We Loved our 1970 3.5 Coupé P5B(Admiralty Blue) so much! We brought her out to Australia with us when we emigrated in 1981! It was a totally surreal experience driving her across the Sydney Harbour Bridge! And Sunday cruises to the Blue Mountains and down to places like Kiama and Shellharbour on the Illawara coast! 😢tears of joy! It was like we'd died and gone to heaven! The Rover was the perfect car for exploring Australia, not just NSW, a year and a bit later we moved to Cairns in Far North Queensland! 2000 miles via the New England, Cunningham and Bruce Highways, Brisbane! Gold Coast, Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville, Cairns without missing a beat! Just a total dream! Wonderful Memories of Wonderful days in Oz with our P5B Coupe, she turned heads and invited questions and comments wherever she went! She lives on in North Queensland to this day! ❤❤❤
It was a truly beatify car, magnificent big, beefy and the wood tables. I used to do my homework in the back travelling to long distance football. Rover made magnificent cars that totally outclassed BMW etc of the day
I was lucky enough to own both cars, frankly although powered by the same Buick designed V8 the two cars were completely different animals to drive, the P5 was a joy to drive and was great on a long journey provided you were driving in a relatively straight line, because it was a fairly heavy body it did tend to rock and roll when one attempted to corner a little too fast, the P6 was a different animal all together especially if you were lucky enough to have a manual version as mine, it was great fun and you could go heavier into corners without the same rock and d roll as the P5, it was a totally different drive and explains why the police used them especially when they were chasing villains, l can’t choose between them so would settle for owning both if l could afford to keep them now
I spent many happy hours as a boy in the back seat of my dad's Rovers. He had a 1976 P6 3500 S, which he put a 5 speed SD1 box in. He also got a 1983 SD1 3500 SE manual alongside it. He must have been earning decent money to run 2 V8 cars at the same time. Even when I was born he had a 4 cylinder P6. I was very young when he sold that, and the one and only thing I remember about it was that it was white. He was a Rover man right up until The SD1 sales ended. So as you can probably guess, for me it's P6 over P5. But P6 vs SD1, that's a toughie!
Although not an Englishman, there is a sense of nostalgia and passion and History behind these great cars. I admire the level of love and determination to restore and preserve them. Great video Gents !
Definitely the P6. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the P5...but oh the P6. Even today, so many years later, it is a thing of beauty, elegance and technical innovation.
@johnneutralobserver5944 Hi and yes, I believe it was. I think they fitted them to the P6 and also the Mini at about the same time. Whatever happened to the Dunlop Denovo?
My dad had every option of P6, he absolutely loved them. Knew every corner of those cars. His favourite was a V8 auto in Zircon blue. Park Drive fags, Old Spice after shave and a Rover P6, my dad’s life right there!
Greetings from an American who loves all things British - I always look forward to your content and cheeky commentary - I cannot understand why your follower numbers aren't double - your channel is one of my weekly cherished routines - love everything about it!
When I left school I served my apprenticeship on those old Rovers. Also Jaguar Daimler and just about everything else. I worked for a company called Henleys. Some of my favourite motors were Rover, Jaguars and Damilers. When I got married our car was a P6, and we pulled a caravan round the south of France using the same P6. It did everything effortlessly a real pleasure to drive. Thanks for the video it brought back some lovely memories.
My Dad's mate always swore by the P5, he came in the pub one Sunday in a neck brace because he was going around a roundabout when a car came off the overpass above and landed on his motor crushing the roof. If he was driving anything else he would have had it but he walked away with a pain in the neck, great car!
My Uncle took me to the seaside in his P5b coupe when I was 8 and my Dads Cousin thrashed his ex-police P6 3500 around the Malvern hills when is was 11. Two of my most vivid memories, I'll take both! ( we had an Imp!)
The P6 is one of the best looking cars ever made. I saw one just this week at a petrol station in London, coincidentally parked next to an original Mustang fastback. They both looked gorgeous, but I have to say I would choose the P6 3500 V8 over the Mustang, and pretty much anything else, everyday.
I'm American, so my opinion doesn't matter, but I've always admired that Rover P5. It's not just the car I've seen video of Prime Ministers in and associated with, it's a real looker. The brawniness below the greenhouse, the sleek but airy green house, the classic 60's wheels (common on American performance cars of the era), the great interior and that V8 growl just hits right. The Queen had really good taste.
As a P6 owner (I actually own two!), I can attest that the P6 is automotive peak... It's gloriously handsome, it's fast, comfortable, has amazing stability, it's safe, advanced and actually fun to drive. It's also VERY cool. ❤
I think that is a very fair review. I have owned a P5B Saloon for 30 years, which was my Mum and Dads neighbours car for ten years before this, however I have always hankered after a P6 3500S.I think the answer probably is to own both but then I also would love an SD1....
I love both cars but having travelling many miles in a P6 as a kid, even then I could tell it was something special. I remember how amazingly stable and sure footed it seemed even on twisty country roads. Also absolutely loved that interior with those beautiful clear and attractive dials and lovely solid switchgear. If that wasn’t enough to be happy about you got the icing on the cake with that V8 burble which is one of the best sounding engines ever.
I lived in Solihull, close to Rover factory. Our neighbour drove a development car - rover 110 p4 with a v8 engine - it sounded amazing. My uncles job was to paint the coach lines.
Very interesting, thank you. One question; why are there so many shots of two people in a car talking to each other? Please have a camera behind them so we can see the dashboard and the road ahead. It would make for a much more informative experience. Thank you very much
My first memory is sitting in the middle arm rest of my grandfather's P5 when I was about 3. He only had the 3.0, but he always said it pulled a well built Cheltenham caravan with no fuss. He sold them both to buy a holiday home and had to make do with a Fiat 500!
