1976 Rover P6B V8 Goes for a Drive
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 พ.ย. 2024
- When Rover dropped the Buick V8 into the P6 2000 frame they made a very different car, lets take one of the last ones for a drive
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My dad was a Production Superintendent on the P6 at Rover and had moved into the production planning office by about the time this particular car was built. I learnt to drive in his second P6, a 2200TC. Shortly after I passed my driving test I reversed the car off our drive one cold winter morning with full choke and my wet shoe (leather sole!) slipped off the clutch. Forward drive was thus engaged instantaneously with the result that the transmission shattered and I sat in the road going nowhere. Dad died in 1978 at the young age of 52 and hundreds turned out for his funeral. The Rover staff collection was so big that they ended up making a three foot high Rover badge of flowers as a wreath. It wouldn’t fit inside the hearse so we drove to the cemetery with it tied onto the roof. He loved working for Rover and he loved the P6 especially, so it was great to see this video. Many thanks.
Someone else commented on the indicator sound which took me straight back to driving it as a youngster. The thin indicator and lighting stalks made me remember when I used to try to impress myself by smoking whilst driving. I have memories of a Hamlet cigar stroking the upholstery as I cornered with that big steering wheel… and the time I stuck fake scratches onto his new 2200’s front wing a few days after he got it home! There was a six month waiting list in those days.
A long lived design, and rightly so. It was highly regarded in the 60s and 70s as a reliable, solid, comfortable, stylish and desirable car.
Designed in an era when Rover was genuinely a quality manufacturer and also highly innovative, the P6 was way ahead of its time in all but one respect where it was woefully out of touch with the future. And that was the controls, which were designed with Haptics in mind; in other words they were made to be distinguishable by touch alone so you could concentrate on the road ahead. If only the designers had known that the future was touchscreens where you have no sense of what you are doing unless you take your eyes off the road for several seconds at a time just to change the temperature. I can understand why they thought that such controls were a safety innovation, but they were obviously completely wrong.
I like the sarcasm--they were completely right. I miss the time when engineers were valued in the world of car design. Now we have computer UI/UX designers laying out car controls on a screen. I'd trust men in a shirt and tie any day over soy boys with slouchy beanies and their paper straw caramel macchiatos.
Lol. Well said 😊
The car the bank manager drove to work and the bank robbers fled in, probably being chased by one in police livery. So many used on TV in the 70s, leaning on their door handles, smoking tyres. Peak Rover.
They were on Par with BMW and Audi.
@@bighands69 Rover far superior
The bank robbers drove Jaguar Mk 2's.
9 Godine
Big Jags and bruisers like the P6B trading blows as law keepers and robbers' cars alike.
My dear friend, this is such a great and 'appropriate' video... I have just paid my deposit over a really rather amazing 1972 V8 auto, in mexico brown over a pristine buckskin interior, coupled to sundym glasses, ETs and power steering... This will complement my much-loved 1974 2200TC in cameron green, Lady Margaret, whom I have had for almost 20 years... The P6 is my top favourite all time classic... I have been loving it desperately ever since I was a little boy, and now driving it makes me a very happy (and fortunate) man. There's no more rewarding car really...
That sounds a beautiful car and a perfect garage with the pair of them, enjoy!
Congratulations. I assume from your name you are not English. Look after your P6 well.
My very best to you! They are magnificant cars, I have owned four! Enjoy!!!
Lucky sod...
The only thing better than a late P6 Rover V8 is a early Rover P6 with a strip speedo and a spare wheel mounted on the boot as to me that’s pure perfection.
We really did know how to screw together a luxury saloon back in the day with the P6 and the Triumph 2000 being two of the most beautiful looking large saloons ever produced.
My Dad always liked a Rover and had a nice Rover P6 2000 tc and nearly got his dream V8 but it got written off the night before he picked it up and it was his dream car and always regretted not getting that burgundy late R plate V8 and I can still remember that lovely smell when you opened the door up to the pure luxury of a P6.
I would be delighted to own a P6. I remember seeing them here in the US when I was young, and I admired them even then. Oddly, one of my favorite features is the green switches on the dash.
Yes, those switches...they had me mesmerised as a kid! Just so COOL!...At night they were softly lit ,if I recall correctly.
Lovely to see this video, it really brought me back. I had a Rover 2000TC, which I absolutely loved, but always wanted the V8. Sadly, my love affair with the 2000TC was cut short when my wife rolled it on a dirt road in rural Victoria, Australia. She fell into a deep ditch and landed on the roof, squashing it down to the dashboard. Luckily she is only 5'1" tall, so came out of it without a scratch.
That’s the most enthused I’ve ever heard you about a car , your definitely a font of information on P6 and your 20+ years of owning one shows. I would have been one of those peasants in the 70s you would have blasted out the way 😂 as you wafted by. Really enjoyed this video Matt , great stuff , oh and the sound of indicators is a memory you never forget 👌🏻.
Thanks for the excellent review of a forgotten car here in the USA. You clearly understand the P6 as only an owner can. Our family bought a 1966 2000 TC ( twin carb) version when I was 16 and gleefully clutching a brand new driver’s license. As an unabashed car nut, I proceeded to thrash that car within an inch of my life many times, resulting in body damage, a blown motor, and blown up transmissions.
