Designed to celebrate the company’s centenary, this statement concept car was based on the Rover 75 but didn’t make it to production before MG Rover collapsed in 2005.

The ‘75’ was the first new large car under the company’s ownership by the BMW Group and took styling cues from Rover’s heritage: the qualities of the Rover P5, the sportiness of the P6 and the name from one of the P4 models of the 1950s. Launched in 1999, the new saloon became an icon of Rover’s modern era.

Based on this successful car, the fully driveable coupé concept was a stylish two-door expression of the original, with a sweeping roofline, pillarless doors and a luxurious interior trimmed in tan leather and polished yew wood, as per the fashion of the time.

Fully engineered and driveable, it was hoped that the car would encourage new investment - it signalled a new era of ambition and a showcase of the capabilities of the design team, led by Design Director Peter Stevens. The acclaimed reveal of the concept at the 2004 Autocar Awards, however, did not translate to a production car due to MG Rover’s financial woes that led to its collapse the following year.

On loan from Antony Mortimer.