This car is now up for sale – further details can be found in Cars for Sale.

This legendary Group B Rally Car has been developed specifically for speed hill climbing and sprinting and has been successfully campaigned by Tim Painter and Andy Fraser since 1993. 

This is a brief résumé of the major work and development carried out during the past 20 years to make A2ROV such a successful speed event car competing in many events over the years. There were many appearances at the local Gurston Down Hillclimb and also at Wiscombe Park, Prescott, Shelsley Walsh & Loton Park Hillclimbs and early on at many British Sprint Championship rounds.

March 1993

This interesting car, designated chassis number 10, was originally purchased from David Appleby Motorsport (DAMS) of Malmesbury, Wiltshire, as a road registered car, complete with a standard 6R4 clubman’s engine and synchromesh gearbox. This car was also fitted with TPR4100 carbon/kevlar bodywork, which was developed by Tony Pond Racing for Rover Motorsport and manufactured by Dove Engineering in Hampshire. It became one of the 7 or 8 cars to be built with this style of bodywork.

Winter 1993 – 1994

After a trial season campaigning the car, it was completely stripped and rebuilt and fitted with the following modifications:

International Spec Engine – ex Hans De Pas / Will Gollop – this engine was developed by Cliff Humphries at Rover Motorsport and fitted with Jack Cramp cylinder heads.

Dog Gearbox – Lowered ride height with softer spring rates – Suspension modifications – front chassis modification to incorporate a deformable structure for quick component replacement and easy access for maintenance – strengthened suspension mounts front and rear – steering column strengthened – roll cage modified – electrics updated and complete car rewiring with new bespoke loom.

The basic colour scheme was changed from dark blue to white with the distinctive jigsaw graphics applied.

Winter 1994 – 1995

Complete overhaul of gearbox, differentials, brakes and suspension components Modifications to seats, gearbox, gear selector mechanism, transfer gears, front and rear differentials, fuel and oil supply lines. New repackable stainless steel exhausts fitted.

Aero package, splitter and diffuser, developed and fitted.

Summer 2010

Rear differential casing replaced with heavy duty version from R&D Motorsport along with crown wheel and pinion.

February 2011

Engine removed, then stripped, checked and rebuilt by John Mankelow (Ex Goodman Race Engines) Complete check and overhaul of all transmission, suspension and mechanical components.

January 2013

DTA ECU fitted with new engine loom and coil over plug update.

Many modifications have been carried out at this time, and with successful improvements to the oil and water cooling systems.

Metro 6R4 performance stats

C. 420bhp @ 9,500 rpm

0 – 30 mph….. 1.1 secs / 0 – 50 mph….. 2.2 secs / 0 – 60 mph….. 3.0 secs / 0 – 100 mph …..8.0 secs

From the Archives……..

A brief history of the MG Metro 6R4

1981 – British Leyland Motorsport Division headed by John Davenport together with Patrick Head of Williams Grand Prix Engineering planned a new Group B Rally Car. It was to promote British Leyland launch of their new Mini Metro car.

Work began that year on the chassis design, which was to incorporate a mid-engine 4-wheel drive layout. The car design was completed in 1982 and with further development work allowing it to be unveiled in 1984 as a rally winning Group B car.

While Williams were concentrating on the chassis development, Austin-Rover was busy developing their own normally aspirated 90 degree V-6 engine. A modified Rover V8 engine was used for the initial testing of the car.

This comprised of a cut down version, basically with two cylinders chopped off and designated V62V (V-6 Two valve per cylinder).

Eventually, the final V-6 24 valve engine was produced with most of the top end machining work deriving from Cosworth Engineering. First impressions of this engine will show the similarity to the Cosworth DFV, and in fact a lot of the components of the valve gear, breathing arrangements and even the pistons was lifted’ from this legendary engine.

