Up for auction: The Austin Rover company name could be yours

Consider yourself a fan of British automotive heritage? Then we may have found the auction item for you. 

The forthcoming Iconic Auctioneers Supercar Fest sale includes the chance to buy the Austin Rover Ltd company name and registration number. 

Winning the auction would give its owner sole rights to use the name, along with an Austin Rover email address and a ‘vast amount’ of drawings for the legendary MG Metro 6R4.

The lot will go under the hammer on Saturday 18 May 2024, with the sale taking place at Sywell Aerodrome in Northampton.

British brand values

Austin Rover arrived in 1982 as the mass-market car manufacturing division of British Leyland. The name lasted until 1989, when the business was rebranded as Rover Group.

During its relatively short existence, Austin Rover was responsible for launching the Austin Maestro and Montego, along with the Rover 200 and Rover 800.

When the MG Rover Group finally collapsed in 2005, the Austin Rover name was sold by PricewaterhouseCoopers as part of the administration process. It has lain dormant ever since – simply being retained by the current vendor.

‘A unique opportunity’

No guide price has been given for the Austin Rover name and associated documents, and Lot 245A will be sold without reserve. 

Although an unusual item to appear at auction, it could hold appeal for serious fans of Rover products. 

The original MG Metro 6R4 drawings are also likely to be of value to companies such as MST, which builds a modern version of the Group B rally car.

Nigel Gough, automobilia specialist at Iconic Auctioneers, said: “This is a unique opportunity for someone to own a piece of British motoring history and possibly do something exciting with the brand. We recommend that any interested buyer comes to view Lot 254A in person to fully understand what is included.”

For those who’d rather not build their own 6R4 up from technical drawings, the Iconic Auctioneers sale also includes a genuine ex-works 6R4 rally racer.

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