Rover Meteor

Rover Meteor
Corsica drophead coupé body on a Meteor chassis
Overview
Manufacturer	Rover
Model years	1931 to 1934
Body and chassis
Class	medium-size
Body style	saloon (coachbuilt) Weymann saloon sportsman's Weymann saloon seven-seater limousine chassis for special coachwork
Layout	front engine rear wheel drive
Related	Rover Two-litre
Powertrain
Engine	straight-six pushrod ohv 2,565 cc (156.5 cu in)
Transmission	1. two-plate cork insert clutch, 4-speed gearbox silent third, enclosed propellor shaft with central bearing, spiral bevel drive to half-floating back axle 2. automatic clutch, freewheel, automatic engine starting 1933—>
Dimensions
Wheelbase	118 in (2,997 mm) 112 in (2,845 mm) speed models 130 in (3,302 mm) lwb limousine Track 56.5 in (1,435 mm) option 51 in (1,295 mm) on speed models
Length	depends on body 163 in (4,140 mm) speed model
Width	not available 66 in (1,676 mm)
Height	depends on body
Kerb weight	depends on body
Chronology
Predecessor	Rover Light Twenty Rover Light Six
Successor	Rover 16

1. two-plate cork insert clutch, 4-speed gearbox silent third, enclosed propellor shaft with central bearing, spiral bevel drive to half-floating back axle

The Rover Meteor was a short-lived 2½-litre or 2-litre medium-sized car made by The Rover Company Limited of Meteor Works Coventry. The new 2½-litre model was announced in mid-February 1930 to supplement Rover's Light Twenty which used the same engine and essentially the same chassis.

A 2-litre car, a further variant of Rover's Light Twenty was announced in July 1932. Under fiscal rating it was a 16 horsepower car and it was renamed Rover Speed Sixteen in mid-1934 but under either name was out of production before April 1935.

The first Meteor was announced a few months into the depression. It is difficult to establish whether models remained in the catalogue from continuing production or they were unsold stock. However it should be remembered it was in this period Rover returned to profit.

The name Meteor was abandoned during 1934, the products remaining in Rover's catalogue as Rover Sixteen (a four-door saloon) and Rover Speed Twenty (a four-seater sports tourer), and in due course they were replaced in the summer of 1936 by the new designs now referred to as P2.

The Meteor was a more luxurious, better equipped version of the Light Twenty and considerably more expensive.

The two-door sportsman's Weymann saloon was a comfortable 4-seater and two-thirds of the roof could be folded back. The safety glass windscreen could be opened to avoid turbulence and allow an unobstructed view in poor weather. Instruments included a fuel gauge and water temperature gauge. A cupboard was fitted either side of the instruments. There was a scuttle ventilator, two interior lights and ashtrays for all seats. Rear passengers were given an arm roll either side. The doors were very wide and the front seats could slide and had hinged backrests. A small part of the front section of the window in each door could be wound down out of sight with a quick action handle. There were tools under the front cushions and a spare wheel and tyre in a well on the left hand side front mudguard A coachbuilt saloon was also available and a seven-seated coachbuilt limousine de luxe. A range of specialised bodies by leading coach builders remained available.

For 1932 new lines were added to the coachwork.

In mid-1932 the new models for 1933 displayed new sound proofing and insulation giving quietness that became a Rover hallmark. These cars also received what also became a Rover hallmark, a combined oil level and petrol gauge. Large headlamps were now supplied which employed a dip and switch device.