You mentioned the weak manual transmission behind the V8. The syncros were notably strong but a brass mainshaft bushing was prone to break when hammered. I soon perfected the ostensibly impossible task of replacing the transmission without removing the engine. It required spreading the transmission tunnel with hydraulic power. A top speed test on the freeway resulted in an observed 115 mph and then a cloud of blue smoke from the exhaust. A failed piston had me locating a used engine and replacing it. The spacious engine bay was very different from the other BMC cars I also owned. The brakes, as you noted, were the best of any British car we owned, including several Jaguars. In a failed attempt to impress my girlfriend, I performed a graphic brake demonstration and locked the wheels at over 100 mph and set the car into a lurid drift towards a power pole on a country 2 lane road. The chassis was so well designed that despite the considerable body roll I was able to control the drifting car and at 85 mph restore directional stability avoiding disaster. Saturday night rally sessions with my buddies usually involved alcohol and high speed hijinks racing each other and outrunning the police. The P6 excelled at this game, especially on bumpy roads due to the unique suspension system. Like period Alfa Romeo cars, the generous body roll near the limit belied just how well the semi independent DeDion rear suspension was managing the contact patch. It was unbelievable how fast one could enter a corner and survive. I compare the P6 all round suspension performance to that of contemporary Mercedes W108 sedans featuring the low pivot swing axle design. Both systems offered a premium combination of comfort, compliance, safety, and control. When these high limits were inevitably exceeded, the resulting body damage was easily repaired by simply unbolting the non stressed doors and panels from the safety cell space frame. I found a donor car with the same white paint so no repainting was necessary. The P6 2000 TC made about 124 horsepower, a very strong result from 2 liters back in the day. Engine components worth mentioning include deeply dished 9:1 pistons containing the combustion chamber, a flat valve face on the aluminum cylinder head, a single overhead camshaft, 2 large SU HD6 carburetors., and a then impressive 6000 rpm redline. Rover soon moved to the V8 power plant in response to new US safety and emission regulations. Reliability,quality control issues, and poor dealer service doomed Rover in the USA just when Japanese manufacturers were offering more reliable products at cheaper prices. The V8 P6 cars sold poorly here and were soon eclipsed by cars such as the Chevy Nova V8 that offered much more power for less money, and were more reliable to boot.
My favourite teacher ever had a 3.5 litre V8. I loved her and love her to this day
@Just Mingled I was 8 years old, so no 😂
I remember seeing a final version of the P6 at a car show a few years ago. It had the Webasto full roof and cream leather interior with a Royal Blue finish. Absolute beauty
Great vid nice to hear someone talking passionatly about a classic car im 52 ive owned captis stag even a triump dolomite classic cars have sole and warmth its rare you find this in a modern day car.the simplicity has gone classic cars from the 60s 70s 80s offer smiles per mile.shame theres not more on our roads.
What a nice motor, and a great review Mr Richards, The P5 and P6 were great cars, they were the BMW/Audi type choice of the 60’s.
If you couldn’t afford a Jag and you didn’t want a Triumph you went for a P6.
I can testify how great the rear suspension is. I was driving a P6 and overtaking at high speed on a B or even C grade road. And the car was on the very rough edges of the road, and that rear hung on like it was on rails. I miss mine.
When I was a kid, I did think of these cars nice but rusty specially in the wings. But you have convinced me they were brilliant Car. Of course this is a proper Rover which is still going today not the Longbridge namesake.Thank you very much
Totally agree they were a proper rover but just to point out the MG rover factory in longbridge closed in 2005 and is being demolished no cars are produced now
The home of rover was always Solihull and my uncle worked there in the paint shop that factory is now JLR
Also worth a mention is the very high quality of the interior plastics. Even in the Australian climate, any degradation of the plastics, (vinyl dash top aside) is very much the exception rather than the rule. The reverse of course applies to the SD1.
Yeah absolutely Peter. The ambla was on a par with MB tex for durability. The door pulls often ended up in odd colours due to the sun. I think later ones had black door pulls because of this.
(MB Tex was good stuff ! ...lots better than the stuff in my '95 Disco 1 V8 (last 5-spd year in U.S.))
I do love a P6B.
The P5B, P6 and SD1 were very different cars representing different periods of Rover. Constantly re inventing themselves even with the SD3 and R8. Rover were masters of making interesting cars regardless of budget.
Agreed, my dad owns a P5B
Liked the p5 better
Growing up as a child of the 70s this was one of my favourite cars and remains so. Definitely the British Citroen DS in terms of engineering excellence and ride/handling. What a car! Love the P5B too !!
As you mentioned, These were briefly sold in the USA. I have never seen one on the road. My exposure to them is from the excellent “import car spotters guide” by Tad Burness that was around our house when I was a child (still have it). In the late 80’s I found one in a salvage yard. I worked for a car wash that was looking for a prop for our detail shop. We took the hood (bonnet) from the British Racing green car we found in the junkyard, ran a piece of tape down the center and buffed and polished one half and hung it on the walk to show folks the possibilities of having their car detailed. The original paint came up so well that everyone thought we had just had 1/2 the hood repainted. I had to do a small test spot on the oxidized side of the hood to prove the point. Excellent paint! As I recall the car we found had a row of multi-colored toggle switches instead of the rotary switches in your test car (earlier car?). Enjoyed the video. Thanks Matt!
I consider myself to have been very lucky, back in the early 80s my first daily driver was a 1969 Silver Birch over Arden Green 3.5 P5B Coupe, followed by a 1973 3500s P6 manual in the Almond (beige/yellow, reg 'JOE 301L' with Tudor webasot folding roof (loved it), power steering, ET front headrests, rear headrests, rectangular lucas fog lights, touring boot spare wheel mount and Sundym tinted glass, lived that car, especially with the sunroof wide open, broke the 4 speed gearbox and had to replace it.
Beautiful.
My dad had a brand new one as he was one of the bosses at Bathgate. His was the 3500S. Finished in red with the black leather interior. The registration was NVD922L. I can always remember it had Denovo Tyres and the first thing he did was fit a towbar as we had a touring caravan.
What a beautiful example!!! Wow, that brought back some memories! My Dad had 2 in the 70's, RFY 2J, and TTD 758M. My all-time favorite British car! Great review of a lovely car. The quarter lights were always handy to flick your ash out of the window while smoking and driving along!! Haha!!
