The Blue Key.

[The Express Valeter]

What was the Blue Key for when they came with the car new? What year cars had them?

[David3500]

What was the Blue Key for when they came with the car new? What year cars had them?

This is a long shot on my part but I think it provided you with access to the lockable glovebox and, on the Rover 800 Series, enabled you to lock the remote bootlid and fuel filler release flaps next to the driver's seat, to prevent others from gaining access to the boot.

I seem to recall that my Father's 1987 Rover 820i had two keys supplied with the car - each key in a different colour - and one of them operated only the ignition and front door locks. I can't remember whether he had the same feature on his 1984 MG Montego EFi for providing similar restriction to the then lockable glovebox.

We certainly did not have different coloured keys for my Mum's late 1985 build (Montego facia) MG Maestro EFi which she bought used in 1989 or my 1989 build MG Maestro 2.0i - the former had a lockable glovebox while the latter one did not.

I hope this guess is correct!

[Oli]

David is correct. Its a valet key. I would ask Mr Simon KeyGuru Heap for info on years

[The Express Valeter]

There is a nre one on ebay at the moment but I think my car is too late for one of those.

[Simon]

The blue topped key (part number BAU 5119) was a special key that allowed the ignition and doors to be opened but not the boot or locking glovebox. This was in case the car needed to be valet parked, so the driver was denied access to boot or glovebox when supplied with this blue key, for security reasons. This was achieved by the key section on the normal black keys having grooves right up to the plastic key head. This allowed insertion of the key fully into the rectangular key slots in the door and ignition locks. The blue key section was only grooved up to the tip of the key serrations. The boot lid and glovebox lock had a stepped hole effectively stopping the key from going fully in, blocking the key and preventing it from turning. On Montegos with a remote boot opening lever, the remote action could be disabled by flicking a lever on the inside of the boot lid. This facility was available on all Montegos from launch until the Rover-ised facelift versions, which appeared in October 1988 with a new style key which had a squared-up grey moulded plastic top and the lockable glovebox was deleted from both Maestro and Montego at this time.

The ebay one is uncut. Timpsons should be able to cut it for a small charitable donation. tell them not to wire brush it after cutting (that will scratch the blade!)

http://tinyurl.com/mydc9ju

[Captain Slow]

If anyone else wants a blue key after this has sold, trawl scrappies asking for them if they have any to get rid of still, and the Range Rover blank MUC2153 has an identical key blade. That's how I made the one for my car.

[The Professor]

I have both keys and its correct that they were intended for taking your car to the garage so you could limit access.

[CPL593H]

There is a nre one on ebay at the moment but I think my car is too late for one of those.

It went for £36!