This month we want to introduce one of our enthusiastic Club members and the car that he has owned since 1984. PCVC`s Classic of the Month is a 1960 “100” version of the iconic Rover P4 that has been in the care of Ralf Dieter Montag Girmes for over 40 years.
The Rover Car Company produced various versions of the mid-sized family saloon P4 car from 1949 to 1964 which further cemented their reputation for combining reliable solid engineering and quality interiors with a spritely performance. The improved Mark IV/100 version was manufactured by Rover from 1959 until 1962.It was powered by a 2.6 litre straight 6 petrol engine featuring leather upholstery with polished wood trim and was capable of over 100 mph. Although the P4 featured modern styled pressed steel bodywork it was still built on a separate chassis. This was the last Rover to have this feature before they converted to monocoque construction.
Ralf obviously always had an eye for quality as back in 1985, when he was a student in London, he up-graded his first car, an Austin Allegro Super Estate, for this Rover 100. He bought the car from the Chief Fire Officer of Harpenden for £585, this being the profit he had made from selling his BT shares. Although the car was 25 years old and had 85,000 miles on the clock it was in good condition and for the next 15 years the Rover became Ralf`s daily driver. It was also frequently used for trips back to Germany to visit family and friends, the car proving to be very reliable and extremely comfortable, and he occasionally topped 90mph on the Autobahns.
At the start of the millennium the Rover was registered in Germany as a Historic Car and that same year Ralf drove the car down through Europe, into Greece and then on to Cyprus via the ferry. Three years later he even repeated the journey in reverse! However, by this time the mileage had nearly doubled and the car was beginning to show its age. Ralf therefore decided that it was time the 100 had earned a bit of a rest, and that it would only be put to occasional use. Then, unfortunately, in 2014, when only 54 years young, it suffered its first MOT failure.
Undeterred Ralf commissioned a comprehensive body-off restoration in Germany. The chassis was sand blasted and damaged areas re-welded, body panels were repaired or replaced and the engine and running gear disassembled for overhaul and rebuilding. Whilst the metalwork was satisfactorily completed, the mechanic failed to undertake any of his contract and the car remained in this disassembled condition for nearly 10 years. Ralf however, was not going to give up on his cherished Rover and in 2023 brought all the parts back to Cyprus and entrusted the rebuild to the Classic Land Rover Team of Savvas and Harris. Whilst the exterior was fully renovated Ralf has deliberately kept the interior in its original condition. Rover P4s were normally painted either black or grey but this example has an attractive and unusual two-tone scheme of black over grey.
Ralf and his family are well pleased to have their Rover 100 back on the road and are looking forward to another 41 years of reliable and comfortable driving. They even have a set of the original, purpose-built, luggage which was designed to make the best use of the slightly awkwardly shaped boot! ( as shown in the accompanying period advert).
If you would like to see this magnificent Rover or other Classic Vehicles come to one of our many meetings. Full details of which are on our Facebook page, or our website (www.paphosclassicvehicleclub.com), or telephone 97760997.
