At CC, as a Curbivore I have various duties, primarily associated with European classics and the nostalgia of motors and motoring. But my real role in life, the reason I have breakfast every morning and carry a camera phone, the reason my Curbivore antennae are permanently powered up, is actually quite simple. Any Rover SD1, from 1976 to 1986, is a sighting to be, if at all possible, on the road or at a show, recorded and shared. Pretty much, it’s the law. For me, anyway.
Sadly, the total quantity in the UK of Rover SD1, 2000, 2300, 2600, 2400 diesel and 3500 V8, is now in the hundreds, perhaps 500 in total.
So when I saw this car, a 1980 Rover 3500 from the first series, in a gold colour that was seen from the launch date onwards, I had no option but to stop.
As always, time was tight, but there was enough to determine that this was as clean an example of the SD1 as you’re likely to see on the road today, not that seeing them on the road is an everyday, even every year event. Tidy paint work, not always an SD1 characteristic, was a great start, and seeing that distinctively curved exhaust pipe is always a nice sight. Sadly, the car was not running, so I didn’t hear the V8 out of it.
Through the windows, a tidy and very sound interior, with the original specification bronze velour trim looking to be very good condition.
All in, a good start to the day, made better once I’d seen the V8 badging. Approaching the car from the front, the wheels and tyres looked sufficiently narrow for it to be a 6 cylinder 2300 or 2600.
And the day got better, as I was going to the local Alfa Romeo specialist for a first service on the Giulietta.
As ever, his forecourt was a visual delight. You feel reassured when you hand over your keys to a guy like this, and he hands you a loan car from this selection.
Roger, can you tell us the total number of SD1 cars that were ever registered in the UK? I know there’s some sort of database for “still on the road today.”
Thanks for sharing this one. I think SD1s look a bit high-waisted without the cladding of the Vitesse models, but as you point out, we should be grateful for any SD1 that still moves under its own power.
I found myself looking up how many diesels they made. I’m from the UK and I’ve only knowingly seen one. The answer from a quick search is around 10,000 out of a total of 303,000 SD1s.
Can’t find UK specific numbers. I would have assumed a relatively small proportion were exported but hopefully someone can tell us.
Rovers and Alfa’s! A man after my own heart. I have always been heartbroken though by the Rover 3500. It was such a great design, but circumstances doomed it from (even before?) the very beginning. When these first appeared I really thought that they would be the beginning the return of great British cars to the U.S. They were modern, handsome, and fast. I had great expectations.
Instead…. we eventually got the devalued Sterling.
I had the same thoughts but mine were in relation to the Sterling 825/827 etc. Excellent styling, leather and wood English interior, and the rest of the running gear from an Acura Legend! How could it possibly go wrong? Instead it was more a tale of what ELSE could possibly go wrong. Sterling, the only car that could almost make Alfa and Peugeot look like roaring successes in the US as the 80’s turned into the 90’s.
Back to the subject at hand though, that is one of the, if not the nicest SD1 I’ve seen pictured in decades. Good find!
With the Rover SD1, British Leyland came out with a thoroughly modern car that imitated nothing else. It was supposed to reinvigorate the idea of British motoring but labor troubles and cheapness of constructions spelled its end. I firmly believe this is the last interesting Rover before they became too homogenized in a deluge of blob-styling. Oh Rover, we hardly knew ye!
Ah, but the Rovers before the SD1…… 🙂
Indeed. I still wish to have a long ride in a P5 and a P6. Those cars complement each other just in the same way that tea compliments biscuits.
I wish I could share your enthusiasm for the SD1, but alas I cannot. Perhaps it is an English Thing – like beef & kidney pie. Although a few comments above indicate that this may not be the case. There is something about the shape of the car that offends my sense of what a car should look like. It is straight where it should be curved and curved where it should be straight. Or maybe I have been ruined for this car by the cheap imitation we got in the US (Chevy Citation).
Goodness, only 500 registered in all of England? Heavens, there are more Studebakers in the State of Indiana than that (the car that represents my CC duty that corresponds to yours). I am guessing as we do not have such a handy statistic available here.