P5B for me, my dad had one new in 1969. He also had a P6 V8S and I’ve owned a P6 V8 and a 2200SC. All good cars and much better than all the junk being built today.
@philhawley1219 it's been a nut and bolt restoration, so yes, at some point, it will be finished and will go to the maintenance stage. But I get what you're saying.
I’ve owned my Rover P5b since 1983, bought as a teenager for £150, money that my mum loaned me to buy it, I still have the same car today, I absolutely love it, also owned a P6b manual just like the one in this video, loved that also but sold that in 89 to keep the P5b, I have replaced or restored most of my P5b, runs like a dream.
@davidgalea6113 Anything from £5k to £20k depending on condition. The V8 P5B was only available with the BW35 auto box though some have been modded with manual 5 speeds or beefier auto boxes. The 3 litre P5 was available auto or manual with overdrive & will cost less to buy than a V8 though running costs will be similar.
The two best presenters in Classic World .... Now that's over with; my dad bought a new Rover 3500 S, in 1975, in Brigade Red, with all the extras including, stereo radio cassette, leather trim, front fogs, dunlop denovo wheels and tyres and headrests .... A beautiful motor, and had it until 1990, where he traded it in for a new W126 Merecedes 420 SE, which he kept until he passed away in 2014 .... Another beautiful motor, which we sold as a project car in 2019.
I am extremely fortunate in owning a very late (49th from end of production) P5B Coupe which is nearly finished it's recommissioning. I can't wait to actually drive it 😁
A lovely appraisal of both cars, which represent the end of the British car industry as we knew it. I’m lucky enough to drive my late Grandfather’s 1974M P6 3500S which has passed down the family, 94K from new, one family owned. People love seeing the car wherever she goes, and I love driving her far more than a modern car. Yep - the car goes like stink too!
I had a P4 back in the '80s which I loved but then I traded it for a P6 V8 and that was one of the best cars I've ever owned. Thirsty as you say but a great car to drive even these days.
Utterly iconic pair when Rover was breathtaking. I remember being in P5 regularly as a child I remember it as being like an aeroplane it was so big, powerful and smooth. It’s heartbreaking what Leyland destroyed! In later life, I had another car that Leyland and Triumph dealers killed, the TR6, rebuilt by TR Workshops of Lexham Mews. Mine was signal red JLA227N in case it’s still alive.
Southampton to Norwich in under 3.5 hours in a P6 rover 2000TC happy days in the 1980s. Savings up for the V8 version! Your excellent review was the final nudge 😀
I've owned both cars. A P5b saloon and a P6. Both automatic, and both with the addition of fuel injection, which helped enormously with performance and economy. My P5b could manage a steady 29mpg on a motorway and the P6 could top 34mpg. Superb cars in my opinion, I'd like to get hold of a P5b coupe at some point, just to experience the difference.
My P5 coupe with the three litre six and overdrive was probably the nicest car to drive that I'll ever own. Do the ton, look amazing,and be lovely to drive slowly as well as fast. And sounding the horn when you're reversing into a tight space. Good old horn rings!
Great job guys. I do remember reading that Northumberland Police took delivery of the P6 V8 and nothing could out run them way back in 1968 , I think it was.
West Yorkshire police also had them for the M62 and M1 work. When British Leyland were being criticised, WYP took out full page adverts in the national press to praise the Rover P6 V8s.
I owned a p6 back in the 70s, Very thirsty beast, but i loved it, It just sat there and "burbled" with power. The exhaust noise was just music to the ear, Loved that car with its 8 track stereo, boot mounted spare. Great memories. Cars had character back then
Lovely review! Subscribed! Love your enthusiasm for these cars. When I was a wee lad, my best friends dad (lovely bloke by the way) was a company director and had a Rover P6 2200 TC and, subsequently, a P6 3500S. I loved these cars! Coming from a family that could barely afford an Austin 1100 these cars seemed to me like something from another planet. I couldnt believe how quiet even the 2200 was - it seemed the height of luxury. I have owned many classic cars over the years, some very very desirable. Yet I have never owned either of these. I really have to do it before I snuff it. Thanks for reminding me. ❤ ps. I did own an MGB GT V8, as you know, the same engine. And I agree, it is probably my fave engine of all time - sublime!
Really nice feature. I was a little boy when I saw both at some point and felt strangely attracted. Especially the P6. It takes design boldness and cohesiveness from outer space before you can get away with a spare tire mounted on the boot lid and not look like a clown. The face is only rivaled by the original Aston Martin V8. The engine is indeed a gem of the unexpected variety. My family went through 4 Range Rovers, the original 2dr, 4dr manual, 4dr auto Vogue and the one with the spoiler lip. I was the lucky prince to take it to Austria skiing with friends while the rest of the group travelled in another family's 280 GE lwb. We switched cars in Austria and I realized how this engine made it all different. The Mercedes takes you up a mountain pass flawlessly but you want to get to your destination and out of the car. The Range Rover has you cocooned in a glasshouse while the engine doubles for a logfire and local tour guide telling you the most intimate stories about the now and here but never shouting about it. Quality of life, character - call it whatever. The adventure is gone. Connectivity put us on a chain. E-mobility will shut the door of a cage. Dr. Joerg Strate
My dad towed our caravan down the M6 at 121mph in our P6. My uncle wasn't that far behind in his P5B also towing his bigger caravan. Grew up with these two cars. Only downside was someone shutting the door on my fingers. Hurt like heck. But no damage done as my mum gave me a bowl of raspberry ripple ice cream. I dipped my fingers in then scoffed the lot. Those were the days. Actually my dad and me took engine out, stripped it down, rebuilt it, cahnged the inboard braked final drive. Beautiful car.
