MOTOR CARS | 115
Rebuilt by Chris Bruce at the Freeway Tyre & Exhaust Centre, Tunbridge
Wells, the car featured an ex-TR engine giving 300bhp on four Weber
carburettors, though this was changed to twin SUs, reducing the
maximum by 50 horsepower. The change was made in the interests of
more low-down torque and much greater fuel economy, needed for the
long sections in the mountains despite the 60-gallon fuel tanks.
With Hywel Thomas co-driving, Philip Young set several best times and
the SD1 was running as high as 2nd overall at one point. When a track
control arm broke, the Rover fell to last place with 24 hours to go to the
finish" it then set a string of best times and climbed back up through the
field to finish 10th overall.
The car was subsequently restored by Park Royal-based Tony Fowkes,
who had acquired it as a quantity of parts and a bare bodyshell after the
restorer, Rod Lynes, a former Austin-Rover Competitions Department
employee, died suddenly. Tony Fowkes rebuilt the car and the engine,
which today runs on the original Weber carburettors. The car needed
a great deal of welding and fabrication but, remarkably, the original
Janspeed exhaust, which runs through the boot Åoor and exits near
the rear number plate (for river crossings), was retained. Philip Young
acquired his ex-Himalayan Rally SD1 in the late 1990s.
£40,000 - 60,000
€47,000 - 70,000
'A377 VUK' is one of only two ex-works Rover SD1s surviving from
a programme organised during the final years of the Austin-Rover
Competitions Department. Three Rover SD1s were built by the
Department when manager John Davenport thought a re-run of the
Peking-Paris long-distance rally was on the cards. When that failed
to materialise, these cars were used in Middle East rallies and various
Group A events closer to home, including a televised Rallysprint at
Donington Park.
This particular SD1 was used for 'recce' work by Tony Pond and Rob
Arthur, and was then left in Dubai. Recovered and returned to the UK, the
car was registered on 25th May 195 to 0an Lines (Rallying) Ltd, which
had acquired Austin-Rovers entire Middle East rally team. The first actual
competitive outing for 'A377 VUK' was at a rally in Belgium, where driver
Ruben Borjesson (a member of the King of Sweden's bodyguard) was
lying 1st in the event when the battery exploded, destroyed by vibration
on the pavé roads. Del Lines and Steve Turvey then drove the car (also
known as Sybil) on the Somerset Stages Rally in May 19. 0n all, Del
Lines' team entered around 25 events with their three ex-works cars with
some success.
0n August 19, A377 V<K was acquired by Austin-Rovers parts
division, <nipart Group Ltd for Philip Young to drive on the 19
Himalayan Rally.