Rover T3 is a gas turbine-powered coupé developed in the 1950s by the Rover Company. Showcasing Britain's leading role in the development of this new technology, the Rover T3 was launched at the Earls Court Motor Show in November 1956 (stand 153).[1][2][3], which was captured on film by British Pathé.[4] The T3 coupé was Rover’s third turbine car, designed by Charles Spencer King and Gordon Bashford.
| Rover T3 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Rover T3 Gas Turbine Coupe (1956) | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Rover Company |
| Production | 1956 |
| Assembly | Solihull plant |
| Designer | Charles Spencer King and Gordon Bashford |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Prototype |
| Body style | Coupé |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | Gas turbine |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 3,700 mm (145.7 in) |
| Width | 1,550 mm (61.0 in) |
| Height | 1,250 mm (49.2 in) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Rover T2A |
| Successor | Rover T4 |
Background
editRover had begun developing gas turbine passenger vehicles after World War II. Their first attempt was Rover JET1, a two-seater convertible from 1949/50.[5]
Engine
editThe modified Rover 2S/100 gas turbine has a single combustion chamber and a single centrifugal compressor which rotates at up to a maximum of 52,000 rpm.[6] A free turbine drives the output shaft, separate from the compressor turbine. The T3 retained the two pedal operation from the JET1 prototype - one pedal to accelerate and one to brake.[7]
The engine is rated at 110bhp and capable of 100mph (161 km/h).[8][9]
Body
editThe chassis incorporates four-wheel-drive and De Dion tube rear suspension and all around inboard Dunlop disk brakes.[7] The fully-developed T3 carries a blue glass-fibre coupé body.
Survival today
editThe Rover T3 became part of the BMIHT collection and in recent years has been on display at the British Motor Museum, Gaydon.
Rover T3 base unit
editThe Rover T3 base unit is a gas turbine-powered development mule, developed in the early 1950s by the Rover Company. It was the engineering test car for the 1956 T3 coupé, Rover’s third turbine car.
Essentially mechanically identical to the finished coupé, its simple body allowed for the easy change of turbine units and other components. The chassis incorporates four-wheel-drive and De Dion tube rear suspension, clothed in a rudimentary steel panel body. Perhaps surprising for an engineering test mule, the vehicle has luxurious blue leather seats.
The Rover T3 base unit was stored for over 50 years after engineering development work had been completed in the 1960s[10]
During 2018, restoration began by the same dedicated team of volunteers that worked on the Rover-BRM. The T3 base unit was first demonstrated at the Museum's Gaydon Gathering event in August 2022.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "The cars at Earls Court". 7 July 2014.
- ^ "Earls Court impressions". 7 July 2014.
- ^ "1956 Rover 105R T3 gas turbine car at the Earl's Court mot – Motoring Picture Library".
- ^ "Motor Show 1956 (1956)". YouTube.
- ^ "Despite repeated attempts, turbine cars just never took flight".
- ^ Bobbitt 2007, p. 95.
- ^ a b Bobbitt 2007, p. 93.
- ^ "Online Collections - Details Page".
- ^ Bobbitt 2007, p. 94.
- ^ "Members Newsletter" (PDF). British Motor Museum. October 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
- Bobbitt, Malcolm (2007) [1994]. "III – Gas-Turbines and the Jet Era". Rover P4 Series (revised ed.). Dorchester, UK: Veloce Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903706-57-2. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
External links
edit
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