Preview: The Rover Sports Register Diamond Jubilee Rally

The Rover Sports Register Diamond Jubilee Rally, jointly organised with the Rover P6 Club, is intended to be the most comprehensive gathering of Rovers since the RSR organised its prize-winning Rover Cars Centenary event in 2004.

The main rally is being held onSunday 30 June 2013 at the well-known National Trust property, Coughton Court, near Alcester, Warwickshire, and is part of a major weekend celebrating all things Rover. It will commemorate several important anniversaries, including 60 years of the Rover Sports Register, 20 years of the Rover P6 Club and 50 years of the Rover P6 (2000-3500) model.

The rally, like the Rover Sports Register club itself, is open to all Rover and Land Rover products from cycles to last of line 2005 MG Rover models. All members of other Rover and Land Rover clubs and all general members of the public who own Rovers of any age are invited to enter their cars into the rally and Concours competition, which is split into relevant categories from motorcycles to modern Rover 75s.

There will also be a general ‘Non-Rover Classic class’ open to all makes and types of vehicle. It costs £8 to enter a vehicle, and National Trust members have nothing more to pay; non-NT members entering the rally will be admitted at a special concessionary rate of £5 per head (less than half the normal rate). Normal National Trust charges and parking arrangements will apply to those visiting without entering a vehicle in the event, but all are welcome to the rally field to view the cars and talk to owners. Dogs are permitted on the rally field if kept on a lead. There is a special welcome to Rover employees who were involved with these cars in any way.

The many entries already booked for the rally range from a 1904 Rover Forecar three-wheeler to a special Belgian-market Rover 75 ‘Longbridge’ edition from 2005. A special effort is being made to gather together examples of the 1938-1940 Salmons-Tickford Drophead Coupe cars based on the six cylinder 14, 16 and 20 hp Rover chassis to commemorate 75 years since the first one was built.

Another more recent anniversary is that for the Rover 600 Series, introduced 20 years ago in 1993. Scenic tours and driving tests will take place on Saturday 29^th June, including specially-tailored events for veteran and vintage Rovers.

Full details of the rally and other Diamond Jubilee weekend activities are available on the Rover Sports Register website www.thersr.co.uk and entries can be made online using credit cards or Paypal. Cars can also be entered on the day, the rally field being opened at 10 am, while the normal Coughton Court opening time is 11.00am.