Visit of the 'Motor-Car Journal' in the ROVER factory

1907 the Motor-Car Journal visits the ROVER plant in Coventry. Since such insights into the early production are rare, we are happy to publish the report here.

A Visit To Coventry
Where the Rover Cars are Made

The Motor-Car Journal - Saturday, March 2nd, 1907

It needs but little intuition, on arriving at the City of Spires, to appreciate that Coventry is at present enjoying a wave of industrial prosperity which is of even greater dimensions than that experienced in the palmy days of the cycle trade. That the latter is by no means exhausted is indicated by the many extensions to cycle factories which are at present in hand, and this branch of industry is undoubtedly contributing its quota to the great commercial activity prevailing. At the same time, there can be no doubt trhat this very satisfactory state of affairs is mainly due to the considerable development that has taken place during the past few years in the motor industry. Some idea of this expansion was afforder in a recent issue of the M.J.C., when it was pointed out that in the Daimler works alone 2,500 hands are employed on motor work, that the Humber Company employs 2,500, and, that, in addition to these two prominent firms, there are many others, such as the Swift, Rover, Maudslay, Singer, Deasy, Standard, Rex, West, White and Poppe, all employing an increasing number of men. As for cars, these are almost as numerous in Coventry as flies in summer, vehicles with makeshift bodies flying about in all directions, undergoing their road tests prior to being handed over to the body-building departments.

The object of our visit to the Midlands was to accept the invitation of Mr. Harry Smith, the managing director of the Rover Company, Ltd., to look over the factory in which Rover cars are being turned out. So rapidly have these vehicles sprung into popularity that special steps had to be taken to increase the output, with the result that during the past twelve month practically every available piece of land at the Meteor Works has been covered with large and well-lighted single storey workshops, while already further extensions are in contemplation. As we rapidly passed through the different shops we were able to obtain some idea of the throroughness with which the Rover Company have taken up the construction of motor-cars. Beginning with the foundry, we sam the men busily engaged on the production of castings in malleable iron, gun metal and aluminium, the variety of the latter ranging from radiator fans to engine base chambers. Attention was next turned to the machine shop, where the operations of cylinder boring, crank shaft turning, as well as others too numerous to mention, were in progress. We were specially interested in watching the manufacture of te special valve cam sleeve, which is of intricate design and forms one of the special features of the Rover cars, permitting, as it does, the engine to be used as a brake. By means of this sleeve, which is so arranged that it can be moved longitudinally on the cam shaft, not only can the inlet valve be kept closed as desired and the admission of petrol vapour thus prevented, but the ordinary cam below the exhaust valve is withdrawn and its place taken by a double one, which opens the valve twice to every revolution of the shaft, with the result that air is taken in from the exhaust pipe on every downward movement of the piston, compressed on the upward stroke and then exhausted; an arrangement which gives such a pronounced braking effect that ordinary hills may be descended without recourse to the brakes.

From cams we next turned our attention to the cutting of the bevel gears, which constitute an important part in the transmission mechanism of live axle cars; and here again we found that special care is taken in the manufacture in order to ensure the production of silent running gears. A feature of the machine shop is the international character of the tools it contains, for, while the majority is of British construction, the Rover Company have not hesitated to acquire from America or the Continent machines specially designed for particular purposes - in other words, they have adopted the wise policy of making their selection from the best the worls has to offer. Unfortunately time did not permit us to give more than a passing glance to the departments in which the manifacture of the Rover carburettor, water circulating pumps, and other components, were being carried on, but, hurrying to the erecting shop, we found somewhat of a surprise in store for us. We have frequently heard it stated that the demand for single-cylinders cars is dead, a view with which, had we been at all inclined to agree, would have been quickly dispelled at the sight of such a large number going through, both of the 6-h.p. and 8-h.p. models, in addition to a goodly proportion of the Rover 16-20-h.p, four-cylinder cars.The chassis, on emerging from this shop, and here being handed over to what is termed the finishing department, where the bodies are fitted, are subjected to a road test of from fifty to seventy-five miles, in the course of which due note is made of any portion which needs adjustment, in oreder that the cars shall reach the purchasers in perfect condition. In the body department we saw a variety of operations in hand, while in the large paint-shop vehicles were being finished off in a variety of colours equalling that of the rainbow. Still another extensive shop is that in which repairs and adjustments are carried out, while a further large building is devoted to the storage of completed vehicles. It is here that the best idea can, perhaps, be obtained of the extensive business the Rover Company is doing, for since the turn of the year the number of cars despatched has been exceeding thirty per week - a testimony in itself to the popularity the vehicles are enjoying in motoring circles.

At the present time three sizes of cars are being turned out, viz., 6-h.p. and 8-h.p. single-cylinder and 16-20-h.p. four-cylinder, all having three speeds forward and a reverse and transmission by a cardan shaft and bevel gear to a live axle. Among their principal features, in addition to rhe cams which permit the engine to be used as a brake already referred to, are the special Rover carburettor and metal disc clutch, the bloc construction of the engine and gear-box, and, in the case of the 8-h.p. and 16-20-h.p. models, the three-point suspension of the frame and the fitting of ball bearings to the crank shafts of the engines.

Note:
The report refutes the assumption that the early ROVER were all delivered in the uniform color "ROVER-Green"; on the contrary: there is evidence of all colors of the rainbow.