Didn't take as many as i would have like due to getting there rather late and then sitting on on the AGM.
Here are what i did take.





















Last Rover Vitesse


















Tim Swainsons car


Phew that's it! my fingers are tired now!

Not sure about the vitesse valance on the S1. (Tim Swainsons car)
The car itself is fab, I would look into making glassfiber end caps that went all the way back to the arch if it was me

B440 RVC - Are those BMW-style angel eyes I see within the headlights, looks very smart. Jay

I see the last Vitesse was a D reg..How many E reg SD1`s are about cos my Ivory V8 SE is an E....a few unsold models from 86/87....?

There are quite a few late registered E Reg Vitesse's as well. They must have been hanging around in Airfields like cars these days do.

On another note i have decided i am going to get hold of some sheet aluminium and have a go at fabricating an air box like the one on the Bastos racer. As hot air in the bay is quite a problem for my car.

I have a problem with hot air coming from my front passenger seat ;P perhaps I could fabricate a metal box for her? - (Just kidding, Jane daring, love ya xxx)

The last-build SD1 wasn't the last registered. Indeed it's a mystery how the build-date
references first-registration date. I've got a D-plate targa red TP Vitesse, build March
1986, registered August 1986 - 5 month gap. My father had an *identical* D-plate
targa red TP Vitesse (sold in 1991), I've since found the VIN for this and it was built
February 1986, but not registered until March 1987 - 13 month gap! I know of cars
built in the last month of production (July 1986) registered before that. Weird.

My theory is that the cars were dumped in a field/airfield on a first in, last out basis. Either
by Austin-Rover or by Lotus - if 'all TP mods were done by Lotus in Hethel' is true.

There was a rush of registrations on 1st August 1987 for 'E' plating. Only a handful of
cars were registered after this - maybe as few as 1 or 2.

My 2300 was built in January 1986 and registered in August 1987 - 20 month gap!

I know Rover kept selling 2300, 2600 Vanden Plas and Vitesse models for some time after the 800 was introduced, presumably because the 800 range was launched in stages, and to use up parts, so they must have built a lot for stock, or simply couldn't sell them.

The original plan was not to launch the 800 until 1987, to sort out the quality. Shame they didn't do that.

Various police forces bought up large stocks at the end of the sd1s life as they liked them so much when they were registered I don't know but it certainly doesn't help with the date issues .

There was an 'E' plate TP Vitesse offered recently in one of the classic car mags. This was
white (which is ultra rare for a Vitesse), and said to be the last Met police SD1. Picture
wasn't clear enough to get the registration (which you could then use on the DVLA website
to find first registration date).

I remember black 'E' plate Special Branch Vitesses top and tailing Royal car movements
in the late 1980s.

The table in the SD1 club magazine 18 months ago didn't list any SD1 registrations after
1987. Though with all the Indian panels, who'll be first to register one in 2007?

Quite a lot of work must have gone to those cars.

The last Vitesse was silver and featured in a Classic Car mag a few years ago. The second last was owned by Mark Phillips and was Moonrake Blue. Bopth 'E'' Reg of course.