When I was a kid in the early eighties, there was an abandoned P5 near my house. My pals and I would play in it until chased!! I knicked the radiator grill and had it in my garage until I moved in 2006. I don't drive, but I do love the P5
My very first car in 1975 was a 1968 Rover 2000TC. Ex ICI MD's car. I took it with me when I went to Rhodesia in 1976 driving all the way from Cape Town to Salisbury. When I sold it, the AA passed it in A1 condition to the buyer. Some years later I saw it drive past when i was in the southern part of the country. Sounded and looked just as I remembered it. Fabulous car and memories. I bought 3 more in the following years. A 3500 V8, then another, followed by a 2000 SC.
Owned a P6 and absolutely loved it. Most comfortable car I’ve ever owned. Always wanted the P5. I still think it’s a beautiful car, and as you say, always looks so stately. Also absolutely love the Citroen DS.
Just in reference to your Buick motor story, there was another success story in Australia. Chrysler Aust. was looking for an inline 6 for the new model Valiant. There was a motor in the US which was a truck motor that Dodge wasn't having much success with. Chry Aust bought it and developed it and then became the famous Valiant 265 which went on till the demise of Chrysler in Oz in 1981. Looking forward to the SD1 video.
In my early 20's - and thanks to the 1970's oil crisis - bought a two owner 1968 P5B Saloon, VGP ***F, from a dealer in South London for just £500 in 1973 - White with a black roof , full black Webasto and burgundy leather. Originally supplied by Jack Barclay to a colonel in the the British Army - who had had 2 very small enamel Union Jacks mounted on the front wings just below the 3.5 badges - I loved her and polished her - and she looked stunning. Have some great memories - including driving to Cornwall overnight on the unlit A303 when I came up behind a fairly long queue of stationary traffic in the early hours - who I assumed were waiting to enter the small petrol station up ahead - so I started to crawl past them in the clear opposite lane - only to find it was a manned police roadblock/road check of some type (no flashing blues or anything) - one of the policeman squinted at the car approaching - touched his cap - and waved me straight through! Another night, driving past the Houses of Parliament, a police sergeant stepped into the road stopping the lanes of traffic - and waved me across the lanes and through the gates - I waved to thank him but didn't go in - the P5B certainly had a 'presence' like no other!
My father's business partner had a 3 litre saloon, followed by a V8 coupé then a V8 saloon. I remember the instrument panel on the coupé was very impressive. I drove both the V8s and thought they were both the epitome of a British luxury car. For me, the P6 didn't quite cut it.
My father and his father both had Rover P5s. My father traded his for a P5b that was written off by a Range Rover but undeterred, he bought another. Even now I can remember the number plates of both of these cars SEE 666 & LVF409L. I could only have been 6 or 7 at the time but my school friends were convinced that they were Rolls Royce’s. And I don’t blame them in the slightest, they were so regal. As a family we travelled all over the country in them, constantly driving down to London to see grandad and grandma, driving to Kent to see my mothers parents or towing a caravan up to Oben in Scotland for holidays. Despite all the miles I don’t remember us ever breaking down, not once. We were 5 up, my sister, my brother and I in the back seat and our parents up front, towing our 5 berth Safari Caravan. The P5s have left a real mark on me and are totally responsible for me becoming a petrolhead. The worst part is, they were such a huge part of my childhood but I’ve never driven one, ever. I still have time though, might even own one one day. Whilst I do love the P6, I just don’t have the historical connection to it that I have to the P5b. My father eventually sold it, took one look at the SD1 that replaced it, moaned at length about the appalling build quality of it and went and bought a Saab instead. Me and him went on to own quite a few Saabs but that’s a different story. 😊
I owned a P5B Coupe as a student (worth buttons in those days) and now own P6 3500S. I'd have the latter all day long. It's not just better than the P5, lovely though it was, it's better than anything vaguely comparable. I think nothing of jumping in it to go to the Le Mans 24, say, holding 90mph hour after hour. It's an amazing car
Oh Wow chaps. That was excellent. I am lucky enough to own a D Special and a P6B. Hard decision but if forced it’s the P6B would be the last to go. It’s my number 1 favourite classic. 2 beautiful examples you have there. The P6B does look smart in Davos White ? and the P5B in Admiralty Blue? Love your enthusiasm as usual. 👍
Both the P5 & P6 were excellent cars!!! But David Basche nailed it with the SD1 rover!!!! But he and Spen King doudley nailed it with the classic Range Rover!!! Regards Ian 👨🎤🇳🇿👍🍸🍸
Omfg this brought back my childhood!! My dad had P5b and it was a fantastic car , walnut picnic tables in back of front seats ,beautiful wooden door cappings, the best of british .we also had a 2200TC WITH THOSE ORANGE VELOUR SEATS like in your example, i dont know what thry did to the engine but id swear it was really fast ,3rd gear was very impressive and handling also brilliant . Great video
Love these two! Inboard brakes also reduce unsprung weight. The P6 was from a time when the UK was outward and forward-looking in a way it simply isn’t today. It went metric in the late 60s to fall into line with the Commonwealth and the rest of Europe and the world and it joined the EEC on 1st January 1973. It’s a much less promising place today.
Had the pleasure of being in both the 3,5 litre and the 3500S as a member of the dutch Rover club years ago. I had a SD1 Vitesse with the 3.5 V8 and really liked it. Got another Buick V8 now, bit bigger though 😂
Rover knocked it out of the park with these two. The P5 better looking than any Bentley or Rolls and the P6 so ahead of its time in looks. Stunning classics.
I had a 1967 manual 3 litre P5 in 1971. British racing green with cream hide seats. Beautiful car, loved it. Felt pretty special driving it, but had to go when the 1973 oil crisis kicked off. Sad.