One of the cars I regret selling. I used to love pulling into a service station for fuel, with young people in their supposedly hot big cars in Australia. To watch their expressions at the V8 burble from the exhaust.
The automatic could also be used manually for fast driving around winding roads. A quick flick to L2. Then back to drive as the revs peaked on a straight. Very fast car when needed. Actually one of the few automatic cars that could be tow started if necessary .
Definitely better handling than any of those live-axle Aussie V8's, many of which still had leaf-sprung live axles or, in the case of HQ (and later) Holdens, plough understeer with badlt set up coils.
They were slow for a V8. Any stock Australian V8 would leave them standing.
It's not very often that anyone knows what it is in Australia. Occasionally a pom will comment on it, but it is rare! Still a beautiful car to drive, and not overloaded with unnecessary electronics.
@@opiumtrail7032 Most of us are not into straight line drag racing, mate....we're here for the longer haul. In comfort AND handling.
Oh...and safety.
@@patagualianmostly7437 , it's interesting that you speak for most people. You must be a very important person.
Rented one of these (lime metallic green) when staying in Glasgow with my, then girlfriend, and current wife.
In 1979.
Drove it to Sutherland and back. Very nice ride. It had a Mercedes feeling, and the Mercedes 'roar'. Without being a Mercedes.
Magnificent car, Matt. I have loved the P6 since I first saw one. General Motors Buick Division had their own engines and transmissions up to the introduction of the 3 speed Turbohydomatic 400. In the Buick this was designed for, it would have had the 2 speed automatic. The neat thing is that the bolt pattern for attaching the transmission is the same for the Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick. That means there are GM 4 speed automatic transmissions that will bolt right up to the alloy engine, and can handle a LOT more horsepower and torque than the 3.5 can come up with. It is also possible to add an overdrive unit from Gearvendors to increase fuel economy on the motorways and get the revs way down. The best upgrade to one of these is a custom 2¼ inch dual exhaust with H cross over. That will gain about 20 hp and add a solid 5 mpg on the highway. Done right, with all bolt on parts, this car can return well over 30 mpg on the motorway. The trick is to take advantage of the low end torque inherent to any Buick V8. I noticed that at idle that particular car is not as smooth as a Buick should be. I suspect the carburetors are slightly out of tune. It sounds like they are running a bit rich. Still, there is nothing like the sound of that engine. Truly spectacular. They were uncommon on this side of the pond simply because of price and size. In terms of size and space, they were compact cars, but in terms of price, they were up against the very high end Buicks and into Cadillac/Lincoln/Imperial Territory. Rover did not have the same caché as the giant offerings. Interestingly, when this example was made, the Cadillac Seville and Lincoln Versailles were new to the market, and those "compact" luxury cars were the most expensive of their lines, so this Rover would have fit in nicely as a competitor. That would make a great 3 way comparison test. 76 Seville, 76 Versailles, and 76 Rover P6 3500.
It is no surprise that seatbelt mounts were built in to all the cars, no matter the market. The lap and 3 point harness mounts were mandated in the US beginning in 65, and rear seat lap belts were mandated as of January 1, 1970. Since they hoped to sell these in numbers in the US and Canada, and the requirement for the rear seatbelt mounts was well known to be coming, they would have designed them into the body structure from the get go. I have to go to the shop that works on my 90 Volvo, and they have a Rover 2000 in the reception area. It has been restored to an amazing condition, and is a real pleasure to see. Red with the black leather interior.
I always loved this car as a kid. I used to check them out when my mother's Austin Cambridge was being serviced. It seemed unbelievably advanced and such a sensible size. And a V8 and the hood scoops! This was in Canada, of course, when imported cars were 100% European. No Japanese on the horizon, yet.
A great and very informative review, having myself owned Rover P6s for almost 30 years now. For a moment I thought this was your own rebuild you were showing us but still a lovely car.
Thank you very much and safe driving
23:55 This must be one of the last 4-door cars made with opening rear vent windows (not counting the ones GM and Chrysler offered, for a short time, in place of roll-down windows). What an interesting combination of old-school luxury and innovative technology. I'm glad someone is preserving cars like this.
I miss the fly windows. 🤔
I had a P5B for about 2 years - I was living in Australia at the time. It was great on long trip, having just enough power for long distance touting and it was like driving. an armchair. Battery was under the back seat. I believe it was the first Rover to do over 100mph - but in the P5, not by.very much.
It was fast by British standard
@@stephenmoutafis5587
Especially around the bends.
The “original” was built for a TURBINE but Rover pivoted to the Buick 215 aluminum V8 which is still a staple of the Rover stable. It was the later version with the egg crate grill that look off. No matter Ive had 5 1 SC 2 TCs and 2 3 500s amazing engineering with the De Deione rear with inboard discs.
The police caught a lot of criminality with this Rover and the Triumph 2000
both very fast cars
Remember the Sweeney ? They were always chasing triumph 2000's in the mk1 granny the triumph always got totalled.
The P6 V8 was a fantastic chase car, excellent handling with very high cornering limits. The rear suspension kept the wheels upright and in full road contact. The only weak point being a tendancy to rip the tie bar mount on the boot floor side if you were unfortunate enough to hit a big pothole at speed.
@@brianwhittington5086 Exactly, I had two V8 autos and two 3.5's models, I was young and tbf they were considered an old man's car most of the lads had cortinas and capri's myself included. Still say there one of the most comfortable cars I have ever owned and you could really push the limits handling wise once you got used to the body roll. The S could get a wriggle on 100mph in third on the clock bloody hell I want another one😂!!
@@peterbalac1915 Same way I thought, cheaper to insure than hot hatchbacks in the 70s and 80s. Only had one 3500S but dozens of 3500 autos and 4 Cyl P6. My 3500S was white with all the options and very fast. It was the favourite I had 6 years and regret selling, but needed more space for kids and two big dogs. So moved on to SD1 and still have a rare 1985 development spec 3500 VP 5 speed and a very poorly P6V8 Huntsman auto.
