40th Anniversary - The Rover SD1

[EssDeeWon]

This month marks the 40th anniversary of the Rover SD1  -  Launched on June 30th 1976 to be precise.

 

Without doubt one of the best looking cars ever built, although dogged with British Leyland build quality and poor paintwork particularly on the early cars. I was talking to RobT on Saturday about the level of design that went into this car, so many quirky features so unique to the SD1 although not forgetting the Daytona styling.

 

Even as a 5 year old in 1987 when my dad brought one home I was fixated on the car, so different to anything else, I knew it was a special car. Like most kids whose dads had these I used to enjoy straddling the huge transmission tunnel in the back (OMG no seat belts, how did we not all die?) where I could get a great view of my dad driving the SD1, the centre control panel and of course that distinctive 'big beige block' steering wheel in motion.

 

1976 '3500'

 

Series 1 interior view from the rear with the bonnet up was a familiar sight for me as a kid

 

My dads T reg 2600 in 1987

Dads Rover 2600  - Taken in 1987 by steve wilson, on Flickr

 

 

Then the Series 1.5

 

The series 2 in Vitesse form

 

 

And the 2000 - Now far rarer then the above despite the club hype

 

Happy 40th Birthday Rover SD1

 

Feel free to add your own SD1 photo's or SD1 experiences......

[Timewaster]

I don't think I have ever travelled in an SD1 and it is a regret.

 

There was a beautiful, late, low miles VDP in Opporto red at the kings Lynn classic auction this weekend.

I didn't see it go through but the guide price started at £8k

 

I think this boat may have sailed.

[EssDeeWon]

Ah yes the VDP EFi with cream leather? It had the wrong front bumper on that car, I wonder how much it made?

[For Fiats Sake]

Dad had a 3500 V8 (with steel hub caps)which I washed regularly, it was one of the few cars that I have travelled at over 100 mph in, courtesy of my lead footed sister!

That was replaced by the turbo diesel 2600.  I loved that car, the beige upholstery, electric windows and sunroof.  This was the second car i travelled at over a ton in!

I liked it so much, I bought it off my dad, only for it to be a complete nightmare under my ownership.  I had such a massive bill for repairs I handed the keys to the garage for them to sell it.

 

Still, great design, had it been a few years later and galvanised so the doors didn't need filling and painting every year, or the floor rotting out under the pedals etc I probably would still have it now.

[Timewaster]

Ah yes the VDP EFi with cream leather? It had the wrong front bumper on that car, I wonder how much it made?

Been back to the site for another peek. I guess the bumper should have headlamp washers and over riders?

Price results not published yet.

[EssDeeWon]

Been back to the site for another peek. I guess the bumper should have headlamp washers and over riders?

Price results not published yet.

 

Yes spot on...

 

And apparently a very tidy silver Vitesse TP made £13.5k this weekend !!  It was nice but not spot on by any means...

[Fat_Pirate]

I had a 3500 in '87 - this was shortly before car insurance went crazy so 19 year-old pillocks could actually insure such a thing.  It was a '78 manual in Brazilia brown, and never had any MOT or tax while I owned it (don't gasp, such things were mere inconveniences back then).  As you might expect, I was an utter moron with it and though I never actually hit anything, it was often airborne over lumpy Fenland roads (5th gear disappeared during a heavy landing, never to be seen again).  Not much sideways action - the superlight PAS made it very hard to judge where the wheels were pointing.  When I wasn't being a muppet, my girlfriend and I would go camping in it all over the country.  I can't believe I drove around the ENTIRE COUNTRY in a car with no tax, MOT, or breakdown cover!  Very different attitude to risk back then, clearly.

 

It felt incredibly fast and special at the time - as I drove it home for the first time, I was pretty sure I'd never have such a feeling of vehicle-related joy, and that's proven to be true. After 9 months it had ruined me (I was on £1.20 an hour at the time), and it went to King's Lynn auctions, where it pissed it's coolant out in the ring.  I passed it a couple of years later (I was busy being a twat in a Capri by this point), and it was barried-up with static strips and running lights and looked pretty sad.  RBW767T is long gone now.

