1912 Rover 12hpRegistration No LH 3594Chassis Number 963Engine No OB963VCC Dating No EP0135The name Rover Cars will be well known to young and old alike being one of the oldest names in British motoring.

Like many early manufacturers, their roots lie firmly in the bicycle industry when John Kemp Starley introduced the Safety Cycle.

With its chain drive and wheels of almost equal size it was a great improvement on the traditional Ordinary better known as the Penny Farthing.

Rover Cars came into being in 1904 starting with small single cylinder vehicles.

Rover introduced larger cars from 1905 and had some success in the TT Races especially in 1907, when they won with a margin of over 12 minutes from the second placed Humber.

The Company then made a few sleeve valve cars with engines supplied by Daimler, but these were swept aside when in 1910 noted designer Owen Clegg arrived from Wolseley.

He gave Rover one of their most successful designs the 12HP.

It was of conventional design ...