Rover P6 vs 800 - 60s vs 80s British Saloon Battle! (1971 3500 V8 & 1992 827 Coupe Road Test)
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Post-war, Rover was amongst the most trailblazing, engineering-focussed car makers, producing cutting edge vehicles like the P6. The jet-age styling, modern construction, suspension and safety, combined with an almighty Buick V8 engine in 3500 guise showcased everything Rover was capable of. Fast forward to the 1980s and with Rover under the British Leyland banner, the company collaborated with Honda to produce the 800 executive saloon. Is the newer car as good as the P6, is the 800 even worthy of the Rover badge? Jack and Joe took a P6 3500 and 827 Coupe for a test drive!
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Thanks to Peter Simpson for loan of these cars
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Chapters
0:00 Rover’s Heyday
0:50 Rover P6
6:03 Rover 800
12:40 Is The 800 A Worthy Rover? - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
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As a child family member had new P6s and a one had very early SD1. While these cars shared the same basic V8, they were very different cars. I have fond memories for both. A few years ago I was lucky enough to pick up a very low mileage late Rover 800 SLI, with an early KV6. The car was a 96, on a P, and it’s the only car that I think, ‘I wish that I’d kept it’, I loved it. The 800 had character, it felt like a motorised sofa, a brilliant motorway car that was comfortable and surprisingly narrow, compared to modern cars, which was, I guess, a legacy of its early 80s shared Honda development. Thanks for sharing the video.
When you’ve grown up with the 800 it’s difficult to consider the P6 but there’s no question the P6 was very dynamic for its era
I had a 2 litre 800 SLI which was impressive. The performance stats were close to my series 3 XJ6 so for a big 2 litre, it was impressive. And so comfortable! I drove 700 miles from Victoria Embankment to Thurso on a regular basis. On one occasion, over 100 mph on the M6 through Birmingham in driving rain, thunder and lightning, absolutely stress free and relaxing. The only car I had which surpassed it was my 75! I would certainly buy another, definitely a coupe!
I own a Rover P6 Series 1 V8, and I've owned a 620Si, 623GSi, and a 75. The closest car Rover had to the P6 was the 623GSi, which was a hot ship for the time, rode so well, looked appealing and was very reliable. I liked the 800s and toyed getting with a Mk1 Fastback, but the stories of electrics put me off. The really wonderful thing about the P6 is it is highly engineered but very practical to maintain. Most of the car can be kept in good fettle by most independent garages, and most of the oily parts are available. The gearbox was a 1960s workhorse for most marques and almost bulletproof. It's the rear in-board callipers that are the problem; servicing them is a difficult job, and replacing them is the only specialist job on the car. The rest? Rims are hard to get now - they are almost unique in their stud pattern, and the interior, especially the leather seats are practically unobtainable. Prices are rising now; I paid £3K for mine in 2004 as they were unloved and totally under-rated. I will never, ever sell mine, they are a dream to drive, they sound incredible, the amazing ride is absolutely unique. It is a magic carpet. There are about 100 Rover P6 Series 1 V8s left, they are not £3K now, and get one while you can.
My father had both. The 3500 P6 was great, although it started to go rusty. The 800's were bigger inside, a bigger boot, quite, smooth and reliable. The V8 was thirsty, tappets were expensive to repair and it leaked oil. The 800's especially with the honda engine were superb. They were not designed as sports cars. The 800 coupes he owned were absolutely fabulous cars. Never, ever any problems. He did have them regularly serviced by Rover main dealers, who were extremely nice.
P6 for me but I do love the 800
P6 3500S awesome cars i owned 3
Great build quality comfortable and lovely to drive 👍
It would be a p6 now but I remember looking at the 800's in my teens and thinking wow. Used to fix a mates electrics on an 800 which was a bit like painting the 4th bridge though
The body roll on the 800 is from old bushes and suspension units and I suspect a lack of maintenance - Just look at the state of that engine.
In 1990 Tony Pond driving a Rover 827 Vitesse, became the first man to get a four wheeled vehicle around the IOM track with a average speed of over 100 mph, the record stood for 21 years
I've had 5 of these over the years and kept two plus an 825 Sterling Coupe
My daily drive now is a Jaguar XF Portfolio 5.0 V8, my toy is a Jaguar F Type R 5.0 V8 RWD and the Rover 827 Coupe is still the best !