We loved our Cameron Green P6B. This video made me quite nostalgic for it! It would have been nice to see some other aspects of the cars and discussed...for instance, shots of the boot, shots of and from the rear seats. Discussion too about the manual vs automatic versions, the choice was important as it changed the character of the car. Still, great to see a good video on these cars. At the time we had ours we also ran a Daimler v8, it was interesting to see the differences in the Jaguar product. One thing I can say....they both liked a drink!
I have owned, here in Australia, P4, P5B and P6B. I currently own a ‘54 P4 90. I would definitely have a P5B again to sit alongside my P4 (funny enough, I did just this in the 1980/90’s but the P4 was a 100). The P6B, whilst a technical tour d’force, just didn’t work for me a well as the P5B did. All superb cars though.
In the 90s a friend borrowed my station wagon for a few days for a house move and left me with his P5. What a dog of a car. In traffic it was like steering the Queen Mary, the internal driver ergonomics were appalling with switches and knobs hard to reach and as for visibility it was like sitting in a deep bathtub. I was trying to think what it reminded me of and it hit me, it felt like 1930s and 40s vintage English cars I’d driven like MkV jags and old Rovers etc. It was, in reality, a car from an earlier age with a more modern skin and motor, an anachronism.
I loved the P5s. My uncle had a number of P6s, which were brilliant, but always felt less than the P5. We made wonderful cars then - but poor management, lack of investment ment we fell way behind in worker relations and quality. I had a job delivering SDs to garages for a while - they were fast, held well, but fell apart in my hands - On one trip the instrument pod began to sail across the dash top on every corner - the auto selector came apart revealing a nasty spike, the under steering column landed on my legs whilst on the motor way! The pooh brown livery was made of sponge/foam which constantly came away from the shell. I wouldn't believeit if it hadn't happened to me.
Without being to biased, I think the P5 is an adorable elegant car design, and would happily own one. However I currently own a P6 V8 with manual transmission. The P6 has that cool design sporty without being sporty. I was guided more to the p6 by my late grandfather who worked at Rover through the P4,5,6 and beginning of the SD1 production. Due to body construction, he always advised me that the P4 or P6 where the better vehicles as panels where easier to change on the P6 and the chassis being strong and complete body removal possible on the P4. I’ve had a couple of P4s and several P6s and personally seem drawn to the P6 when out of all the P variants. So for me the P6 is definitely the one I’d take home 😊
That P6 is quite nice, though the pumpkin interior let it down. I'm an American, I test drove A 2000TC when I was looking for my first car. Also tested a Frog Eye Sprite, a Volvo 544, finally bought a 1965 Alfa Romeo Sprint Normale. The Rover handled wonderfully, a fantastic car to drive. Rust was an issue, but then it certainly was on the Alfas I bought in years hence.
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P5 or P6 - which would YOU choose?
Also if you're an SD1 fan, don't worry - P6 vs SD1 is coming soon...
Why oh why can't we make cars anymore? We've proven it the past with beauties like this.
Either would be nice, but maybe the P5, by a smidgeon.
I didn't realise that they came out in 1959 and 1963. They were really modern.
Stately, solid , tremendous and glorious. Say it again why don’t you! 😂
p5 coupe
@@WhateverItTakesLIVE I was thinking about that...and dreaming on lol
We Loved our 1970 3.5 Coupé P5B(Admiralty Blue) so much! We brought her out to Australia with us when we emigrated in 1981! It was a totally surreal experience driving her across the Sydney Harbour Bridge! And Sunday cruises to the Blue Mountains and down to places like Kiama and Shellharbour on the Illawara coast! 😢tears of joy! It was like we'd died and gone to heaven! The Rover was the perfect car for exploring Australia, not just NSW, a year and a bit later we moved to Cairns in Far North Queensland! 2000 miles via the New England, Cunningham and Bruce Highways, Brisbane! Gold Coast, Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville, Cairns without missing a beat! Just a total dream! Wonderful Memories of Wonderful days in Oz with our P5B Coupe, she turned heads and invited questions and comments wherever she went! She lives on in North Queensland to this day! ❤❤❤
It was a truly beatify car, magnificent big, beefy and the wood tables. I used to do my homework in the back travelling to long distance football. Rover made magnificent cars that totally outclassed BMW etc of the day
Do you still have the car? I live in Cairns and have a SIII XJ12, but absolutely love the P6.
@@jeffball6108 Dude - he just said it was a P5B!
Survived the Bruce Highway north of Gladstone…. Epic achievement
Good news 😊
I was lucky enough to own both cars, frankly although powered by the same Buick designed V8 the two cars were completely different animals to drive, the P5 was a joy to drive and was great on a long journey provided you were driving in a relatively straight line, because it was a fairly heavy body it did tend to rock and roll when one attempted to corner a little too fast, the P6 was a different animal all together especially if you were lucky enough to have a manual version as mine, it was great fun and you could go heavier into corners without the same rock and d roll as the P5, it was a totally different drive and explains why the police used them especially when they were chasing villains, l can’t choose between them so would settle for owning both if l could afford to keep them now
I spent many happy hours as a boy in the back seat of my dad's Rovers. He had a 1976 P6 3500 S, which he put a 5 speed SD1 box in. He also got a 1983 SD1 3500 SE manual alongside it. He must have been earning decent money to run 2 V8 cars at the same time. Even when I was born he had a 4 cylinder P6. I was very young when he sold that, and the one and only thing I remember about it was that it was white. He was a Rover man right up until The SD1 sales ended. So as you can probably guess, for me it's P6 over P5. But P6 vs SD1, that's a toughie!
Although not an Englishman, there is a sense of nostalgia and passion and History behind these great cars. I admire the level of love and determination to restore and preserve them. Great video Gents !
Glad you enjoyed it!
Love these both! When Rover was Rover! 👏🏽
Definitely the P6. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the P5...but oh the P6. Even today, so many years later, it is a thing of beauty, elegance and technical innovation.