You have fulfilled your duty well. Except that you left us in suspense as to your temporary substitute vehicle.
Steak and kidney pie – a very wonderful thing!
The loan car….maybe you’ll have to wait, but not that long……;-)
In 1978 my parents visited some extended family in Edinburgh. Flying up from Uruguay at that time was quite unusual, so that trip took several weeks. My Dad was absolutely astounded by his cousin’s brand new Rover 3500 automatic, but declined to drive it because of RHD. He has this thing about English wood and leather (don’t know if that SD1 had any of those, but it had a small American V8 under the bonnet), though after a new 1948 Vauxhall Velox he had three American cars in a row.
I’ve never seen a SD1 in the flesh, but it looks great.
Thanks for the anecdote Rafael.
The first series SD1, like this, had no wood and little leather. The second series, with bigger bumpers, side bump strips, bigger rear window and lights did have a wood and leather interior if you wanted it. Didn’t seem quite right to me, but that’s just my preference
Yes, wood and leather applied to a wondrous piece of ’70’s modernist plastic industrial design looked about as right as a white vinyl roof would on your Alfa today.
Well I like it.
More:
A college chum had a Rover of this generation (early-mid-1980s). Seems like he was working on it a lot, but when it ran, it was a hoot to ride in (never got to drive).
Loved the modern look of these back in the day, like a English Citroen CX.
Sadly they were no exception to the typical British Leyland build-quality and reliability issues.
Both the CX and SD1 owe much to the 1967 Pininfarina BMC 1800.
We got the V8 locally assembled not sure about the six but Ive seen a couple about, they are getting thinner on the ground here though, not terribly popular new BL shot itself in the foot with things like Allegros and Princesses long before the SD1 came along and buyers were wary. You could at the time buy a V8 powered car from Australia with a good rep but they sold eventually and some survive.
Good rep? There were a lot sold in the year the pollution-strangled ones were first available, ’79, but very few thereafter. Owners soon found 12 sec 0-100km/h times, 15 mpg and atrocious build quality were too much for a car costing more than TWICE the price of a 4.2 V8 equipped mid-range Commodore – which, whilst hardly A1 for quality itself, was otherwise a much better actual car than the SD1.
There’s a 2300 from the updated generation that makes appearances at car shows, and that was a personal import from the UK, as were the one or two others I saw in this market over the years. Always loved the look of this car, and it’s still striking to this day. Based on the wheels, that one looks like a V8-S and that color really did the styling justice.
Taillights aside, it’s a solid ringer for the Lancia Beta sedan.
The Lancia seems to derive it’s general shape from the Pininfarina BMC 1800 car (as did the 3500 and the Citroen CX) and many later five-door mid-size hatches followed the Lancia template (see the original Camry 5-door, for eg), however, in the flesh, the Rover and Lancia look very different. The Lancia (actually 4-door) has a comparatively high roofline, is much narrower, and has a far deeper body beneath the window line. The Rover is very low and wide. And knees-up space inefficient as a result, but that’s a whole nother issue…
I remember selling VW-Audi in the late 80s. Some guy came onto the lot with one of these wanting to trade it in. I laughed him off the lot.
There’s a silver one in daily use a couple of streets from where I live – I’ll take a photo tomorrow
It looks like there might have been a picture of this car on the wall where they styled the Honda Accord Crosstour.
You Can gain a check on registered at howmanyleft.co.uk i think –
is the mot ( safety check ) in the uk a factor in the declining numbers ? or the recession – i don’t see many $500 craigs list type pick ups – maybe also insurance is a factor……
The MoT roadworthy test does thin out the numbers of all cars, although the early SD1s are now exempt as the limit is 40 years. Many will have been caught over the years though. The banger racers quite liked them, and the rear axles and V8 engines were also valid for many specials and conversions.
Overall numbers are a bit tricky to obtain – howmanyleft.co.uk shows 1400 SD1 of all versions in the UK, but you need to be cautious as SD1 does not appear on the paperwork, and many may be off the road. 303k were built – exports were really only to Europe but at a guess I’d say 220-50k were sold in the UK
What’s the logic for cars over 40yo not needing an MOT? And on Top Gear, they MOTed a 1950s Lanchester – are you confusing MOT and RFL?