In 1967 I was looking for my first car. I tested a Rover 2000TC, the 2 liter version of the P6 in America. I loved it, great handling, brakes, interior. Didn't get it, opted for a 1964 101 Series Alfa Giulia Sprint Normale. The rap on the Rover was rust, though we didn't know it at the time, the Alfa of course tried its best to quickly become one with the earth.
I had a 800 diesel workhorse slogger back in the day, loved it. Would love another
Great video. Always loved the 800 when it was new. My friend's dad had a Mark 1 Sterling with a boot spoiler, it was out of this world for 90s Stoke. I would go for the Coupe as I do like a car that was a great idea, but not quite finished off.
I used to have an 827 Coupe, now have a Lexus GS300, complete night and day, the Lexus is better in every way (yes it's 5 years newer but feels like 20). But I do love the P6, have always wanted one still do.
P6 interior aroma is fantastic. Had one for a week when the service garage wrote it off.
800 coupe has the longest front doors of any car?
I had an 800 about 25 years ago. Valves used to coke up constantly, gearbox failed, boot struts failed, door handles fell off. Had to carry two bits of wood. One to jam it into 5th gear and the other to prop the boot lid open. Unexpectedly, never had any electrical issues.
My dad had from new a 1976 Rover P6 3500S in Monza Red, with all the mod conns, inc recaro seats, all leather, stereo radio cassette, dunlop denovo tyres and rims and front fogs .... Dad always commented how wonderful it was to drive and kept it for 8 years .... Bought after that a new 1986 Merc series W126 420 SE which was on another level in terms of build quality and engineering.
He should of kept the Rover - the merc will be in the scrapyard by now , probably plagued by electronic ecu faults as well as rot whereas the Rover would never let you down , drove all the p6,s - 2000 sc , tc 2200 tc and 3500 manuals and auto - my two penneth
My dad had a 75 3500 auto also in Monza red. - great cars with a little bit more development could of been unbeatable .
Yes, there was no rust on it anywhere when he traded it in .... I think all of the body panels were Aluminum and bolted to the chassis of the car .... He kept the Merc until he died in 2005 .... It was still running/had a full Benz service history, so I put an advert in the local rag for anyone who wanted to take in on as a project .... Got plenty of feedback, and sold it to a guy from Fareham, Hampshire who wanted it because it was a W126 Benz ....
May have wanted it just for the drivetrain alone - a v8 is always a v8! - I’ve drive a few 500 sec’s back in the day , nearly bought a ‘89 560 sec once but was just beaten to the owners door by like 10 minutes - still miss the ROVERS though , I’d love a nice p5b saloon or coupe.
I’ve also owned 8 SD1 Rovers since I passed my test in 1986.
I am in the fortunate position to own both :) I’m totally in both of it. Every car is a class of its own 😀
My very first car in 1978 was a 1968 P6 2000SC. Fantastic car but I loved the sound of the V8, and a year later I moved up to a 1974 P6 3500S. I had so much fun in that car, and compared to my old car, the dashboard in the V8 made me feel like I was sitting in a spaceship, especially at night. Unfortunately I developed a bad habit of leaving every junction I came across obscured by clouds of tyre smoke, and that led to a fortune being spent on replacement gearboxes, so after 4 years of ownership I got rid of it and bought a lovely 1969 P5B coupe. As much as I loved my P6's, If I could have any one of those 3 cars again, it would be the P5B coupe. There was something about that car that made it feel so much more special than the P6's, and it's the one I'd most like to drive again in my old age.
Come to think of it, how about a late '60s comparo of P6 2000TC vs BMW Neue Klasse 2000ti?
Also owned 3x Rover 600’s too!…..Now I’m driving a Mazda 6 GT, such a great car in my opinion.
I owned an 800Si and was very pleased with it. Plenty of space & smooth runner. But I'd love to own that P6.
Some amusing chemistry between you two, gave me a couple of good laughs, great video.
Thank very much! :D
We didn’t get the 800 in Australia. We did get the Sterling badged as a Rover but only with the V6. My preference the British DS (P6). Thanks for featuring two beautiful examples.
Great to see how different these are!
They are!
Such a tough choice, gonna have to be the P6 but love the coupe too.
The P6 was the pinnacle of Rover. it was downhill from here.
Had a 800 coupe 827 nearly new and I can tell you back in the day it was a right motor everyone that saw it and rode in it loved it but now over thirty years on there virtually worthless and forgotten about which is very sad
I had 2 Rover 800’s back in the day…..both suffered with electrical issues with the sunroof and windows constantly, and I had an engine and gearbox failure on my M plate 820SLi, also the famous dashboard lift early in it’s life, but for some reason I still want one today?
