Maurdauder

[bodgerbloke52]

Hi everyone from the Pacific NW of Washington State.
I followed my dads love of Rovers, I have owned many pre and post war versions. After emigrating to the USA in 1980 I had my lovely 110 shipped to Montreal. I flew from San Francisco to Montreal, got it out of customs and drove it all the way home in California. Back east they have Tollways in which drivers have to pay at Toll booths. Being RHD I had to jump out of the Rover to sprint round to pay, fellow driver behind me was highly amused.

One of my pre war Rovers that I purchased in the early sixties was a Maurauder, (so it said on the log book)
The seller bought the car brand new. The car was a none runner because the distributer was in the boot along with a receipt from the local Constabulary for the distributer that by law had to be handed in for the duration of hostilities.
After the war the owner retrieved the dizzy but never got round to fitting it. Now 15 years later he decided to sell the car. It only took a Saturday morning for me and a mate to get the Rover running and drive it out of the hay barn.
The design and spec of the car was interesting. It was a saloon with an Alloy body with a sloping back unlike any other Rover at that time. It had three Skinners Union carburettors and knock on wire wheels.
It was a lovely car that I stupidly later sold. I have not seen or heard anything about this Worcester county car ever since.

Roger Slater

Spokane Washington

[RobHomewood]

According to a quick look on the internet there was only one fixed head Marauder ever made and that was a specila order -dubbed an 'A100' coupe - with triple SU's. Perhaps this was the one? Does it look familiar? I dont know where it is now but this photo was taken in 2015. More history would be fascinating

Marauder_Coupe_(based_on_Rover_P4)_(22616445799).jpg (76.37 KiB) Viewed 7371 times

[bodgerbloke52]

Going on my 86 year old memory the one in the photo is not the one.
The back profile was one long slope. It also had splined knock on wire wheels, the soft head hammer was in the tool kit. only the front of the car was standard prewar Rover. The car was in Worcester so it likely had Worcester county registration plates, FK perhaps.

Roger

[bodgerbloke52]

PS
The one shown is a Birmingham registration OE

[RobHomewood]

There are many others in the club who would have a better knowledge but the only model I can think of would be a '35/36 Speed 14 Streamline Coupe not a Maurauder. The streamline has that 'fastback' sloping rear, triple SU's and knock on wheels. Ring any bells? (

35 Speed 14 Streamline.jpg (68.36 KiB) Viewed 7351 times

I was thinking you were talking post war)

[bodgerbloke52]

That is the same car. Most od that the logbook and the invoice from the seller had it as a Maurdauder.
Many thanks for sorting it out. Wonder where my old car is now. It was still in excellent condition and low miles.

Roger

[RobHomewood]

I'm glad thats sorted then. Maybe the club's records can summon up some details if you can remember the reg number or the name of the owner you bought from or who you sold to?
Rob

[bodgerbloke52]

Rob
It really would be really nice to find what happened to my old SPEED 14. Alas I have no record of the guy I bought it from or sold it to. All I know is that all transactions were conducted in Worcester county. The fellow I bought the car from purchased it new prewar, I bought it off him circa late fifties early sixties with the distributer still wrapped up in the boot with receipt attached. I sold it to a local fellow, again within the county. The police receipt for handing in the distributer stayed with the log book when I resold the car. I assume their is no records of police receipts of magnetos and distributors handed in at the start of hostilities.??

Roger

[RobHomewood]

Hi Roger
I only realised yesterday that there were Streamline saloons as well as Coupe's made in this style. The saloon has a noticeably steeper slope on the back because they allowed more headroon over the rear seats. You mentioned the car being a saloon so was it steeper than the one I illustrated?
You are also right that if it was registered in Worcester Borough area it would have an 'FK' registration (FK 2611 and on, between 1925 and 1942). However if it were registered in Worcestershire County which you mentioned, it could have 'WP' ('33-'35),'AAB' ('35-'36), 'ANP' (36), 'AUY' (36) or 'AWP' (36). The records are not digitised unfortunately but are held on microfilm in Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service ie you have to be there in person to look at them. I believe they have a paid service to look for you. What I am thinking is that there wouldnt be many Rover Speed 14 Streamline saloons or coupes registered in Worcester at all (only 380 made in total) so you could identify yours or at least narrow it down to one or two and then look up on the current register to see which is still around?
Good luck. Sorry I dont live anywhere near Worcester otherwise I would offer to have a look
regards
Rob
PS have you asked the club Registrar whether he can identify the Streamlines owned by club members?
PPS Since your logbook said the car was a Maurauder perhaps you should search for that as well?

[RobHomewood]

PS found a decent photo of the saloon- note: it is a 6 light rather than a 4 light

1935 Rover Speed 14 Streamline Saloon 6 light.jpg (45.73 KiB) Viewed 7285 times