And the 2.5 injection triumph also. Rog. Pacific sunset.
Awesome - the Rovers P5b and P6 are right up there with the most popular British classics in our club. Great to see you enjoyed it so much 👍
Fantastic review……I’ve learnt more about P6s in 40 minutes than the last 40 years……👍🇮🇲
Pulls fuel reserve instead of choke by mistake, then talks about fuel reserve and points at the choke by mistake 😂😂 Love the review though Mat, keep it up!
this one has those knobs reversed to both of my cars! Never seen them this way around
it was well known that the fuel reserve knob, once pulled, never properly closed the tank connection again so the next time you needed your reserve.....you didn't have it
Lol
I'm so happy you did this P6 video. I had a 1969 P6 V8 many years ago and I'm just every bit as enthusiastic as you about this car!
It's a combination of futurism, technology, ingenuity, comfort, performance, design and style that I never experienced again, and I've driven (sadly, not owned) more than 150 different cars so far. Love every single bolt of it.
Even the seating position is so great, with the deep footwell that allows you to sit kind of upright, in a very natural manner. And I never experienced such comfortable seats again!
And then, the P6 gives you that unique feeling that you've just found your perfect coat or other piece of garment, the perfect drink, the perfect flavor that matches your personal style. Well, at least I had that feeling!
By the way, the Tesla 3 ranks very high on my car list as well. It's not a cocoon either, it's a very airy cabin, and it's a similar clean-sheet, revolutionary design as the P6 was in its day. It even has the big fixed glass roof that you also could get for the P6 back then. Just saying ... it's maybe the best we can get these days, even though much of that glorious indivdualism of the P6 ... of the 1960s ... is just gone ...
I had the earlier (1969 reg.) version in the mid 70s until 1982 - 7 years and 223,000 miles above the initial 47,000 when it was bought.
It had the high compression V8 that used 100 octane, but as this was phased out, I partially compensated by altering the timing. I must have been mad, I refurbished everything, bodywork, Borg Warner gearbox, bushings, entire brake system, differential and half shaft assemblys, etc. I fitted an American 'Piranha' electronic ignition and with the SU carburettors tuned I could get nearly 28mpg on a long run.
I found British Leyland 'Unipart' hopeless beyond belief and it became too much to maintain so I eventually gave it to a friend who rebuilt the engine and other things and ran it for a further 160,000 miles before scrapping it. Wonderful throbbing noise from the engine!! Wonderful, relaxing driving!!
Most enjoyable enthusiastic review Matt.I recall as a child , family friends bought a brand new P6 2000 in 1964, on Christmas Eve that year , they were involved in a very serious head on collision with a drunken driver who was killed outright.The structure of the Rover remained largely intact and they walked away with minor cuts and bruises - a very unusual occurrance in a car back then, showing great strides in advanced aspects of safety design .
I had one of these back in the mid 80's. It was one of the last V8's, on an 'R' plate, in Corsica blue, with a full Webasto sunroof. I loved that car!
“The last of the V8’s” .... where have I heard that before ????
@@johnmoruzzi7236 this is a beautiful car but its no Interceptor!
Very nice indeed. I never realized it had a Buick V8 but having owned a couple of Buick’s they were great engines!
Years ago we had the V l P version in Platinum metalic, but we did'nt know it was a special edition until when we came back to the car with a note under the wipers telling us that .
Took my driving test in my Dad's P6 with a manual gear box. Very posh but a 3 point turn was a challenge. Those were the days.
I did the same in a 65 C plate 2000 quite a large steering wheel but no power assistance so very heavy to make a turn in the road, the examiner gave me a pass and commented what a nice car it was.my dad sold it to me for £100 so was my first car was city grey with red leather in mint condition, I was a very lucky teenager.
Forget the Merc get your Rovers on the road!
I'll have a V8 and a P5b please.
A late P6B 3500S and a P5B Coupé are the perfect pair 👍
So will I. Plus an SD1 V8-S
Having worked on the P6 track in the late 60s , it was good to see your enthusiasm for the result of my hard 8 hrs night shift work !
Excellent, love it! I learned to drive in a 1972 2000TC in the late 80s and have loved them ever since
I had one of these in 1974. You could stamp on the brakes while negotiating a bend, the handling at speed was phenomenal. Also the Borg Warner auto box has that useful feature of locking in 2nd gear on a slope so the car doesn’t roll back. I wish I still had it!
Thank you Matt, for making such an excellent and informative review of a simply awesome motor car. Your genuine enthusiasm shines through in every frame! The highlight of my mid-teens, in the mid 1970's, was when my father ran a 1971 P6B auto (UDV330J) for 2 glorious years. I was gutted when, for reasons of economy, he traded it for a 1973 Cortina 1.6 XL. I went on to own a 1979 SD1 V8 (XHR 994T) in the mid 1980's which, despite having the same engine/gearbox combination, somehow paled in comparison.
Fab to see this - I inherited an identical one from a wonderful aunt when she died who had always liked fast noble cars - she learned to drive on her father's Rolls Royce Silver Ghost - X2 (the second car in the county - I'd love to know what that would cost nowadays) when she was only a young teenager (no driving licences, no petrol stations - she remembered the fuel came in tins from the chemist!) and it had only done about 5,000 miles and smelled like new when it was passed on to me, a young lieutenant working in Edinburgh Castle fifty miles south of the family home so happily commutable. What a fantastic feeling! When I was eventually posted to Germany it passed to a cousin as the insurance and fuel costs were more than my very young officer's pay! Very happy memories watching this - thank you for posting!
When you consider how relatively little money Rover had for development. Compared to other worldwide car projects in the period. Despite its flaws, the Rover P6 must be considered one of the the most astonishing cars of all time. More so than even Jaguars XJ6.