Oh yes, the P6 is sensational and that makes it so classy!
P5B Coupe all day, timeless class
@@Rjhs001 easn’t this also the first car to have Dunlop Denevo (World First (?) run flats)?
@johnneutralobserver5944 Hi and yes, I believe it was. I think they fitted them to the P6 and also the Mini at about the same time.
Whatever happened to the Dunlop Denovo?
My dad had every option of P6, he absolutely loved them. Knew every corner of those cars. His favourite was a V8 auto in Zircon blue.
Park Drive fags, Old Spice after shave and a Rover P6, my dad’s life right there!
Thanks for this, chaps. Two great British cars. Love 'em both! But if I had to choose, it would be the P5B: "Peak Rover" as you guys might say.
Greetings from an American who loves all things British - I always look forward to your content and cheeky commentary - I cannot understand why your follower numbers aren't double - your channel is one of my weekly cherished routines - love everything about it!
Glad you enjoy it! Make sure to spread the word :D
Greetings from the UK :)
@markbriggs5531 Hello from South Carolina!
@@rustybearden1800 Lovely and warm down there I expect Rusty! Hello from Southampton. :)
@markbriggs5531 yes, we are having a warmer than normal autumn!
The P5 is a statement car with that gorgeous grille.
The P6 was a game changer in terms of design and was beautiful in its unique style.
Couldn't agree more!
When I left school I served my apprenticeship on those old Rovers. Also Jaguar Daimler and just about everything else. I worked for a company called Henleys. Some of my favourite motors were Rover, Jaguars and Damilers. When I got married our car was a P6, and we pulled a caravan round the south of France using the same P6. It did everything effortlessly a real pleasure to drive. Thanks for the video it brought back some lovely memories.
My Dad's mate always swore by the P5, he came in the pub one Sunday in a neck brace because he was going around a roundabout when a car came off the overpass above and landed on his motor crushing the roof. If he was driving anything else he would have had it but he walked away with a pain in the neck, great car!
I bought a Rover P6 V8 in the 70s, what a great car ! WOW do I miss it to this day.
My Uncle took me to the seaside in his P5b coupe when I was 8 and my Dads Cousin thrashed his ex-police P6 3500 around the Malvern hills when is was 11. Two of my most vivid memories, I'll take both! ( we had an Imp!)
The P6 is one of the best looking cars ever made. I saw one just this week at a petrol station in London, coincidentally parked next to an original Mustang fastback. They both looked gorgeous, but I have to say I would choose the P6 3500 V8 over the Mustang, and pretty much anything else, everyday.
I agree. It really is an amazing looking car. The interior is fantastic. It is one of those cars that I really wish I had owned when I had the chance.
I'm American, so my opinion doesn't matter, but I've always admired that Rover P5. It's not just the car I've seen video of Prime Ministers in and associated with, it's a real looker. The brawniness below the greenhouse, the sleek but airy green house, the classic 60's wheels (common on American performance cars of the era), the great interior and that V8 growl just hits right. The Queen had really good taste.
Well said sir! Don't you think Chrysler took several design cues from the P5?
As a P6 owner (I actually own two!), I can attest that the P6 is automotive peak... It's gloriously handsome, it's fast, comfortable, has amazing stability, it's safe, advanced and actually fun to drive. It's also VERY cool. ❤
Isn't that P6 dashboard so beautifully classy - especially compared to the 'bling' of modern digital equivalents.
I think that is a very fair review. I have owned a P5B Saloon for 30 years, which was my Mum and Dads neighbours car for ten years before this, however I have always hankered after a P6 3500S.I think the answer probably is to own both but then I also would love an SD1....
I love both cars but having travelling many miles in a P6 as a kid, even then I could tell it was something special. I remember how amazingly stable and sure footed it seemed even on twisty country roads. Also absolutely loved that interior with those beautiful clear and attractive dials and lovely solid switchgear. If that wasn’t enough to be happy about you got the icing on the cake with that V8 burble which is one of the best sounding engines ever.
Something special indeed!
I lived in Solihull, close to Rover factory. Our neighbour drove a development car - rover 110 p4 with a v8 engine - it sounded amazing. My uncles job was to paint the coach lines.
Very interesting, thank you. One question; why are there so many shots of two people in a car talking to each other? Please have a camera behind them so we can see the dashboard and the road ahead. It would make for a much more informative experience. Thank you very much
Well said, even a few following road shots whilst narrating would be good.
I agree….especially when the two idiots talking keep giving inaccurate info
Very different but both very, very good. My first car was a 1967 2000 P6. I still miss that car. I've always wanted a P5b Coupe though.
My first memory is sitting in the middle arm rest of my grandfather's P5 when I was about 3. He only had the 3.0, but he always said it pulled a well built Cheltenham caravan with no fuss. He sold them both to buy a holiday home and had to make do with a Fiat 500!
P5B for me, my dad had one new in 1969. He also had a P6 V8S and I’ve owned a P6 V8 and a 2200SC. All good cars and much better than all the junk being built today.
Anything is better than what's built today.
About to finish restoration of a P5B Coupé myself.
Good man!
A restoration is never finished. There is always one last little job even when you have done all the little jobs.
@philhawley1219 it's been a nut and bolt restoration, so yes, at some point, it will be finished and will go to the maintenance stage. But I get what you're saying.
I need to finish mine
That brown cardigan is perfect wardrobe to be driving a classic P6.
P5 for me but I'd be extremely happy with the P6 too!
I’ve owned my Rover P5b since 1983, bought as a teenager for £150, money that my mum loaned me to buy it, I still have the same car today, I absolutely love it, also owned a P6b manual just like the one in this video, loved that also but sold that in 89 to keep the P5b, I have replaced or restored most of my P5b, runs like a dream.
We'd love to buy one for that now!
