This is the oldest surviving Rover car and is a regular sight on the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.

Rover had been in the business of cycle and motorcycle manufacturing since 1878, having started life as the Starley & Sutton Company based in Coventry. Their first car, the 8hp, was designed by Edmund Lewis who joined the company from Daimler. His car stayed in production until 1912.

When the 8hp hit the roads, motor cars were still seen as quite a spectacle and this car represents a milestone in automotive history. It was an innovative and adventurous design by Lewis with an unconventional backbone chassis frame that was the first of its kind. Instead of a ladder-type structure to the chassis, it has a central ‘spine’ on which the engine, transmission and other elements are fixed. This made the frame stiffer and less liable to twist, but it gave no protection from impacts at the side.

The car was also very light, weighing about half a ton (533kg) and, at the time, its engine was considered powerful. A foot pedal decreases the power from the engine and slows the car down which is an early form of engine braking!