Wednesday 8th May

Fancy owning the Austin Rover company name?

Email address, registration number and Metro 6R4 drawings all going under the hammer next weekend

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Even nearly 20 years later, it’s hard to avoid the ‘what ifs’ around the demise of Rover. What if this had happened before, what if so and so had done that, what if it was sold elsewhere and so on. While the MG side of the business is now flourishing under Chinese ownership, with 4s seemingly on every street and the Cyberster imminent - and the Rover marque owned by JLR - the Austin Rover Ltd name has lain dormant. Apparently, PWC sold it after MG Rover’s demise as part of the administration process, and it stayed with that long-term owner. Now it’s going to be sold once more, at auction next weekend.

Lot 254A at the forthcoming Supercar Fest sale includes the company name, company registration number, email address and even original factory drawings of the Metro 6R4. Which must be one of the stranger lots ever auctioned. Remarkably, there’s no reserve and no guide price. This year is 35 years since the last Austin Rover Group launch (the MG Maestro Turbo) before the wider Rover Group rebrand. For fans of '80s British cars (BL Cars became Austin Rover in 1981, the Maestro arrived in 1983, the Rover 200 in ‘84, the Rover 800 a couple of years later), it’s surely an enticing opportunity. And we’d bet on there being more than a few people on PH who might just like to have the Austin Rover email address...

There’s only one image currently of the 6R4 drawings, but again there are enough fans of the mighty Metro out there for it to be interesting. Especially with MST’s recently announced plans to resurrect it. There are said to be a ‘vast amount’ of the drawings, moreover, if the home office requires a spruce up. Quite what they’ll sell for is almost impossible to gauge, because it’s hard to see the collectability value for casual classic car fans. But if two die-hard Austin Rover fans get bidding, who knows where it’ll go - not every day you get the chance to be the guardian of a company name. Even if it's only the name that's left. 

Nigel Gough, Iconic’s Automobilia Specialist, said: “This is a unique opportunity for someone to own a piece of British motoring history and possibly do something exciting with the brand. We recommend that any interested buyer comes to view Lot 254A in person to fully understand what is included.” If the winning bidder isn’t a PHer, we’ll eat our branded fleece. There’s just the company car for the new owner of Austin Rover lurking in the classifieds, too… 

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• MST blows ours minds with incoming Metro 6R4
• MG Cyberster goes on sale priced from £55k

[Krikkit]

I bet someone like MST will snap this up for their repro cars

[chrisironside]

Prepared to put £50 in the kitty for this on the basis we create a sexy new Austin.

[jorders500]

Are there two die-hard Austin Rover fans?

[WPA]

Is the Austin Rover name still not owned by British Aerospace or BMW, so many changes over the years.

Strange to see it for sale after so long.

[Augustus Windsock]

Three bob and a conker.

Unless MST really want it, I can’t see the ‘prestige’ in owning the name and an email address that has, to the current generation, no relevance.

[Dashnine]

WPA said:

Is the Austin Rover name still not owned by British Aerospace or BMW, so many changes over the years.

Strange to see it for sale after so long.

I believe the Rover brand (i.e. just Rover) was 'retrieved' by BMW after the demise of MG Rover and sold \ given to JLR to protect the Land Rover brand.

[InitialDave]

Would you have to use it in full? So "Austin Rover" specifically?

Or do you by default also get to use "Austin", if not "Rover"?

My dad has an Austin 7, it'd be amusing to own the entire marque to go with it...

[ATG]

Augustus Windsock said:

Three bob and a conker.

[LotusOmega375D]

Disappointed that the 6R4 was not designed at Computervision by CAD!

[Mark-C]

The linked Maestro looks surprisingly cheap by modern pricing standards for random old stuff

[GTRene]

mmm a 6R4 sort like would be nice to remake.

in the case of a Rover I only came to a Rover 216se bought in 1992 car from 1986 which I bought as an in between car for a nice price and looked good, I did not needed guaranty because to far away from my home and the price was better, the sales man told me all was up to date, new oil and so for and a new timingbelt which I asked for specifically.

so the money was payed, just cash as it was those days and I was on to my home...

but I did not get there, just a few miles on the road the timingbelt broke that while that salesman said it was replaced and new, although he did not told me when ;-)

anyhow, this and what he told me I thought, hm, ok I needed no guaranty because that what I was afraid of was replaced new, so yes I called him via some house near by were I stood stranded and he said, René, no problem, I will fix that and so he did and then I got a real new and on that date timingbelt so I could go on to home and soon after that I sold it because... does not felt trusty to me, bought a in between BMW 316 after that to chase on my next sportier car.

so, been there done that.

[PistonBroker]

With a name like Michael Kitt, I hope the current owner is planning on using the sale proceeds to buy the Knight Rider IP.

[Rostyle]

So another car manufacturer owns Austin and another Rover so they can't be used individually, so unless your new revitalised car brand is called AustinRover whats the point ? I guess getting access to the drawings is handy and potentially the web address for spares ?

[Macboy]

Krikkit said:

I bet someone like MST will snap this up for their repro cars

They don't have two beans to rub together despite the PT blurb about their mark 1 suggesting otherwise. It's a big warehouse for the parts business and two blokes in a shed building up Mark 1s from kits of parts one at a time. This will more likely be bough by a Chinese business if it genuinely has any equity and could be used for future branding.

[williamp]

InitialDave said:

Would you have to use it in full? So "Austin Rover" specifically?

Or do you by default also get to use "Austin", if not "Rover"?

My dad has an Austin 7, it'd be amusing to own the entire marque to go with it...

Austin but be registered trademark still. Austin rover canpme ouf from BL cars, 2hich came from ritish Leyland. AR went on to become Fkver Group, then MG Rover. I might have missed a few steps

Anyhow, this place would be a great home

https://greatbritishcarjourney.com/great-british-c...

[K5tealth]

Not sure you are buying the brand here, just the limited company name i.e. Austin Rover Limited

[LotusOmega375D]

williamp said:

Austin but be registered trademark still. Austin rover canpme ouf from BL cars, 2hich came from ritish Leyland. AR went on to become Fkver Group, then MG Rover.

Thanks for clearing that all up.

[Nish Gnackers]

Austin but be registered trademark still. Austin rover canpme ouf from BL cars, 2hich came from ritish Leyland. AR went on to become Fkver Group, then MG Rover. I might have missed a few steps



Just back from the pub Will ?

[MrBig]

LotusOmega375D said:

williamp said:

Austin but be registered trademark still. Austin rover canpme ouf from BL cars, 2hich came from ritish Leyland. AR went on to become Fkver Group, then MG Rover.

Thanks for clearing that all up.

[Triumph Man]

MrBig said:

LotusOmega375D said:

williamp said:

Austin but be registered trademark still. Austin rover canpme ouf from BL cars, 2hich came from ritish Leyland. AR went on to become Fkver Group, then MG Rover.

Thanks for clearing that all up.

I think I'd like a car company called Fkver group