Hi Johnnie, Are you by any chance John from Hayes as I used to have the Cameroon Green P5B. Either way Best Wishes.
I bought my Saloon in '85 for £850 & l still have it.
What does a good one cost nowadays, v8 coupe p5? We're they available with a manual?
@davidgalea6113 Anything from £5k to £20k depending on condition. The V8 P5B was only available with the BW35 auto box though some have been modded with manual 5 speeds or beefier auto boxes. The 3 litre P5 was available auto or manual with overdrive & will cost less to buy than a V8 though running costs will be similar.
The two best presenters in Classic World .... Now that's over with; my dad bought a new Rover 3500 S, in 1975, in Brigade Red, with all the extras including, stereo radio cassette, leather trim, front fogs, dunlop denovo wheels and tyres and headrests .... A beautiful motor, and had it until 1990, where he traded it in for a new W126 Merecedes 420 SE, which he kept until he passed away in 2014 .... Another beautiful motor, which we sold as a project car in 2019.
Thanks Jimmy! Your dad had great taste in cars!
I am extremely fortunate in owning a very late (49th from end of production) P5B Coupe which is nearly finished it's recommissioning.
I can't wait to actually drive it 😁
Enjoy it!
The P5 looks more modern than a Jaguar MkII. M
great video !! really excellent chat with bucket loads of knowledge and good chemistry !!!
Glad you enjoyed it, many thanks!
I have owned two P5B saloon's, my daily drivers for years. Wish I still had one.
You should do a road test between the Rover P5 vs Humber Super snipe or Imperial
Rover, a class of its own.
A lovely appraisal of both cars, which represent the end of the British car industry as we knew it. I’m lucky enough to drive my late Grandfather’s 1974M P6 3500S which has passed down the family, 94K from new, one family owned. People love seeing the car wherever she goes, and I love driving her far more than a modern car. Yep - the car goes like stink too!
I had a P4 back in the '80s which I loved but then I traded it for a P6 V8 and that was one of the best cars I've ever owned. Thirsty as you say but a great car to drive even these days.
Utterly iconic pair when Rover was breathtaking. I remember being in P5 regularly as a child I remember it as being like an aeroplane it was so big, powerful and smooth. It’s heartbreaking what Leyland destroyed! In later life, I had another car that Leyland and Triumph dealers killed, the TR6, rebuilt by TR Workshops of Lexham Mews. Mine was signal red JLA227N in case it’s still alive.
Never seen SD1 wheels on a P6 before - they look great!
Southampton to Norwich in under 3.5 hours in a P6 rover 2000TC happy days in the 1980s. Savings up for the V8 version! Your excellent review was the final nudge 😀
I've owned both cars. A P5b saloon and a P6. Both automatic, and both with the addition of fuel injection, which helped enormously with performance and economy. My P5b could manage a steady 29mpg on a motorway and the P6 could top 34mpg. Superb cars in my opinion, I'd like to get hold of a P5b coupe at some point, just to experience the difference.
My P5 coupe with the three litre six and overdrive was probably the nicest car to drive that I'll ever own. Do the ton, look amazing,and be lovely to drive slowly as well as fast. And sounding the horn when you're reversing into a tight space. Good old horn rings!
Memory lane for me. Had 3 Rover's two 2000. and a 2200 TC loved the coupe still like to own one beautiful looking cars
Good work guys!
Great job guys.
I do remember reading that Northumberland Police took delivery of the P6 V8 and nothing could out run them way back in 1968 , I think it was.
West Yorkshire police also had them for the M62 and M1 work. When British Leyland were being criticised, WYP took out full page adverts in the national press to praise the Rover P6 V8s.
@glen1555 Glen, I can remember when WYP had V12 Jags on the motorways. Thanks for your post.
Superb video guys!
P6 for me
I love them both equally, but having learned to drive in a 3500 V8 SD1, that would always get my vote. 👏
I owned a p6 back in the 70s, Very thirsty beast, but i loved it, It just sat there and "burbled" with power. The exhaust noise was just music to the ear, Loved that car with its 8 track stereo, boot mounted spare. Great memories.
Cars had character back then
Thanks guys. Two of my favourite cars.
Our pleasure!
Lovely review! Subscribed! Love your enthusiasm for these cars. When I was a wee lad, my best friends dad (lovely bloke by the way) was a company director and had a Rover P6 2200 TC and, subsequently, a P6 3500S. I loved these cars! Coming from a family that could barely afford an Austin 1100 these cars seemed to me like something from another planet. I couldnt believe how quiet even the 2200 was - it seemed the height of luxury. I have owned many classic cars over the years, some very very desirable. Yet I have never owned either of these. I really have to do it before I snuff it. Thanks for reminding me. ❤ ps. I did own an MGB GT V8, as you know, the same engine. And I agree, it is probably my fave engine of all time - sublime!
Thanks for watching and subscribing :)
P6. My GP had one and the local Traffic Police used them too, a very impressive piece of kit. Quick too.
Still impressive today!
Really nice feature. I was a little boy when I saw both at some point and felt strangely attracted. Especially the P6. It takes design boldness and cohesiveness from outer space before you can get away with a spare tire mounted on the boot lid and not look like a clown. The face is only rivaled by the original Aston Martin V8.
The engine is indeed a gem of the unexpected variety. My family went through 4 Range Rovers, the original 2dr, 4dr manual, 4dr auto Vogue and the one with the spoiler lip. I was the lucky prince to take it to Austria skiing with friends while the rest of the group travelled in another family's 280 GE lwb. We switched cars in Austria and I realized how this engine made it all different. The Mercedes takes you up a mountain pass flawlessly but you want to get to your destination and out of the car. The Range Rover has you cocooned in a glasshouse while the engine doubles for a logfire and local tour guide telling you the most intimate stories about the now and here but never shouting about it. Quality of life, character - call it whatever. The adventure is gone. Connectivity put us on a chain. E-mobility will shut the door of a cage.
