BTCC Championship-Winning 'Group A' ICS Rover Vitesse - Ex-Andy Rouse

• This venerable SD1 was prepared for the 1984 season supported by Pete Hall’s Industrial Control Services
• With Andy Rouse on board, it won 7 out of the 11 rounds and was overall winner of the 1984 British Touring Car Championship
• The car retains its original shell, brakes, 265 Getrag close-ratio, dog-leg gearbox, adjustable and constant velocity jointed camber axle, centre-locks, air-jacks etc. all correct
• John Eales, 'Group A' race-spec 3.5-litre V8 with a wet sump and is period-correct with a single plenum and cast manifolds
• The Rover has been kept race-ready but requires currently-dated seat and belts
• It's fitted with a non-standard aluminium fuel tank but the original 120-litre bag-tank comes with the car for authenticity
• No current FIA HTP but that should be a formality, if so required
• Still very much on the pace with a 1.18.1 at Donington Festival a few years ago
• This famous Championship Winner would make a very satisfying entrant for the most prestigious historic events and would be welcome anywhere

During the 1980s, it was common for the BBC to feature rounds of the British Touring Car Championship on Saturday afternoons. Coverage was a bit sporadic in the early days but by 1987, Steve Ryder and Murray Walker were on the box every weekend with the result that the likes of John Cleland, Steve Soper, Tim Harvey and others became household names. The Rover Vitesse was at the pinnacle of its development with the likes of Andy Rouse Engineering pitched against Tom Walkinshaw Racing with factory-backed Sanyo Rovers.

Supported by Pete Hall’s Industrial Control Services, this venerable SD1 was prepared for the 1984 season and, with Andy Rouse on board, won seven out of the eleven rounds of the British Touring Car Championship. Despite pre-season doubters, there was no question that Andy, Pete, this big Rover and the ICS Team had stamped their domination on the year. After the 1984 season, the Rover was campaigned by Pete Hall himself and a little later, John Maguire prepared the car for Tim Harvey in Istel colours for 1987. In the early nineties it was run as a modified saloon by Derek Hales. Purchased by our vendor who won the Classic Thunder Championship in 2005 it was returned to its ‘Group A’ specification in 2010 and run at both the Donington Historic Festival and the Silverstone Classic with Stuart Hall sharing with our vendor. More recently, it was driven up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed wearing its iconic 1984 livery to the delight of all spectating. All is documented in the history file and all validated by those involved in period.

Race Results for 1984 Championship Crown ;     

March - DONINGTON  1                           

April-   SILVERSTONE  DNF

April -  OULTON PARK 2

April -  THRUXTON 1

May -  THRUXTON 2

June – SILVERSTONE 1

July – SNETTERTON 1

July – BRANDS HATCH 1

August – BRANDS HATCH

September – DONINGTON 1

October – SILVERSTONE 1

The car still retains its original shell, brakes, the 265 Getrag close-ratio, dog-leg gearbox, adjustable and constant velocity jointed camber axle, centre-locks, air-jacks etc. all correct to period homologation. The engine is a John Eales, 'Group A' race-spec 3.5-litre with wet sump and is period-correct with a single plenum and cast manifolds. The whole car has been kept race-ready but requires currently dated seat and belts. The original 120-litre bag tank comes with the car for authenticity but fitted is a non-standard aluminium fuel tank. This well-known Rover does not come with FIA papers but that should be a formality, if so required.

Still very much on the pace with a 1.18.136 at Donington Historic Festival a few years ago, this superb handling Championship Winner would make a very satisfying entrant for the most prestigious historic events and would be welcome anywhere. Pete Hall, Andy Rouse and Tim Harvey are all very much alive and kicking and, I’m sure, would be happy to meet with this famous racer’s new owner and share a tale or two.