I might check back in a week or so, to see if anyone prefers the 800. I've driven a couple of them, love the comfy seats and that V6, but sadly, I expect they've all fallen apart by now. I wouldn't want the experience of fighting to keep one going. 😢
I've just sold a rarish car, it's a lot easier to look at stuff at a show or a museum and walk away. Have a nice day out, burger and chips with your mate thrn off down the pub and leave all the grief to the owners.
@@rob5944 Yeah, a 1990s Rover 800 would have to be something you really wanted to take on. I have a car that's worth about the same as last years MOT, but I'm going to try and keep her running regardless.
@@markeastwood74 don't blame you. We're left with a tiny 1000cc city car, it just makes sense. I find local garages just want to fix the basic faults, they're not interested in diagnosing problems. Having a classic is ok if you've a fully equipped double garage and a large budget. I haven't even got a decent sized driveway and packing is getting increasingly difficult....someone stoved my wing in and just drove off. So it all got to be a bit of a pain to be honest, still it was fun while it lasted.
@@rob5944 a few years back, my wife convinced me to sell my 2nd favourite car and it was written off 3 weeks later. It's weird that it feels like it was my fault for selling it, so I'm preserving what I have now. 🤣
@@markeastwood74 like your betraying a best friend somehow.
Definately something off with that 800 if it doesnt handle. I had a 825 for a couple of years that was an absolute hoot down country roads. Great motor cruiser too. And load lugger (it was the fastback).
I'm a 800 fan after owning 3 including a 800 2.7 Litre Coupe , I Love the Rover P6, but it's bit small inside for me .
I've had two 827 Vitesse fast backs. They were brilliant cars especially the second one which was bought at auction for the princely sum of £125, which I had for 4 trouble free years, that only required service items in all that time. Where are they all now?
I love the P6, especially in V8 form. But having learnt to drive in a V8 SD1 back in the early eighties, that would be my Rover of choice. I’m sorry to say the 800 has never been a favourite of mine after having one as a company car for about six months, which was how long it took for it to disintegrate. I seem to remember the police called 800’s General Belgrano as the roll was so extreme in corners.
I think Honda was a great partner for Rover, shame it didn't last. The cars may not have been perfect but they were decent cars back in the day.
Damn sight better than jumping into bed with BMW.
Magnificent cars!
Yes they are!
Here in the States, there's no 800 coupe, I'd have to settle for the very nice Acura Legend coupe. But I'll keep my 1969 Fed-spec P6 2000TC with factory air con and 4-speed manual, thanks...
p6 2000TC on the A11 london to norwich 1983 every weekend great fun, but unflustered!
I had 820 e & Rover Sterling 2.5 😊🎉❤
As good as the P6 is, it's the P5B Coupe for me. Always. SD1 second.
I grew up loving the P6 looks, back when you could buy them new. Along with classics like the Mk 1 XJ6 and Mk 3 Cortina they comprised my top three saloons in the 70s. Nothing has changed my opinion since. Though like every schoolboy of that age, I wanted my father to buy a Mk 1 Capri or, if he won the pools, an Interceptor or DB6. Shockingly he did outrageous things like buy a Minx then, worst car ever, a Viva.
Remember driving the p6's in all its engine sizes and the 3500s (manual) would be the one for me. I had an early (1977) SD1 3500 manual which I also liked. I have no interest in the 800 though.
I think that one of the photos youe shared showed a 800 with th elower cowling removed just about summed it up :)
P6 excellent car and another good video 🚘🚙🚗👍👍
Indeed it is!
Try the Vitesse 180 with the fish-tank valve modification.
60s gotta win.
No hate on the 80s, but 60s is just so classy.
Whilst the P6 is a fantastically innovative and well engineered car, thinking about it just makes me sad and reminds me of the loss of an entire industry and good things could have been.
Personally, I'd take the 800, I just like it more than the P6. It's probably unfair to criticize Rover for the failings of its electrical system as they just installed it. The failings can be attributed to whatever component manufacturer supplied it. That said, any Rover would be a good choice, I once read that Rolls-Royce told their salespeople that if they couldn't afford a Rolls, buy a Rover, certainly a good recommendation for an automotive rival. At least the brand still exists through JLR and didn't completely die out.