Dr. Joerg Strate
My dad towed our caravan down the M6 at 121mph in our P6. My uncle wasn't that far behind in his P5B also towing his bigger caravan. Grew up with these two cars. Only downside was someone shutting the door on my fingers. Hurt like heck. But no damage done as my mum gave me a bowl of raspberry ripple ice cream. I dipped my fingers in then scoffed the lot. Those were the days. Actually my dad and me took engine out, stripped it down, rebuilt it, cahnged the inboard braked final drive. Beautiful car.
My grandmother had a P5B coupe. Was just glorious!
When I was a kid in the early eighties, there was an abandoned P5 near my house. My pals and I would play in it until chased!! I knicked the radiator grill and had it in my garage until I moved in 2006. I don't drive, but I do love the P5
My very first car in 1975 was a 1968 Rover 2000TC. Ex ICI MD's car. I took it with me when I went to Rhodesia in 1976 driving all the way from Cape Town to Salisbury. When I sold it, the AA passed it in A1 condition to the buyer. Some years later I saw it drive past when i was in the southern part of the country. Sounded and looked just as I remembered it. Fabulous car and memories. I bought 3 more in the following years. A 3500 V8, then another, followed by a 2000 SC.
I owned a few P6s, a V8 auto with ribbed cloth and a 3500S manual with leather, pas, boot mounted spare. Fabulous handsome cars!
P5 Coupe for me every time!
Owned a P6 and absolutely loved it. Most comfortable car I’ve ever owned. Always wanted the P5. I still think it’s a beautiful car, and as you say, always looks so stately. Also absolutely love the Citroen DS.
Just in reference to your Buick motor story, there was another success story in Australia. Chrysler Aust. was looking for an inline 6 for the new model Valiant. There was a motor in the US which was a truck motor that Dodge wasn't having much success with. Chry Aust bought it and developed it and then became the famous Valiant 265 which went on till the demise of Chrysler in Oz in 1981.
Looking forward to the SD1 video.
Great video article, guys! ❤
Glad you enjoyed it!
Remember when this car hit the the roads, couldn't afford it at the time. Superb!!
In my early 20's - and thanks to the 1970's oil crisis - bought a two owner 1968 P5B Saloon, VGP ***F, from a dealer in South London for just £500 in 1973 - White with a black roof , full black Webasto and burgundy leather. Originally supplied by Jack Barclay to a colonel in the the British Army - who had had 2 very small enamel Union Jacks mounted on the front wings just below the 3.5 badges - I loved her and polished her - and she looked stunning. Have some great memories - including driving to Cornwall overnight on the unlit A303 when I came up behind a fairly long queue of stationary traffic in the early hours - who I assumed were waiting to enter the small petrol station up ahead - so I started to crawl past them in the clear opposite lane - only to find it was a manned police roadblock/road check of some type (no flashing blues or anything) - one of the policeman squinted at the car approaching - touched his cap - and waved me straight through! Another night, driving past the Houses of Parliament, a police sergeant stepped into the road stopping the lanes of traffic - and waved me across the lanes and through the gates - I waved to thank him but didn't go in - the P5B certainly had a 'presence' like no other!
Dad had a P6 3500 S. Wonderful car.
P5 ❤ Just a wonderful piece of design
My dad had a P6 3500TC. Loved that car. Such a comfortable family car.
Wasn't called a TC. 2.0 was the TC. V8 was 3500 or 3500S which was the manual.
P5 for me, back in the day, my friends dad owned one. I always drooled over it.
Never had the pleasure to drive or own one.
Brilliant cars both of them.
Probably the P5 5 , but very close , the p5 shone to stardom with Roger Moore in the man who hunted himself . 1970 film..
Great Film and you will never look at a P5 quite the same afterwards.
**haunted** -- but in the end, probably the same thing!
I love the P6 and holds up well even today IMO.
My father's business partner had a 3 litre saloon, followed by a V8 coupé then a V8 saloon. I remember the instrument panel on the coupé was very impressive. I drove both the V8s and thought they were both the epitome of a British luxury car. For me, the P6 didn't quite cut it.
Thank you for comparing two magnificent Rovers. I miss my old 3500S AXC 955K. The Yellow Peril.
Our pleasure!
My father and his father both had Rover P5s. My father traded his for a P5b that was written off by a Range Rover but undeterred, he bought another. Even now I can remember the number plates of both of these cars SEE 666 & LVF409L. I could only have been 6 or 7 at the time but my school friends were convinced that they were Rolls Royce’s. And I don’t blame them in the slightest, they were so regal.
As a family we travelled all over the country in them, constantly driving down to London to see grandad and grandma, driving to Kent to see my mothers parents or towing a caravan up to Oben in Scotland for holidays. Despite all the miles I don’t remember us ever breaking down, not once. We were 5 up, my sister, my brother and I in the back seat and our parents up front, towing our 5 berth Safari Caravan.
The P5s have left a real mark on me and are totally responsible for me becoming a petrolhead. The worst part is, they were such a huge part of my childhood but I’ve never driven one, ever. I still have time though, might even own one one day. Whilst I do love the P6, I just don’t have the historical connection to it that I have to the P5b. My father eventually sold it, took one look at the SD1 that replaced it, moaned at length about the appalling build quality of it and went and bought a Saab instead. Me and him went on to own quite a few Saabs but that’s a different story. 😊
I building two P6 3500’s one auto and one S had them in my 20’;s now getting two on the road in my 60’s ❤
I owned a P5B Coupe as a student (worth buttons in those days) and now own P6 3500S. I'd have the latter all day long. It's not just better than the P5, lovely though it was, it's better than anything vaguely comparable. I think nothing of jumping in it to go to the Le Mans 24, say, holding 90mph hour after hour. It's an amazing car
P6 and a Cardigan 🎉 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🇬🇧
The only thing missing was a decent pipe, stoked with St Bruno……….
