Trick Of The Light

Rick Bhullar loved the look of the ZT in Typhoon before he was old enough to drive. He finally got this rather special ZT and it has become more than just a passion.

- Jim Jupp

Rick Bhullar, who specialises in selling modified lighting for Rover 75s and MG ZTs, had a fascination for the ZT, and its Rover cousin, from a young age, thanks mainly to his father. “When I was a kid my dad had a Rover 75 and I had an interest in MGs and Rovers. My dad also got me a little die-cast model, which kept up the interest. When I started driving I thought the ZT was quite nice and fancied one... one day.” When, in 2013, Rick’s father purchased his second Rover 75 they visited a 75 and ZT Club meeting, where he spotted a ZT-T in distinctive Monogram Chromactive Typhoon paint. “There was an estate model there and I’d grown up loving TVRs with the flip paint. I got talking to the owner, as I thought only TVRs came in this paint, and he explained it was an original factory option.” The Monogram Bespoke Build range, launched in 2002 enabled customers to personalise their cars with special colours available in a variety of finishes: Chromactive (flip colours), Supertallics, Chomescent and Kinetic. A wide selection of special interior trim colours and fabrics were available too. “Monogram models were taken off the production line and individually painted,” explains Rick. He decided that he wanted a ZT in the Typhoon Chromactive blue/purple/ green flip paint to replace his first car. “They were getting quite hard to find for sale in early 2014. I’m so glad I bought it, bodywork-wise. I’m the third owner and the second one had it for quite some time. Everything was immaculate except for the engine bay, which needed a clean, and it had a few mechanical issues but, as a base, I think it was a really good car. I’d only seen a few diesels come up for sale, and they all had dings and scuffs. I suspect I paid over the odds but where was I going to get another one?” He was only 21 at the time.