Rover 6
| Rover 6 hp[1] | |
|---|---|
.jpg) 1905 open 2-seater | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Rover |
| Production | 1905-1912 |
| Designer | Edmund Woodward Lewis |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 780 or 812 cc single-cylinder[1] |
| Transmission | 3-speeds[1] |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase |
|
| Length | 111 inches (2820 mm)[2] |
| Width | 48 inches (1220 mm)[2] |
| Kerb weight | 6 cwt, 672 lb (305 kg)[1] |
| Layout | |
|---|---|
| Configuration | single-cylinder[1] |
| Displacement | |
| Cylinder bore | |
| Piston stroke | 110 mm (4.3 in)[1] |
| Valvetrain | mechanically operated[1] |
| Combustion | |
| Fuel system | Rover (pat.) carburettor[1] |
| Fuel type | petrol[1] |
| Cooling system | water, circulation by pump, radiator[1] |
| Output | |
| Power output |
|
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The Rover 6 was a small two-seater 6-horsepower car and only the second car model made by the British Rover car company. Announced in January 1905[1] a 6 horsepower car was available from Rover until 1912.
Engine
The engine was a 780 cc side-valve, single-cylinder unit, water-cooled, with a bore of 95 mm and stroke of 110 mm. The capacity increased to 812 cc in 1908 when the bore was increased to 97 mm to bring it into line with the new range of four-cylinder cars. The engine's normal speed was 1200 rpm. Drive was to the rear wheels through a three-speed gearbox and jointed drive shaft. Ignition was by High-Tension.[1]
Controls
The engine's throttle is operated by a lever below the steering wheel. The same lever simultaneously controls the ignition timing.[1]
Chassis
The first car made by Rover, the Rover 8, which was sold alongside the 6, had been of unorthodox construction with its backbone chassis. For the new smaller car it was a return to convention with a steel reinforced wooden chassis with half elliptic leaf springs front and rear supporting the car on rigid axles.[1]
Road test
The test car was finished in dark green and black with matching pegamoid upholstery. The seat was removable and the footboards and rear platform were covered with green cork lino.
They drove the car three hundred miles then Autocar's testers said: the single wide seat was capable of carrying two people with every comfort and the car looked fit to take anywhere. Control was so simple a child could drive it. Change speed was a little stiff. Would prefer separate control for the spark (ignition). Steering excellent. Two involuntary stops: an air valve stuck while climbing a hill and the trembler on the coil stuck. They declared the little Rover an "Ideal car for a man of very moderate means". [4]
In 1910 a complete Rover 6 with two-seater body and weather protection cost GBP155 but an earlier model had been sold as a "hundred guinea car" (GBP105).
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References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r The new Rover 6hp, The Autocar, 28 January 1905
- ^ a b Culshaw; Horrobin (1974). Complete Catalogue of British Cars. London: Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-16689-2.
- ^ a b The single cylinder Rover cars, The Autocar, 5 August 1911
- ^ A trial of the 6hp Rover car. page 634, The Autocar, 18 November 1905
- The Rover Story. Graham Robson. 1977. Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-85260-175-2
External links
