It is one of Dundee’s finest exports and now the blue Rover P5B Coupé has been selected to celebrate the Queen’s 70-year reign.
Martin Robins from Wiltshire will be displaying the Dundee Rover at Windsor’s Long Walk over the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend.
The Rover P5B Coupé will represent 1972 and will be joining a fantastic array of cars at Windsor that includes one from every year from 1952 to 2022.
A 1952 Land Rover Series I will be the oldest vehicle on display, whilst an ultra-modern McLaren GT will bring the collection completely up to date.
There will also be some royal and vintage RAC emergency vehicles on display.
Queen’s jubilee spot ‘an amazing honour’ for Dundee Rover
The Car & Classic online selling platform has been responsible for gathering the vehicles together on the Long Walk for the picnic event on Saturday.
Martin said: “We have felt greatly privileged to have owned the Dundee Rover since we acquired the car in 2009.
“The car had been wonderfully maintained by the previous owner, Sandy Yates, and the mechanic, Brian Clark, who had carried out the pre-delivery inspection in 1972 and had kept the car in fine fettle for 37 years.
“We never forget these two fine Dundee men and speak to them often.
“The Dundee Rover has been pictured at many grand dwellings but when we heard that it had been selected as one of the 70 cars to be displayed at the Windsor Platinum Jubilee celebrations – one for each year of the Queen’s reign – we were overwhelmed.
“What an amazing honour to be seen at an event that will have no equal in the future.
“The Dundee Rover has already brought us great enjoyment but the Windsor visit is on a totally different level, and, when this generation has passed, the pictures from this weekend’s event will tell of a day that future generations will marvel at.”
The Long Walk is a historic three-mile avenue from Windsor Castle gate to the foot of the statue of King George III (The Copper Horse).
Martin said: “The Dundee Rover is commemorating 1972 – at this time the Queen was driving this model privately.
“The Rover P5B was also the daily transport in 1972 of Edward Heath – then prime minister.
“Interestingly, Mrs Thatcher, who was education secretary in 1972, was also allocated a Rover P5B.
“She was to be famously pictured arriving at 10 Downing Street in the Rover P5B seven years later as she commenced her premiership.”
Mrs Thatcher had a specially adapted rear headrest fitted to her Rover P5B so that she could rest her head and have a power nap.
The Dundee Rover was very much a desired luxury car of its era and commands three times the price of a Rolls-Royce of the same vintage.
The most iconic Rover ever made
Martin’s was originally bought from Rover dealer Rossleigh of Yeaman Shore in 1972 by wholesale newsagent David Fairweather.
Its owner never drove it in the rain and didn’t go outside Dundee with it.
Brian Clark, who worked at Rossleigh, carried out the pre-delivery check on the car.
He opened his own business and continued to look after the car for the next 37 years for Mr Fairweather, and following his death in 1992, his son-in-law, Sandy Yates.
Martin heard about the car through a third party and contacted Sandy to ask whether he would be prepared to sell it to him.
Since Sandy used the car fairly infrequently, he agreed to the sale.
The car bears a Dundee number plate and remains a well-oiled machine after 50 years.
Martin said his love of the Rover goes back to 1968 when his father bought a new one and the rest is history.
What makes the Dundee Rover so special?
“Distinctiveness,” said Martin.
“This model is probably the most iconic Rover ever made – it served four premiers and royalty.”
Martin said an A4 hardback book of the Dundee Rover’s adventures has been produced to celebrate her 50 years with 28 pictures of her in stunning locations.
Car & Classic head of editorial Chris Pollitt said: “We were honoured to be asked to support the event by supplying vehicles from 1952 to 2022, hailing 70 years of motoring history.
“Of course, one of the marques traditionally favoured by the Royal family features high on our list: the 1952 car is a Land Rover Series One 80 inch and the most modern is a Land Rover Defender.
“Aston Martin’s presence is secured by a DB2/4, followed by DB4, DB6 Vantage Volante, V8, DB7 GT and a V12 Vantage.”
The Rover is housed in Martin’s garage alongside a fully restored radiator grille from a Rover P4 that was owned by the grandson of Harry Smith, who was the first managing director of Rover.
It received its final clean on Tuesday ahead of its journey to Windsor, where the next chapter of this amazing story will be written for the Dundee Rover.
More like this:
The Queen at 96: Remembering some of Her Majesty’s special visits to Tayside and Fife
Lost lines: The rise and fall of Dundee’s iconic trams era
List of Dundee events and street parties planned to mark Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
Conversation