Rover P4's Big Facelift

By the 1949 model year nearly all American cars had received a postwar redesign.  The exception was Packard, which got a major facelift in an attempt to appear "postwar."

Conditions were different in England.  The war had drained its economy, shortages were rampant, and the Labour government had the automobile industry focus on exports if they wished to enhance their steel quotas.  Even there, postwar designs began to appear, but more slowly than in the USA.  One such, the Rover P4, was announced on 28 September 1949 at the Earls Court car show.

The Wikipedia entry on the P4 is here.  It notes that the new styling was influenced by the sensational (at the time) 1947 Studebaker.  In particular, the trunk (boot) sloped distinctly downwards toward the rear.

There was a minor 1952 facelift involving a new grille.  A more extensive facelift, actually a "tail lift" marked the 1955 model year.  This was made under the direction of Rover's new (in every sense) stylist David Bache.  The trunk was raised, somewhat squaring off the rear end, and a three-piece curved backlight was added.  Thereafter, styling changes to the P4 line were minimal.

Gallery

A rusty 1947 Studebaker up for sale.

And here is a 1950-vintage Rover P4 seen from the same angle.  The details of the two cars' aft ends differ, but the theme/spirit is the same.

Side view showing the angle of the slope.

Early P4s' grilles featured horizontal bars and a central fog light, creating the nickname "Cyclops."  This was a design mistake because input of cooling air to the radiator was insufficient.

To fix the cooling problem 1952 P4s lost the central fog light and grille bars were made vertical, as on the earlier P2 and P3 Rovers,

This photo shows the raised trunk profile of the 1955 facelift.

Here is a view of the enlarged rear window.