History of The Rover P6 Club
The Rover P6 Club was born under the name The Rover P6 Drivers Club in 1993.
The founder speaks
After 20 successful years of the Rover P6 Club, our founder Reg Mason shares his memories of those early days of our Club.
It is easy to look back and ask why I would want to start a new club when we already had the Rover Owner’s Club which was working well at the time. Our first committee had a common goal, we wanted people to drive their cars as well as show them off, hence the original name of the club – The Rover P6 Drivers Club. A club with this goal meant that we could help and show people how they could get the most out of their cars for all people who had a passion for the Rover P6.
The original committee members were there because of their love for the Rover P6. We tried everything we could think of to attract more members, bringing in more club funds, so that we could keep the cars on the road. The only thing we talked about at that time was how many shows we were going to do that year.
My goal was keeping the P6 on the road like many of you do today. If we don’t have the parts, we will lose the cars. I know many members who have spent £1000s on their own cars, because that is what they love to do and not because it going to make them £1000s back on the car. This does not happen with a P6 it is a labour of love.
Let’s get back to 1993 and why I wanted to start another club. Word was spreading in the P6 community that I, Reg Mason was forming a new club and it was at my Solihull meeting where we had members attending from the Rover Owner’s Club. I was asked if I was forming a new club, to which I replied “yes”. Looking back on that day I feel my hand was forced to open a new club. We took a vote on it where I asked the members who had turned up at that meeting if they wanted me to start a new club, 17 were for a new club and only 2 were against. Due to me being a Land Rover Workshop foreman I decided to keep the regular meeting at the Land Rover Social Club, I just moved it to a different day.
In those first club committee meetings we decided to meet in each other houses. This was done most weeks for the first year, and then we changed it to monthly as the club began to get established. It was in my house where we designed the first original Rover P6 Drivers Club grille badge (not the badge you use today).
Many people think this club started overnight but it was very hard work, we all had day jobs but we believed in the club with a passion and that is why it worked so well. My job at the time was a foreman at a Land Rover Dealership, I was climbing the career ladder myself at a fast pace so time was precious and balancing work, home and the club was difficult. I could not have done any of this if it wasn’t for my good friend Taffy Jones, a great friend who I still miss today. The following people are the first committee members who put this club on the map. I only had the idea, but these people all made the club what it was and worked together as a team.
Reg Mason
Taffy Jones
George Lovegove
Stuart Bell
Greg Jones
Nancy Bell
Robert Pinner
Karen Mayne
Les Clarke
My thanks to all these members without them this would not have happened.
My love for this car has been as long as I can remember, a good 40 plus years; and to think that one day 20 years ago we came together as friends with a common goal and started this club, The Rover P6 Drivers Club.
Reg Mason
