One-off 1962 forward-control military load-carrier prototype on a purpose-built 112-inch chassis, nicknamed 'Buttercup' for its yellow livery. Rejected by the military, it was converted into a recovery vehicle and spent decades as the works breakdown truck at Solihull and the Gaydon test track; it is now preserved at the British Motor Museum.
BUILT BYRover Company (Solihull)IN SERVICE1962OPERATED INUnited KingdomPRODUCTION1LAYOUT4 wheels
The record
The Rover Company built this vehicle at Solihull in 1962 as a prototype military all-terrain transport with substantial cargo capacity, using a purpose-built chassis with a 112-inch wheelbase and a forward-control cab to maximise load space. Power came from a 5.8-litre, 105 bhp Perkins six-cylinder diesel, giving a 40 mph maximum road speed, around 15 mph off-road, and the ability to climb a 1-in-2 incline. The military ultimately declined to order it, leaving this prototype the sole example built.
After its rejection the truck was converted into a recovery vehicle, fitted with a crane and sling, and used as the works breakdown truck at the Solihull factory (registration AHP 495A, carrying 'ROVER ENG DEPT SOLIHULL' signwriting). It was then transferred to the Gaydon test track, where it spent two decades as a rescue vehicle — its bright yellow paint earning it the affectionate nickname 'Buttercup'.
The vehicle received a comprehensive restoration in 2007, with final touches in 2009, returning it to its original Rover Company livery. It is held in the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust collection (accession 2006-20-1) at the British Motor Museum's Collections Centre, Gaydon.
Catalogue fields describe the vehicle's structure and body as this registry records it. They are not certified factory measurements, and no performance figures are published here.
Variants & colours
Factory colours
Rover Recovery Yellow ('Buttercup')
Codes on hover. Hex values are representative approximations of period paint unless a source states a measured value.
Renders & references
Front three-quarterRegistry renderThree-quarterRegistry renderSideRegistry renderRearRegistry renderFrontRegistry render'Buttercup' (AHP 495A) in restored Rover Engineering Department livery at the British Motor Museum, Gaydonandreboeni (via Flickr) · CC BY 2.0 ↗The 112-inch recovery wagon at the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon (photographed 2009, before the final restoration touches)Mark Brown, Hampton, New Brunswick, Canada · CC BY-SA 2.0 ↗
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