My it makes me dream of the possibilities for Rover in the 1960s and 1970s had not British Leyland ever come about.
You know...similar to thinking how much better would the world have been had the Kardashians never ever existed.
Star Trek without the kardasians, unthinkable.
The issue with the British auto industry was the overreach of government. From things like export controls, government issued company mergers and political union interference at different levels.
The whole things was a mess that all came crashing down. Everybody blames thatcher but she inherited the mess and a country that was right on the point of bankruptcy. Think about it Germany post WW2 was flattened but it embraced a market economy whereas Britain decided to embrace a government managed marketplace.
@@bighands69
Mmmm.... Britain was shackled by the Mortgage To The Yanks for Lend-Lease....took Britain over 50 years to pay that off.
All deliberately designed of course. The Americans invested heavily post WW2....In Germany & Japan.
Meanwhile: Britain had rationing until 1953.
Then we had the Red Union Leaders who believed the USSR proved Communism was Utopia.
The rest of the world rubbed its hands in glee as Britain imploded.
I was born in '52.... I remember clearly playing on bombsites in and around Manchester in the 60's.
Bear in mind too, that Britain rejected Churchill after WW2 and voted Labour for decades.....The Pendulum Politics had begun.
Will we ever recover and put country first above petty rivalry? I sadly doubt it.
I had two of these, an early 1968 and a 1973 series 2. The earlier car had the more powerful 176bhp engine so, with a pal I swapped one into the other. Happy days. Less happy was when I crashed it - into another P6 - your comments around 10:30 about it being safe are quite true. The other car, a P6 (2000) came out of a side road and his front offside corner hit me right in the front centre of the car. Apart from whiplash and a bent steering wheel I was fine, though the car was not - a nice crease in the front crossmember, scrap bonnet and much work lay ahead. Eventually I pulled the bent front out and with some replacement parts it was back on the road. Stuff of legends. Even fitted a very early digital fuel computer to it which showed 18-20 mpg. Nearly forgot - it still ranks as having the best instrument cluster ever.
As a bit of a P4 person, myself, I never realized what a little gem the P6 was, when it was introduced. The little touches like making the knobs of different shapes was brilliant. Compare it with Jaguar who liked a big bank of identical and confusing switches. The only question was how did it subsequently go so wrong for Rover. Faced with such perfection, why did inferior cars like MB and BMW continue to exist? People just have no taste.
As for the gas turbine, Rover were developing it under contract to Rolls Royce, I believe. Rolls eventually took the work back in house, being disappointed with Rover's lack of progress. But Rover did at least show one thing. The gas turbine engine is totally unsuitable for cars.
Fantastic review, stunning car is the Rover P6 so much so I would love to own one. Your enthusiasm shows through on this video, knowledge of the P6 and I get why you like them and this was a fantastic extended test drive.
I handt realised it was extended until I was editing it!
As an eighteen year old I was given my first car - a Rover 2000 SC with four speed manual.
JEU 989 J. Dijon mustard, with a good deal of of rust, with the V8 power bulges in the bonnet.
The frame wa totally rusted out at about ten years and it failed the MOT in in 1981. But while it lasted it was an amazing car. Though it rolled on the door handles in corners it never failed to keep the line.
Thanks for the vid, and the memories! My uncle Bill hard the V8S - N registration - and both failed the rust test in the early 1980s. It handled better than the best cars I owned - two Volvo 240s - D 650 RAW and G 23 ADX - but they were both cheaper to run and and with much better brakes and seat-belts.
I ran G 23 ADX for eleven years, and sold it for scrap value Sadly the new owners left it unlocked and it was stolen and used for a raid and burned out, I imagine it might be worth bob or two today if not wrecked.
Lovely vid.
Best wishes from George
I have been transported back to my 1970's childhood memories of hearing these lovely cars blatting up and down the A23; perhaps apprehending a few rum characters with the blues and twos going - the later SDI's weren't so svelte or stylish.. especially with the "jam sandwich spec!"
Beautyfull and original V8! Quite hard to find nowadays.
My Dad Always lusted for a Rover..!
He Drove an A30 then a Mini, Herald, Finally an Alegro..!!
My Uncle Den Drove a Rover. And even as a Kid the Luxury was Bloody Obvious.
I Drove Minis and loved them..!
But great Video..! Cheers kim in Oz..! 😎
My dad had a luverly p6 v8 auto when i was a kid i loved the map reading lights the v8 burble and the super comfy seats and the smell of the leather inside i remember the private reg 49huv he sold it as it was too juicy on fuel and i remember it was rolled and written off by a faimily member (who bought it a month later)shame as it was a minter but at the time just an old car in glorious brown .
Thanks for the memories and great kontent 🤘
The P6B was second only to the Jaguar XJ6 back in the 70's in terms of desirability and overall performance. The P6 is a superb, innovative design in so many areas- base unit skeleton, unstressed bolt on panels. Very clever suspension intended to match the pneumatic suspension used by Citreon- without the complexity. Fantastic instrumentation and ergonomics- all the switches are well positioned and easy to identify- especially with the superb illumination at night. The ride quality is superlative- sybaritic. The P6B is a beautiful car to drive, effortless shove from the lazy V8, that wonderful burble, excellent brakes, good road manners. Re the tendency to roll in corners- UPRATE the roll bar! It makes a HUGE difference! I've owned a P6 3500 for the last 5 years, I use it mostly on touring holidays and I adore it! My father owned a tobacco brown 3500S back in the later 70's, which is why I am an ardent fan. Brilliant review- very comprehensive and your knowledge is superb! Very well done on a great review! :)
Most of my life i haven't had a favourite anything, but if really pressed to point to _the_ car for me, it's a mk2 autobox P6 V8. Think i'd look into throwing a newer gearbox in it, i've seen several different takes on a conversion making the car more usable, but man.. This car does it for me in a big way. Good to see it on this channel :)
serious Brit Style !