Oh Wow chaps. That was excellent. I am lucky enough to own a D Special and a P6B. Hard decision but if forced it’s the P6B would be the last to go. It’s my number 1 favourite classic. 2 beautiful examples you have there. The P6B does look smart in Davos White ? and the P5B in Admiralty Blue? Love your enthusiasm as usual. 👍
Thanks Peter, VERY jealous of both your cars! -Joe
In 1972 I had a 1965 British Racing Green P5. A beautiful, luxurious car. Thirsty, though!
Both the P5 & P6 were excellent cars!!!
But David Basche nailed it with the SD1 rover!!!!
But he and Spen King doudley nailed it with the classic Range Rover!!!
Regards Ian 👨🎤🇳🇿👍🍸🍸
Omfg this brought back my childhood!! My dad had P5b and it was a fantastic car , walnut picnic tables in back of front seats ,beautiful wooden door cappings, the best of british .we also had a 2200TC WITH THOSE ORANGE VELOUR SEATS like in your example, i dont know what thry did to the engine but id swear it was really fast ,3rd gear was very impressive and handling also brilliant . Great video
Jumping ahead to the next video, I recall fondly the Met's interceptor SD1's with the Jag V12s from the early M25 days.
Love these two! Inboard brakes also reduce unsprung weight. The P6 was from a time when the UK was outward and forward-looking in a way it simply isn’t today. It went metric in the late 60s to fall into line with the Commonwealth and the rest of Europe and the world and it joined the EEC on 1st January 1973. It’s a much less promising place today.
Had the pleasure of being in both the 3,5 litre and the 3500S as a member of the dutch Rover club years ago. I had a SD1 Vitesse with the 3.5 V8 and really liked it. Got another Buick V8 now, bit bigger though 😂
Before my time, sd1 V8 was my rover I used to follow the Group B rally cars around Dalby forest area.
Great Video about two of the best British cars of the 60's. Rover kept making the P6 V8 for the plod until 78, as they wern't keen on the SDi.
Rover knocked it out of the park with these two. The P5 better looking than any Bentley or Rolls and the P6 so ahead of its time in looks. Stunning classics.
Agreed!
Dad had the 3 litre six p5. I remember how comfortable it was. But he never ventured into the V8 unfortunately...
I had a 1967 manual 3 litre P5 in 1971. British racing green with cream hide seats. Beautiful car, loved it. Felt pretty special driving it, but had to go when the 1973 oil crisis kicked off. Sad.
2 of my favourite cars.
We loved our Cameron Green P6B. This video made me quite nostalgic for it! It would have been nice to see some other aspects of the cars and discussed...for instance, shots of the boot, shots of and from the rear seats. Discussion too about the manual vs automatic versions, the choice was important as it changed the character of the car.
Still, great to see a good video on these cars. At the time we had ours we also ran a Daimler v8, it was interesting to see the differences in the Jaguar product. One thing I can say....they both liked a drink!
I have owned, here in Australia, P4, P5B and P6B. I currently own a ‘54 P4 90. I would definitely have a P5B again to sit alongside my P4 (funny enough, I did just this in the 1980/90’s but the P4 was a 100). The P6B, whilst a technical tour d’force, just didn’t work for me a well as the P5B did. All superb cars though.
In the 90s a friend borrowed my station wagon for a few days for a house move and left me with his P5. What a dog of a car. In traffic it was like steering the Queen Mary, the internal driver ergonomics were appalling with switches and knobs hard to reach and as for visibility it was like sitting in a deep bathtub. I was trying to think what it reminded me of and it hit me, it felt like 1930s and 40s vintage English cars I’d driven like MkV jags and old Rovers etc. It was, in reality, a car from an earlier age with a more modern skin and motor, an anachronism.
Good review chaps
Much appreciated!
I loved the P5s. My uncle had a number of P6s, which were brilliant, but always felt less than the P5. We made wonderful cars then - but poor management, lack of investment ment we fell way behind in worker relations and quality. I had a job delivering SDs to garages for a while - they were fast, held well, but fell apart in my hands - On one trip the instrument pod began to sail across the dash top on every corner - the auto selector came apart revealing a nasty spike, the under steering column landed on my legs whilst on the motor way! The pooh brown livery was made of sponge/foam which constantly came away from the shell. I wouldn't believeit if it hadn't happened to me.
Love the P5B and P6. I had a 2200TC, would love either of the V8s
This is a very hard choice for me. I absolutely love the P5, but the P6 had that technological edge for me.
My Dad had a P5. Brilliant car even smelt nice.
Without being to biased, I think the P5 is an adorable elegant car design, and would happily own one. However I currently own a P6 V8 with manual transmission. The P6 has that cool design sporty without being sporty. I was guided more to the p6 by my late grandfather who worked at Rover through the P4,5,6 and beginning of the SD1 production. Due to body construction, he always advised me that the P4 or P6 where the better vehicles as panels where easier to change on the P6 and the chassis being strong and complete body removal possible on the P4. I’ve had a couple of P4s and several P6s and personally seem drawn to the P6 when out of all the P variants.
So for me the P6 is definitely the one I’d take home 😊
It's a tie,they are both stunning.
That P6 is quite nice, though the pumpkin interior let it down. I'm an American, I test drove A 2000TC when I was looking for my first car. Also tested a Frog Eye Sprite, a Volvo 544, finally bought a 1965 Alfa Romeo Sprint Normale. The Rover handled wonderfully, a fantastic car to drive. Rust was an issue, but then it certainly was on the Alfas I bought in years hence.
Yes, that interior would be OK in a Mini but the P6 needs something more classy.