The Rover Story

A Veloce Classic reprint.

Graham Robson traces the history of the company right back to the Starley family’s Coventry-made bicycles of the 1870s. Delving deeply into the records and talking to many people who have been connected with Rover cars since the 1930s, he unfolds a fascinating account of the men who directed the company’s fortunes, of their vision and of their occasional lapses. The company’s impressive record is analysed here in this probing, truthful yet affectionate look at one of the greatest names in the British motor industry. The definitive history of the Rover Company

After a varied career in the automotive industry the late Graham Robson had gained a worldwide reputation as a motoring historian, and has more than 160 books to his credit. Born in 1936, and educated at Ermysteds Grammar School in Yorkshire, Graham then went on to study Engineering at Oxford University. He joined Jaguar Cars as a graduate trainee, becoming involved in design work on the Mk II, E-Type and Mark X. Beginning as a hobby, he became a rally co-driver, eventually joining the Sunbeam ’works’ team in 1961, and took part in rallies up to International level (once with Roger Clark), but stopped rallying by 1968. During this time he joined Standard-Triumph in Coventry, in 1961, as a Development Engineer, mainly on sports car projects. He then ran the re-opened ’works’ motorsport department from 1962 to 1965, this being the period of the birth of Spitfire Le Mans cars, TR4, Vitesse, Spitfire and 2000 rally car developments. Graham Robson’s writing began with rally reports for magazines which evolved into a job with Autocar from 1965-1969. He was recruited back to industry at Rootes to run the Product Proving department, then after a brief period in 1972 as technical director of a safety belt company, became an independent motoring writer. Graham has lived ’by the pen’ and ’by the voice’, not only writing but commentating, presenting and organising events of all types.