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The Rover-BRM was a prototype gas turbine-powered racing car, jointly developed in the early 1960s by the British companies Rover Company and British Racing Motors (BRM). The car is part of the collection at the British Motor Museum.
Rover had already been working with gas turbines for road vehicles since World War II. A series of potential road cars were also produced, starting with the early prototype Jet 1, through the more developed examples T2 and T3, followed by the T4, which performed demonstration laps around the Le Mans circuit before the 1962 race. Seeing an opportunity for even more prestige, Rover decided to enter a gas turbine car into the race. A prize was to be awarded for the first gas turbine car to complete 3,600 km over the 24 hours, an average speed of 150 km/h, approximately 93 mph.
A crucial step in this plan was a chance meeting between William Martin-Hurst, MD of Rover, and Sir Alfred Owen of Rover's component supplier Rubery Owen, but more relevantly also of the Formula 1 constructors BRM. BRM supplied the chassis of Richie Ginther's crash-damaged car from the 1962 Monaco Grand Prix. A custom open-top spyder body was then built in aluminium, with the turbine mid-mounted ahead of a single-speed transaxle.
The first test runs were at the MIRA track in April 1963, driven by Graham Hill who described it thus, "You’re sitting in this thing that you might call a motor car and the next minute it sounds as if you’ve got a 707 just behind you, about to suck you up and devour you like an enormous monster." The top speed is quoted to be
Graham Hill and Richie Ginther, who had past experience of the same chassis in a different guise the year before, drove in the race.
The 3,600 km figure was achieved with hours to spare, and with peak speeds down the Mulsanne Straight exceeding 140 mph. The overall averages were of 107.8 mph and 6.97 mpg. As the only car in its class it was unplaced, but the same performance by a petrol-engined car would have placed it in 8th place.
The car also gained a new body, a closed coupe designed by Rover's William Towns. To improve intake airflow, large pods were added over the rear intakes, after the test weekend, where it ran with small air scoops. There was little time to test the new engine however, and the car was also slightly damaged during transport back to Britain. For one of these reasons (history is unclear just which), the team withdrew from the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Allegedly owing to sand from the side of the course being sucked in when Graham Hill ran wide early on, the turbine blades were damaged. The engine began to overheat and for the rest of the race had to be monitored carefully to ensure that the exhaust gas temperature wasn't exceeded. Some hours later, while Stewart was driving, the tip of a turbine blade broke off and damaged one of the regenerators with a massive explosion, although the engine kept on running.
The car performed well though, finishing tenth overall, second in the 2-litre prototype class, and the first British car. The average speed was slightly lower than previously at 98.8 mph but consumption had fallen in half to 13.51 mpg.
Restored by a team of volunteers, the car is regularly seen at motoring events throughout the UK.
In July 2014 the car was demonstrated at Le Mans Classic.
The car was showcased at the Coventry Motofest in 2016, running on a closed section of the Coventry Ring Road.
During 2022 the car has been on display at Thirlestane Castle, Shelsley Walsh and Goodwood Revival.
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