The Acclaim was Civic derived, bot Balade.
Saloon challenge, but one is a 2 door coupe ?
Lots of humps and bumps where they can't seem to lay a road down properly.
are you related to practical classics magazine ?????
.
thanks
Nope, Classic Car Buyer and Classics World :)
@@ClassicsWorldUK Thanks for replying mate .......... and the fact you are nothing to do with them is good news 🙂
I really dislike the facelifted 800. It made the car look kitsch when the 1986 original was so elegant.
I would have a 200 R8 tourer instead
Do love an R8! -Joe
PS 5 for me, but a P6 is just as great ! Such a great shame ! Had a 416 myself , enjoyed her a lot, but at the time it was easier to scrap the car than to address all the problems than to shell out lots of money to keep the car on the road !!!
P6 for me.
Rover was ruined by focus groups and the like. Yes there were the British leyland debacle but when someone decides ‘wot it means to be a rover’ they really boxed themselves in. The p6 was nothin like the p4 and the sd1 nothin like the p6 yet for some reason in the 80s all rovers had to be wood and leather. Wen let loose - say the r8 tomcat - rover were still epic but they got stuck in a rut
P6 all day long!
P6. Never liked the 800. Who would choose one over a Mercedes or BMW? Or a Volvo?
It didn't appeal to us (the U.S.), evidenced by its low sales volume. The British brand we chose, even back then, was Jaguar. Rovers p6 was awkward looking, and compared to an Xj, just plain ugly. Especially if you add federalised bumpers. The sterling was a Honda legend, plus pretty wood trim (imo it looked better too), but minus Honda's notorious reliability. You could push a button in a sterling and hear a crunch as the plastic gave way. You could see interior panels of your Sterling simply fall off from busted clips, so for all the benefits you'd end up getting punished whenever you decided to resale it. Once Acura added wood trim (even though not as elegantly as the Brits), Rover really lost its last flimsy leg to stand on. Today you can't find an 825, or 827 in the states... though you don't see that generation of Legend around either (likely timing belts, which kill Hondas like genetic predisposition for extremely aggressive cancer). The rear evidence to that Rovers mediocrity is that nobody misses those cars hear at all. Only British people speak about Rovers like the world lost something when the brand went under, despite me sometimes having pricey thoughts of a Rover 75 V8 (a car that I'd like to have, but won't really miss if I never get one, because Mercedes Benz). If only Rover could've built a reliable CLK500 competitor, instead of mildly restyled Civics, and Accords with stick on wood trim (with a couple points for using real wood).
Citron is french for lemon 🙄🙄
P6 had better brakes than the sd1 . But the sd1 v8 shat all over the 827 vittese
P6 all day far superior car to the 800 I’m sure the p6 in this review is owned by Peter Simpson cracking car
The P6 is a copper bottomed classic. The 800 is just junk. And before you say anything - I've owned three of them 😊
P6 all day long
Having driven quite a few, I can't help but feel the P6 is massively overrated...and as for the looks? Crikey, objectively its a total mess...
It depends which model you have driven - people are obsessed with the V8 but really they are a compromise. Due to crash testing issues, Rover had to significantly change the front suspension which dramatically compromised its handling capability. The Early series 1's however, especially a twin carburettor model are beautiful. Earlier models also avoided the plague of British Leyland so they are simply delightful to be in and a class above the normal family cars of the day. Not as good as a Jaguar or a Mercedes but of course they were significantly cheaper than those two brands.
Objectively? How does that work?
@@Adam.Piper62 There are no compromises you describe on the P6 V8. There is a slight shift in weight balance, and Rover made the right changes upfront by moving the engine cross-member back a little. The front suspension in a V8 is unchanged, and that does not affect handling. The best improvement any owner will tell you is the rear, changing the springs to progressives, and all the shocks, Koni do the perfect set for a V8. How do I know, I own a '69 V8 Series 1, and I have owned a 2000TC. The weight distribution is slightly better on the TC and it will corner slightly better because there is a little less weight upfront, that is it. However, with the V8, you ride on a tidal wave of torque, you can drive a V8 in one gear '2' from stationary to almost 70mph and experience the entire rev range. It is the one to get, although later 2200TCs are a good alternative if you prefer 1970s styling. 3500S are commanding strong prices now. A Rover P6 even seven years ago was £6k for an excellent car, try £20,000 now. There are less than 100 Rover P6 Series 1 V8 left.