Charles Spencer “Spen” King was born in 1925 and was a significant figure in the Rover car company and, after their takeover by Leyland, in the British Leyland Motor Corporation. Rover was a British automobile manufacturer and later a marque based at the Longbridge plant in Birmingham. ... British Leyland corporate logo old BLMC share The British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC), was a vehicle manufacturing company formed in the United Kingdom in 1968. ...

After leaving school in 1942, he was first apprenticed to Rolls-Royce. He joined Rover, run by his uncles Maurice and Spencer Wilks, in 1945 and worked initially on the gas-turbine powered JET1 and T3 experimental prototypes. In 1959 he became chief engineer of new vehicle projects and is best known for his leadership of the teams that developed the advanced Rover P6 series, introduced as the 2000 in 1963, and the hugely successful Range Rover (of which a “CSK” special edition later celebrated his involvement) launched in June, 1970. As well, he was responsible for the Rover-based Marauder sports car in 1950 and many Rover experimental and prototype vehicles. Rolls-Royce Limited was a British car and aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Henry Royce and C.S. Rolls in 1906 and was the result of a partnership formed in 1904. ... The Rover P6 series (named 2000, 2200, and 3500 for their engine displacement) was a group of saloon cars produced from 1963 to 1977 in Solihull, West Midlands, England. ... First-generation Range Rover The Range Rover is the top luxury SUV model of Land Rover. ... Marauder Cars founded by Rover engineers George Mackie, and Peter Wilks was a British car company that built a sports car at premises initially in Dorridge, West Midlands and later in Kenilworth, Warwickshire between 1950 and 1952. ...

As Rover was first taken over by Standard-Triumph and then absorbed into British Leyland he also led teams responsible for the Triumph TR6, Triumph Stag and Triumph TR7 models as well as the innovative design of the 16-valve cylinder head used on the Triumph Dolomite Sprint. Several other Leyland Group models were developed under his leadership but during a chaotic time for the British motor industry, King was frequently frustrated by the design compromises imposed by lack of adequate funding, and the poor quality of vehicles produced by an uncooperative workforce in the diverse and mainly outdated plants owned by the company. 1927 Standard Nine Selby Tourer 1933 Standard Ten. ... The Triumph TR6 (1969–1976) was the best-selling Triumph in history when production ended in 1976, but was later surpassed by the TR7. ... The Triumph Stag was a car sold between 1970 and 1978 by the British Triumph Motor Company. ... The Triumph TR7 was a sports car manufactured from 1975 to 1981 by the Triumph Motor Company, then part of British Leyland (and subsequently, BL Ltd. ... The Triumph Dolomite was a popular small–medium-sized four-door saloon car, made by Triumph under the British Leyland organisation. ...

While chairman of BL Technology from 1979 he was responsible for developing a series of light, aerodynamic and technically advanced ECV (Energy Conservation Vehicle) experimental models, features of which were incorporated into later Leyland Group products such as the Rover K-series engine, or adopted by other manufacturers. A 1. ...

Spencer King retired from the company in 1985.

In 2004, he criticised SUV owners who drive their vehicles in urban areas, saying that vehicles like the Range Rover he created were "never intended as a status symbol but later incarnations of my design seem to be intended for that purpose." [1]

External links

• The Unofficial Austin Rover Resource - Spen King Interview