

I used to own a very early Rover SD1 Vitesse ROE 979Y which was an ex-press & publicity car, I owned it in the late nineties and tried selling it for a grand (although it wasn't mint it didn't look too bad) and advertised it in the classic car mags and even the Rover SD1 club mag but to no avail so being desperate it was sold to a man who like the last four SD1 V8s I've had only wanted it for the engine.

 

 

[Pete-M]

Do you post in the SD1 place as well? Or am I confuddled?

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

My Old Man had an ex BL press fleet metro Turbo back in 1984, a Y reg turd in Cinnibar red.

 

I've had ex press Alfas and BMW's and an ex works Escort. Does that count?

[Owain-328i]

Ex press cars are not usually a good buy, as they usually get a hammering of everyone who drives them.

[Charlie Croker]

A ex works escort!! That gets double points.lol. Bet you wish you still had it?

[Mash]

I used to own a very early Rover SD1 Vitesse ROE 979Y which was an ex-press & publicity car, I owned it in the late nineties and tried selling it for a grand (although it wasn't mint it didn't look too bad) and advertised it in the classic car mags and even the Rover SD1 club mag but to no avail so being desperate it was sold to a man who like the last four SD1 V8s I've had only wanted it for the engine.

 

 

Have I seen this recently or at least one similar? I seem to remember reading something though it could have been a VP from the same batch, I think it was silver

[shite_meister]

Do you post in the SD1 place as well? Or am I confuddled?

I have mentioned this before on here and the SD1 forum but that was about two years ago when I owned my 4.5.

 

 

 

Have I seen this recently or at least one similar? I seem to remember reading something though it could have been a VP from the same batch, I think it was silver

Yes it was mentioned as Trigger has the article as part of his Flickarse collection of road tests, he also snapped this publicity Vitesse (Hope you don't mind me using these Mike):

[Guest]

My Peugeot 306 belonged to the physio of Bolton Wanderers in the '97 season. I have a picture of them all with their cars, and you can see mine at the back looking remarkably unshagged.

 

That poor sod who bought it off me has no idea I drove it round a field in Lancaster stark bollock naked. I sat in all the seats and everything.

[chester drawers]

 

Had a quick chat with the owner of this lovely Sprint a few years back. Apparently it had been a press car. Not got any further information I’m afraid, but a half-arsed search yielded something close:

 

[warren t claim]

 

That poor sod who bought it off me has no idea I drove it round a field in Lancaster stark bollock naked. I sat in all the seats and everything.

Why?

 

I didn't think you had it in you!

[CIH]

[Father Ted]

 

 

stark bollock naked..

Why?

 

I didn't think you had it in you!

Sometimes its got to be done. I rode a Plack 90 round the streets of Freckleton one new years eve bollock naked except for my crash helmet. I never told the bloke from Wales who bought it either....

[Richard]

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2006 ... 9662t0.asp

[Charlie Croker]

That yellow Dolly is fantastic. A yellow sprint has been on my wish list since time began.lol.

[Mash]

That yellow Dolly is fantastic. A yellow sprint has been on my wish list since time began.lol.

Yes, I know Ian who has restored that Sprint. I can't remember which chassis number it is but it's a very low one, number 5 or something I think. A real find.

 

Not BL I know, but my Datsun 1000 was a Nissan press car:

 

[Charlie Croker]

That nissan is lovely. Dont know why there isnt a lot more intrest in those rathen than the perfomance ones. We need more peaple like you to save cars like this. Top marks for a top car.

[chester drawers]

@CIH The same thing was going through my mind, but didn't get around to it

[Cavcraft]

Involuntary ROFL at (Datsun) The Cars That Launched a Thousand Ships.

Most of them to China to be turned into dangerous toys

 

You 1,000 is bloody lovely, can't recall ever seeing one.

[chaseracer]

Not shite - not yet - but Domestic Management's Panda 100HP is ex-Fiat Press. So, if anyone's seen RO08UZE having the bollox thrashed off it, please don't tell me!!

[406V6]

Nice little car, amazing survivor. As a car spotter in the 60s and 70s I don't remember seeing many of these on the road at the time.

 

While I realise the press photos are black & white, the colour of the car in those shots looks much darker than the red in the current shot. If I had to guess I'd say the original colour was a dark blue although it could have been maroon. Has the car been repainted during its life ?

[trigger]

Bit of a lousy photo this one but this is the Dolly at the Coventry Motor Museum, It's the first Sprint made and has a chassis number VA1DL and was also the Zurich & Earls Court motor show car, it was also used for the press photos for the catalogues.

 

It's still only covered 31000 miles.

 

[Mash]

Bit of a lousy photo this one but this is the Dolly at the Coventry Motor Museum, It's the first Sprint made and has a chassis number VA1DL and was also the Zurich & Earls Court motor show car, it was also used for the press photos for the catalogues.

 

It's still only covered 31000 miles.

For the Sprint's 30th anniversary we borrowed that for the Dolomite Club display at a show at Gaydon plus their last off the line one. It's in really nice condition. One or two of the first press photos were of an 1850 with Sprint trim and wheels because they hadn't got it quite ready apparently, it still comes up on DVLA as 1854cc but I forget the reg number.

[Mash]

Nice little car, amazing survivor. As a car spotter in the 60s and 70s I don't remember seeing many of these on the road at the time.

 

While I realise the press photos are black & white, the colour of the car in those shots looks much darker than the red in the current shot. If I had to guess I'd say the original colour was a dark blue although it could have been maroon. Has the car been repainted during its life ?

No, it is actually the original colour, the photo was taken on a really bright day.

 

The Datsun 1000 (B10 Sunny) was only on sale for about 18 months or less before it was replaced by the Datsun 1200 (B110 Sunny) and only around 900 were sold in the UK hence most people have never even heard of it! There are possibly only 4 surviving examples left and this is the only roadworthy one.

[warren t claim]

Although no longer BL when it was made, my old neighbour said his LR Discovery was ex Channel 4 Time Team and to be honest I wouldn't know if he was right or not. That may be a common blag amongst Disco owners.

[Tayne]

.

[warren t claim]

Well his was dark metallic blue so he may be telling the truth. It was an auto turbo dizzler IIRC.

[Lord Sterling]

Quote

Hmmm, bloke in the passenger seat looks suspiciously like:

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Not BL, but a mate of mine has a pre-production Rover 827 Coupe. Apparently they were finished with the same paint/leather as the Rolls Royces as Rover were preparing them at the same place.

 

Someone else I know of claims to own a C-reg Rover Sterling which were also pre-production and press cars.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

A ex works escort!! That gets double points.lol. Bet you wish you still had it?

No, it was shit!

 

It started life as a 1600 Sport on Ford's press fleet and was prepared at Boreham for the Escort Sport challenge, basicaly a series that involved several identical Escort Sports. It was sold off and converted to a stage rally car but at some point it had been totally stripped of underseal and sound deadening so it was totally and utterly fucked out of it's brains when I flogged it again circa 1986/7, minus the engine and gearbox and the tasty morsels.

The reg was SOO750R iirc. I doubt you'll be seeing it on the road anytime soon.