The man who liked Rover cars so much that he bought the company is shifting brandnew stock at bargain basement prices.

MG Rover director John Edwards is selling his own cars at a whopping 50 per cent discount, with the nearcertainty that prices will plummet even further before much longer.

Mr Edwards - one of the original Phoenix Four consortium which bought the ailing car firm for £10 five years ago - owns a motor dealership in Stratford-upon-Avon, where there are plenty of excellent deals to be had.

A Rover 75 1.8 Turbo Contemporary with fewer than 50 miles on the clock stands on the forecourt with a price tag of £11,995 - little more than half the cost of the list price of £22,490.

It is a pre-registered model with an 04 numberplate but has only ever been on the road for a short test drive.

MG Rover's publicity material is positively gushing about the Rover 75 Contemporary: "The black oak interior theme sits perfectly with the new cream-faced elliptical dials. Black cloth trimmed sportsstyle seats and an all-ash interior. Fully automatic climate control, front fog light lamps, an MP3 CD autochanger, fully adjustable electric driver's seat and 16 inch multi-spoke wheels complete the picture."

A slightly newer version, with a 54 plate, is for sale at £14,995.

An 04-plate Rover 75 1.8 Turbo Connoisseur with 13 miles on the clock - boasting all the legendary comfort you expect, according to the brochure - is also for sale at £11,995.

Remarkable value for a car which, according to the blurb issued by Edwards Cars, has an eye-catching presence, timeless proportions and " exudes an unmistakable air of quality".

When the Rover 75 saloon was launched in Italy, it won the accolade of being "the most beautiful car".

I could have walked away with a brand new Rover 75 for £4,000, since a salesman at Edwards Cars offered me £8,000 part-exchange for my Ford Mondeo.

However, the savvy buyer might be advised to wait a while. Asked about the likelihood of a cut-price sale, a salesman admitted: "We're all in the dark at the moment, but I should think there will be some cracking discounts before long." As an MG Rover dealer, Edwards Cars offers all purchasers of new models an attractive support package.

Brochures, still being handed out by Edwards this week, promise a threeyear/60,000 mile warranty for all Rover 75s plus free AA membership for a year and the opportunity to purchase fivestar European cover at preferential rates.

Whether the warranty still applies remains to be seen - the administrators of Rover have sent letters out to dealers stating it can no longer honour warranties.

Mr Edwards, aged 52, is estimated to have an annual salary of £500,000 and, in common with the other MG Rover directors, took a £2.5 million payment when their initial loan note was redeemed.