@@bryanearthloop2403 Despite the origins of the engine, I wholeheartedly agree. Something to be proud of for the Brits, imho.
I Bought a 2nd hand 1970 Rover 2500S in 1973 in New Jersey USA.It was beautiful, red with black leather interior, Pirelli tires, hood scoops, I can still remember the wonderful smell of the interior.On the way home ( approximately 100 miles) the oil temp began to rise so I pulled over into a gas station and no dip stick.I let it cool off and went on my way.
I finally made it home but couldn't drive more than 30 miles or so before it would overheat.
There were only 3 Peugeot dealers in New Jersey that had any idea how to fix this car.I later found out that only 800 were sent to the USA and only 200 were still on the road.Water pumps were not available in the US according to the mechanic.
I spent 500 dollars on that car over the next month and the source of the problem was never found.
I was only 20 years old at the time and quite over my head so my father came with me to the dealer from which it came and they agreed to an exchange of sorts.I left the dealer with a new Camaro.I think I got most of my money back which went towards the Camaro (I can't remember it was so long ago).
What I can remember was the thrill of driving one of the most exotic cars I ever saw.I know in the UK they were quite common but here in the US , mine is the only one I ever laid eyes on.
Thank you for the video it was a pleasure.
Great video, takes me back to the 80's when I must have had 4 of these over a number of years including 3500s 4cspeed manual
Great review Matt, lost count of how many P6 I've had or worked on over the years. The clear backplate on the later switchgear should have bulb illumination behind. It makes the white lettering and the translucent green knobs glow when the lights are on. Some early cars had black switch knobs and the auto transmission selector positions should light up green with a red arrow pointer too. The tunnel front is much narrower on the manual 3500S, the front door pull allows you to work the handle as you push it open. Early 3500 auto's had the ribbon speedo, and an optional rev counter on the end beside the clock. There should also be a small white twist knob on the steering cowl. It's a vacuum control for the variable intermittent wiper speed. It often doesn't work, simply due to a perished rubber round diaphragm in the valve mounted on the wiper motor, a split pipe on the system, or the twist switch. The wiper vacuum works off the engine vacuum and so it cam be a mystery cause of erratic engine running.
Mine have the variable speed white knob, doest work on the 2000, did on the 3500, its the foam that needs to be replaced, I have an old owners club magazine about it but never did the job!
The wiper delay does not work off the engine vacuum. The delay vacuum is created by a cam on the wiper motor drive shaft compressing a diaphragm. The resulting vacuum holds the diaphragm operated switch gear open until the vacuum is exhausted which causes the switch contacts to close.
Worked on the last new P6's at a dealer, just after SD1 introduction. Had the official factory technicians workshop manual too, and had dozens of P6 myself. The round unit mounted on the wiper motor is actually a vacuum delay switch, not a pump. It contains a rubber diaphragm that holds the switch under vacuum as the crank action of the motor pushes the nylon tip plunger back. That action puts the built in switch into open circuit, keeping the intermittent 12v power off. The white steering cowl knob then leaks a tiny controlled amount of air into the vacuum circuit. That allows the motor mounted switch to power up once the vacuum is lost, the motor then makes a single timed wipe. There were some year / model specific changes, and to fix issues. You can sometimes hear an air leak from the area of the coloumn knob, 0under certain faulty operating conditions. There should be a one way valve in the system that can fail, letting traces of petrol vapour in and deteriorating parts.
@@brianwhittington5086 Great information, Brian. Thank you.
@@brianwhittington5086
That later dash sounds sublime! Amazing fit and finish in these cars.
I loved my time with one of these. The poor mans Jag. Sweet sound and loads of soul.
I'm a fan of your vids for quite a while now (started with your vid of the SAAB 9-5 - in which you managed to sell me my own car once more!) - but this one really stands out even by your high standards:
enthusiastic, knowledgeable and with a great sense of humor.
Makes me want one - but I live in Germany where spares are hard to come by and where hardly any mechanic knows these cars well enough...
Thanks for watching and great to hear you enjoy the videos! I can imagine it being hard to run one in a place where they are not known, but maybe talk to a general classic car specialist garage and see if they are willing to work on one as they are not especially difficult (if a 17 year old with a Haynes manual can take one apart and rebuild it a qualified mechanic should be OK!), Parts might be harder, thanks the the B thing we cant talk about making it slower and more expensive but service parts many mechanical parts are available here in the UK, and the V8 was used for 50 years so easy to get parts for. Good luck getting one!
@@furiousdriving
Thanks for the encouragement but I think I'll pass and try to keep my Saab for as long as possible... there is more of a parts and service infrastructure for that here in Berlin.
i worked in a scrap yard , i must of took hundreds of bonnets off those old rovers because they were aluminium, so were the front wings and maybe the boot ..the rover 3.5 coupe with leather seats and walnut dash was a dream , some were coloum change .. the rover 110 ware the back doors opened opposite to normal were also grand .. the 1970s were a great time to be british ..
@@starrgazer1000 where are you buying your petrol at £2 a gallon ? its £2 a litre here
Hi Matt, brilliant drive on this awesome Rover P6B V8,my uncle had back in the day,dark blue with the spare wheel on the boot.nice mileage as this is running in.a very tidy example still on the road.
It has an extremely beautiful dashboard
I can certainly understand your enthusiasm in this video.. we had a gorgeous Davos white P6 2000 as the family car, way back in the 70s, then both me & my brother went on to buy our own ones. One of the nicest cars I've ever been in and certainly the best engineered. So many happy memories seeing this.
