You know when they list a stipulation so specific, there’s a lawsuit behind it.

An interesting sign is getting a lot of attention on Twitter because of one specific rule. An Irish resident who goes by @AgentSchmith on Twitter snapped a photo of a list of commandments you have to abide by before entering his local car wash. One rule caught his eye, if you drive a Rover 200 you’re automatically banned from entering.

Check out the signboard for yourself below.

For my American readers, the Rover 200 is a series of small family cars made by the British Manufacturer Rover between 1984-2005, sort of like the Ford Focus we had here.

Interestingly enough, you’ve probably seen a second generation Rover 200 under a different name since the second gen Rovers were based off the Honda Civic.

Reading through the Twitter thread, it seems like one variant of the Rover 200, the bubble-shaped hatch, is to blame for the ban. @Crispy_rapcakes sums it up quite nicely.

And a couple of replies on this thread on MG-Rover seem to back up the above claim.

“Rover states not to use an automatic car wash if you have a spoiler or accessory wind deflector on your car.”

I have taken my Rover 200 through the car wash and it knocked the spoiler off. Cost me £250 to get a new spoiler and have it fitted again.

About $274 equivalent USD is a pricey lesson to learn, not to mentioned a ruined car and day but presumably the spoiler did a number on the automatic car wash mechanism, too.

I can only assume that when the Rover 200 hatch came out, car washes around Europe suffered a rash of claims and broken car wash parts because of this car. Instead of just banning the Rover 200 hatchback, they gave all 200s the boot from automatic car washes.

So, if you’re wondering why you can’t take your Rover 200 through an automatic car wash, you’re saving yourself and the gas station owner a huge headache.

You’re probably better off giving your British hatch some T.L.C. with a bucket wash instead.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here