These cars are at least 30 years old, and they’d be a lousy choice anyway for someone who just wants a cheap way to get around. Unless I’m related to Spen King, I can think of many cars, including Rover V8 powered cars, that I’d rather have as a collectible or fun car if I’m backing up my opinion with money and a garage space.
In a mature market like the UK, a new car sold usually means an old car scrapped at the other end of the economic spectrum. The question is which car goes to the crusher. That’s usually an economic decision in one way or another.
I quite like these. That is a flattering color as well. I’ve never seen the bastardized US version in person. I will always associate these with one my favorite Top Gear episodes. They are reportedly famous for the way their doors “stay on”.
Just saw one today, at the amazing annual Rockville, MD car show. Photo attached
That’s a great example — I caught up with that car at a show in Virginia two years ago, and wrote it up here:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-european/car-show-classic-1980-rover-3500-sd1-rover-over-here-again/
As you can imagine, the owner is quite a Rover enthusiast, and extremely knowledgeable. He rescued this Rover after it had been sitting abandoned in a field for many years — buried up to its axles in muck. Very impressive.
Hi all
I have been lurking on CC for a while
Here is pic of my SD1 here in West Oz,a bit of resto work,Vitesse spec engine & 5 speed,
Really nice car to drive now
Nice! Five speeds apparently makes a goodly difference to these, and they were only a small fraction of the Oz numbers, so you have a fraction of a fraction there.
This was one of my favorite cars, being a kid. I still like its shape, they don’t look like an old/classic design. The same applies to the timeless Benz W126 S-Class and the Citroën CX.
As for the loaner, I’ll take the 164, thanks.
I fancied the 4C or the Alfasud Sprint, but wasn’t lucky this time…
An endlessly fascinating car to look at. Not beautiful, perhaps, but certainly interesting. And very nice snaps here too. The low morning light works well.
They look at their finest 1970’s futurism in this early form, chrome bumpers and unadorned sides.
High gearing, sharp steering, V8 burble, I still want one in the extended dream garage.
Even though I don’t recall even Roger saying they are actually a good car.
Arguably, they were a good car, with a couple of caveats.
Quality and reliability were appalling, even by the standards of the 1970s.
The hatchback format, picked to fit the styling I suspect, was put of line to the market norms of the time
The V8 engine was great, but also out of line and often prejudged as profligate. The 6 cylinder cars were much better attuned to the home market needs,and if I recall correctly sold better than the V8.
Yes, it was mechanically simple, but well done simple can as good or better than less than optimum complicated (Euro Ford Granada, Renault 30?).
Would I have one as a weekend classic? You bet I would!
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-european/carshow-classic-1985-rover-3500-the-best-of-british-the-worst-of-british/
Ford of Britian’s Mk.IV ‘Z’ cars are a good example of where independent rear suspension can produce less than satisfactory results. Anyway, although the SD1 had a live rear axle it wasn’t on simple cart springs.
http://www.roversd1.nl/sd1web/techtalk/liveaxle.gif
I love the SD1, but I see it as a four door version of the sexy Ferrari Daytona / 365 GTB/4, which I believe was the inspiration for the design
Hi, another lurker here, parked my somewhat modified SD1 in a local carpark and while the car in the flesh looked ‘atmospheric’ the iphone saw something less than.
Car has been driven all this summer and not washed (in-case I find more rust), so it could prettier.
It has a certain charm, it’s Citation styling notwithstanding, and the first iteration of 3500 V8 circa 1970 even more so, but unfortunately Rovers, then and now, cars and presently SUVs/trucks, have consistently rated as having the worst repair record of any vehicle sold in the US, dating back to the ’60s. I can recall DE Davis as having a horrible experience with a new test $80 thou Range Rover in the ’90s. As the French like to say: plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose!
These were such beautiful cars! Shame about the quality control (or lack thereof).