I'm from Sydney,Australia, and owned an automatic 3500, and a manual 3500s. One intriguing feature was a small twist knob that was either on the steering column or the dash board, that allowed for variations in the timing of when the windscreen wipers would operate when in intermittent mode
In N. America, they thought of the Buick 8 as a Baby 8, (With some Derision) but failed to see it's potential in a smaller frame.Now, highly sought after by collectors. Nice review.
Love the P6. My first at 18 was a 1975 2000SC after that I had 3 x 3500 Autos up to my 20th birthday, then unfortunately went sensible and bought new BMWs in the 90s Went to many breakers to get parts. Joined the P6 Rover owners club for a couple of years meeting up at the Ruislip pub. I will always be very fond of the P6. Now in my 50s, I am interested in this car but saw the price tag which is worth it in many ways but a little too much to commit to. Great video mate. Loads of fantastic nostalgia and info.
Beautiful review. A real status symbol in the 70s my uncle had one in beige with pleather armchair seats the instrument binnacle didn't have clocks it looked like a radio with a coloured corkscrew emerging the faster you went . We kids were transfixed 👀
Have watched for the third time now. I simply love this P6B. Reminds me of my Dad's friend who showed us his fleet in the 80s. His daily was a yellow W123 280. Then his special cars were a 1975 P6 V8 in that Olive green colour, a gorgeous 1966 Silver Bentley T1 with a red interior and his favourite a Jensen Interceptor Coupe without the glass hatch and a 7.2 litre V8. Suppose these two made the P6B seem like an economy car at 15 to 17 mpg. The Bentley did 10 mpg and the Jensen did 8 mpg, it could, however touch 150 mph and cruise at 110 mph all day long, or an hour or so till the tank was dry.
Oh just take me back to 1976 for a couple of days.
I owned a 1974 V8 and kept it for 13 years. A dream of a car. Wish I had it now.
My very first car was the 1968 2000 TC (twin carbs). I also owned two 3500 auto models, followed by a 2200 TC.
A couple of things you never mentioned about these wonderful cars.
The early models had their side mirrors mounted forward on the front wings.
If you opened all four doors fully, then moved them back just past the check point and let them go, they would automatically swing closed quietly and gently without needing to be pushed. Proper engineering.
Not even the Jaguars, Mercedes or Rolls Royce cars could do that!
My dad had a v8s. I was driving it about at 18 yrs old. Fabulous car. Changed the standard Dunlop tyres fit Pirelli CN36 ‘s. What a difference
This one has the look of a fully restored car but what a beauty! I recall that my first boss had a 2200 SC in that Almond colour that was so remarkably popular on these - proper middle management transport back in the day before BMW and Audi took over. Speaking of colours not so long ago white was widely considered to be unappealing on a car - but not anymore and it certainly suites this P6 I think. If it was mine I'd take advantage of that detachable rook panel and swap it for one with a Webasto sunroof if I could find one - I've seen it done before and what a nice addition it makes.
The Leyland 2S/350 gas turbine was fitted to British Rail's APT-E train. Great video as always.
And there was a Rover turbine in the tail of the Vulcan bomber
I had a P6 2000TC 1983 till 86, lovely car to drive here in NZ. I had a horrendous crash in it when a car pulled out across the main road on me, other car went airborne, and I took out a power pole, BUT I waked away with a slight bruise from the steering wheel. The chief fire officer came to the scene and told me that he drove one also as people survived big crashes in them! The engine incidentally dislodged under the car as it was designed to. This car saved my life, as it was designed too! I bought another body shell and rebuilt the car my self, then sold it for a song as we were moving to the South Island. One of three cars I never should have sold, the P6, a Vitesse and a TR4a!
I loved mine,TobaccoLeaf colour, before that has a Zircon Blue 2.2 - wish I still had the 3500, just loved the sound
Another one of your videos that I am sure I’m going to watch over and over and over again. I plan to get a V8 P6 at some point because they sound so nice. Pete Birmingham 🇬🇧
It's amazing when you consider it first appeared on the roads in 1964 and yet here you are with one of the last ones made and 11/12 years on it still looked quite modern in 75/76.
The first SD1's Appeared on P plates
Ive loved listening to you pour superlatives all over the legend that is the P6. I own a 68 TC and a very early 64 and adore these cars. Whilst Im a series 1 boy I've always loved the later V8s towards the end of production as there were so many goodies on them. Thank you for showing the world and its dog just how amazing these cars are even by todays standards.
Years ago, in the early 1970's, I had two Rover 3500S NAS cars. I loved both of them. My "tobacco leaf" 3500S was the nicest sedan I've ever driven---right to this day. I very much enjoyed this video of yours. It is clearly evident that you, too, love the P6 V8 Rovers! Wonderful video! Thank you very much. Andy McKane, Maunaloa, Hawaii.
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.
Also seat belts had a paracute emblem on them.
Brings back memories of being given lifts to school by a friend's dad in his P6B automatic, with something rousing and orchestral belting out of the 8-track cartridge player. The seats were ribbed velour (pale brown IIRC) and left a very prominent ridge in my legs, even through trousers. I remember the burble of the engine as it accelerated effortlessly as we joined the motorway. A lovely car, very different to the car that my friend's mum used if she took us to school: a vivid green Skoda S105 which was tinny, rear-engined, had a very notchy (and therefore noisy) gear lever (because the rods from lever to engine/gearbox were so long). My heart always jumped for joy if I saw that it was the dad who turned up to pick me up.
Back in the day, in NZ, my uncle bought one of these in dark green with tan interior and instantly converted it to run 'dual-fuel' with LPG. This seemed to be a good idea (he was a banking group GM/Accountant) BUT BUT IT WAS A DISASTER..! It NEVER ever ran properly again after that. The valve seats failed. The whole system was only partially functional and it was quite rare for the engine to start, and run, and ever just perform well. Just short periods in between continual workshop forays. Finally, he gave up on it and bought a new Mk2 Triumph 2000 which he found too gutless, then settling on a mid-sized Renault which he stuck to for some years.