Dispelling all previous myths, this very successful engine, designated V64V bears no resemblance to the Rover V8 engine, the only common factor however being the 90 degree Vee configuration. They were manufactured in two versions: 1986 saw the 410bhp International for Rally and Competition use, although a cheaper Clubmans version, producing only 250bhp, was produced to enable Austin Rover to complete the required 200 cars for homologation at their Longbridge factory by 1st November 1985. Transmissions were manufactured by FF Developments. Tony Pond

Tony Pond debuted the 64 on the 1985 RAC Rally in November finishing 3rd overall, and when the International engine was made available the following year, the car achieved numerous European Championship wins.

Later in 1986 Group B Rally Cars were banned after tragic accidents in Corsica and Portugal. Also banned were the Ford RS200, Peugeot 20516 and the Lancia Delta S4. Austin Rover Leyland became disillusioned and disposed of the remaining stock of homologated cars at an enormous loss and it was reputed that they could be purchased for as little as £15,000 – £17,000. Many of the original 200 cars have now been written off.

The ‘new shape’ TPR4100 bodywork fitted to some of the later 6R4 cars was developed by Tony Pond Racing and was available from David Appleby Motorsport. It is manufactured from a carbon/kevlar material, much lighter and stronger than the original glass fibre construction and aerodynamically superior to the original box shape of the earlier models.

The cars ex Leyland in 1985 cost £34,783.61. With the works International engine fitted the cost went up to £46,783.61.

A2ROV Ex Tom Walkinshaw MG Metro 6R4 TPR 4100

Further recent research has revealed that this particular car, was originally purchased from Rover Motorsport by Tom Walkinshaw, the well known owner of TWR Racing. This was one of two hundred cars produced for homologation for Group B rallying. In fact Tom purchased two of the Metro 6R4’s to add to his extensive collection of racing cars. This particular car which was designated chassis number 10 was repainted in Blue to emphasize Tom’s Scottish heritage and according to Andy Morrison, who was Tom’s team manager at TWR, was later fitted with an uprated suspension suitable for tarmac rally stages.

Tom had the car road registered as A2ROV and used it to ferry about his various guests and business acquaintances. He also took great delight in giving demonstration drives up and down the long driveway to his farm in Chipping Norton, which has been described as his own personal Hillclimb course. Of course, the raw nature of the 6R4 meant that these drives invariably put the ‘fear of God’ into many people including surprisingly some of the Le Man’s drivers who were not used to this type of experience.

Apparently a time came in the early 1990’s at Tom’s farm where storage space became a premium and both 6R4’s were sold to David Appleby who was in partnership with Tony Pond Racing. Working together they formulated a plan to update the bodywork style of the 6R4 to bring it more in line with the current Metro 100. The front headlight and rear taillight from this model were used and a kit of body panels designed from carbon/Kevlar materials to produce a more rounded and aerodynamic shape.

The first 6R4 from their workshop was fitted with this new body kit and designated the TPR4100. It was road registered A4TPR and subsequently entered and gained success in the Avon Park Rally Stages.

The ex Tom Walkinshaw blue 6R4 was the second car to be modified with the 4100 bodywork and was re-registered as A2ROV with the correct and original registration documents showing the full VIN and Chassis number of one of the original 200 clubman’s cars. The car was purchased in 1993 from David Appleby Motorsport by Tim Painter who used it extensively for Speed events for the next 30 years or so.

According to David Appleby, a total of six or seven cars were modified with the TPR4100 bodywork, the last 5 or so were actually built on a bespoke chassis produced in the TPR workshops and a few of which were produced as long wheelbase cars.

The previous history of this car details the modifications carried out over the following years to produce the ultra-competitive car it became and so well known at the many hill climb events throughout the country in which it appeared in the Sports Libre class. There a vast number of spares that will remain with the car, most of which would help to return it to the original rally spec if required. In fact it would be quite possible to remove the 4100 body panels and revert back to the original 6R4 body shape if a new owner desired.

Thanks to David Appleby and Andy Morrison for this update – 2025