I'll always remember the smell of these, unlike any other car. My dad had a Cameron green 2000sc and then later a Zircon Blue 22sc.....I always remember those cars with such fondness..... different times.
Great review!
Now, this was sold in the US, which required rear seatbelts.
I adore the sound of the turn signals, so of its time.
I also love the sound of the 3.5 litre V8, it sounds so creamy!
It looks like your white Rover, so it looks very deceptive to what is under the hood.
And I must say you look great behind the wheel, very smart!
I learned to drive in a 1967 2000 TC, my father who was teaching me thought me totally mad . . until one day he borrowed it to go to work as his Morris Minor needed work? The smile lasted for days. Later I moved up to a 1971 P6 3500 V8, auto box but, like most, non-power steering. I owned it when I commuted into East London from Canvey Island (35+ miles one way) and I swear the smooth V8 and auto-box was one reason why the "stop/go cut & thrust" of that commute run never disturbed me once. By the way "presenter" on that commute run I regularly achieved 28 - 30 miles per gallon? The torque of that engine coming in really low down meant all you needed for that traffic was the engine purring and little more.
Here's an interesting fact for you. When imported the Buick V8 was fitted with standard mechanical tappets yet Rover choose to fit as standard hydraulic tappets imported from GMC in the US! Not sure it saved any maintenance costs but it did mean you needed a clean oil and good oil pump! I know because I let the "flame traps" hidden behind the rear of the cylinder banks get gummed up . . . and in barely 50 miles I blew out all the crank seals! My father helped me rebuild the engine so I know what the V8 looks like on the inside too.
I miss them both and I never fail to stop and look at a P6 if I see one today. Honoured to have owned and driven two.
From one of the Rover books, the Buick V8 engine seen by the MD of Rover, was one fitted in the the Buick manager's boat on a trip he gave around a lake.
The engine had an aluminium block with steel cylinder liners,
which made it too expensive for an ordinary car and had become under-powered for the US market, and had already been discontinued.
Buick did further develop it to the 300 cui cast Iron block with aluminium heads and intake.
The 300 (5litre) is a direct bolt in into any Rover powered by the 3500...
TA Performance makes a lot of go fast parts for the 300 they will easily make north of 500 bhp.
Eventually the 300 grew to 340 cui and was further developed with a 350 cui displacement..
My mum had a friend who owned a 3500S I drooled over as a youngster (the car,not the friend!). Red with black vinyl roof and that spare wheel on the boot. Gorgeous!
Such a fabulous car and not that far behind the Citroen DS for forward thinking and engineering excellence. This was the E-Class of it’s day for sure. That V8 really is the proper heart for this motor.. great review Matt, love the enthusiasm too.
Love these cars and that V8 muscle! Still a relative bargain to be had on some original cars too.
I found one in Cornwall
After all the blather on flimsy P6s, with a live rear axle and, until the importation of discarded American technology, an asthmatic four cylinder engine that couldn't get out of its own way, when are we going to see a report on the true BMW beater, the Triumph 2.5 petrol injection saloon. An up to date monocoque body of immense strength, a superb trailing arm fully independent suspension imparting world class handling, similar standard disc brakes and achingly gorgeous Micholotti styling. Uncramped,, comfortable cabin with column stalk controls and another first in a warning light panel for all major functions, was finished in REAL wood dash and door capping. Superb vision and driving position made this the sports sedan of its time. Powered by a super smooth straight six, with another Britain first in fuel injection, this engine put out , at least, the same power as the Buick sourced V8 and a bit more which made the car, in rallies, " a 100 mph tank". Waiting with baited breath.
PS the survey on all the world seeing Land Rovers first was plainly done in Oxfordshire. The rest of the world cast their eyes on Toyota Land Cruisers, as they did in Australia, dumping Rovers as soon as Cruisers became available. You only see Cruisers past a 100 miles from the cities; the saying goes," If you want to go to the outback take a Land Rover - if you want to get back take a Land Cruiser".
I remember as a small child, my father's boss calling round one Saturday in his P6 V8, to ask him to attend a farm machinery breakdown (father was an electrician). I stood in wonderment watching the intermittent wipers on the P6, curious as to how they might work. The ride out in the works Morris 1000 van soon brought me down to earth!
Owned a 3500s for 32 yrs, great car, developed an engine problem would only run for about 20 mins, garage couldn't fix it, sold for a few hundred still was perfectly sound no rust.
Thanks for that interesting review. I love the P6. Sadly, I've never owned or been in one (that I can remember). As a twenty year old I considered buying a used example, but ended up with a Triumph 2500TC. I liked my Triumph, but have regretted the choice since. In Australia the P6 seemed to be driven mostly by older people, doctors and other professionals, which might have influenced my decision to go with the Triumph (which I ended up destroying in a head-on smash with a truck). I love the Saab-esque, engineering-led design of the P6. Handsome styling, good safety, advanced design. What's not to love? Aah, the British car industry. If only. If only....
.. reminds me... those Leaf ( horse cart ) Springs hung around on other cars ....like cheap shops on the high street (
I nearly bought a P6B auto about 18 years ago. It was very cheap but it was very rough. Know what though? I still regret chickening out like you wouldn't believe!
Hi Matt, hope you are well. What an awesome car and one of my favourites. I have fond memories of my '66 2000sc, light blue/black leather bucket seats. I was always taken with the dinky gear lever, perfectly designed. Thanks for sharing. Stay safe and keep up the good work.
Bought a P6B 3500S in 1979 when it was 6 years old, and loved the V8. Although it stuck to the road well, the roll angles were laughable.
And even at 6 years old it was a rust-bucket! Most notably one of the upper mounts for the rear suspension had pulled out of the inner wing. On looking a bit harder I found out the mount on the other side had already been welded back in.