 

The Rover 75 I have now doesn't compare, despite it being actually bigger and packing more horsepower (though 25% less torque).  Still smells the same though - I reckon it's the aroma of thick carpet marinated in stagnant water

[fred]

My old V8 Manual, bought it from an auction for 130 quid, back in 1988

I was 18 years old , with a V8 and all the extras , I was the dog with 2 dicks back then

 

[Bren]

I think what is harder to appreciate is that production stopped 30 years ago.

 

Having owned 4 of them in 4/6/8 flavas they deffo get under your skin - they have their foibles and to run one long term you need either deep pockets or decent mechanical skills.

 

Values are definately on the rise - purely down to numbers - less than 1% of the total number produced still exist. A sobering statistic considering they were once a common sight.

 

I have had V6 granadas and senators but none hold a candle to a V8 SD1 (dons tin hat).

 

Sadly certain parts are drying up - parts for the EFI system are getting impossible to source, sadly I Think my current one will be my last.

[Skizzer]

They are fabulous cars.  If my shed caught fire, my SD1 is probably the one I'd fight my way in to rescue.

 

They had great road presence when they were launched: nothing else looked like them (well, apart from Ferrari Daytonas, but you never saw them).  In fact that's still true.  

 

It was also a massive step from the P6 it (gradually) replaced.  In deference to Junkman, I'm not saying that was a step forwards - in some ways, such as the innovation in suspension design, it wasn't.  But that was deliberate: the brief was to use simple, inexpensive suspension design (live rear axle) and concentrate on setting it up right to get the best ride/handling balance possible.  This was a commercial venture, not an intellectual engineering one, with an eye to exporting successfully and profitably (and they did sell well in continental Europe, particularly by Rover standards). 

 

They were a design triumph (no pun intended) and well ahead of their time in many respects.  They pioneered runflat tyres, plug-in diagnostics and safety windscreens.  ICI developed special nylon velour for the seats with soft-ended fibres that doesn't make your pure new wool suit shiny.  The windscreen is (sort of) flush fitting and bonded in to reduce wind noise and give aerodynamics among the class leaders (though probably bettered by the CX).

 

I'm going to stick my neck out and say they're great to drive, too.  The acceleration is strong on a great big bicep-flex of torque, the steering is light but weights up nicely at speed and the ride is smooth and well controlled.  It's relaxed on a motorway (albeit with a bit of wind and road roar by modern standards) but a great pleasure to hustle along a sweeping 2-lane A-road.  CAR described the firmer, injected Vitesse as being Aston-like, and I can well imagine what they mean.  They really did put some engineering excellence into setting up that big dumb live axle.

 

Mine is a low mileage series 1 3500 from 1979, in Platinum (my favourite metallic).  Hardened shiters will remember it from Shitefest 2014, including some comedy central locking moments (which later turned out to be childproof locks on the back doors).  It's partly made of filler, of course, but structurally and mechanically good and looks great from five yards away.

 

Untitled by Skizzer, on Flickr

 

The interior is just fab.  Those seats are as comfy as they look, and sitting in the back makes you feel like Maggie on her way to see the Queen after winning the election.

 

Untitled by Skizzer, on Flickr

 

 

Has the ship sailed?  Well, you can't get a decent running one for £400 any more, but they're certainly not in 2-door Range Rover territory.

 

This one's been rebuilt and repainted, and just needs various external fittings screwing on (after you've been all over it with Dynax, twice).  I'd want to beat him down a bit from £3995, but I reckon you'd end up with a lovely, lovely car after a little bit of work.  And they're not hard to work on.

 

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C753465

 

 

I love SD1s.  They are magnificent cars, full of optimism and design flair, practicality and luxury, elegance and brute strength.  They make people smile, too.  Yes they were badly painted, and they leak when it rains - so rent yourself a lock-up.  But don't let it put you off.

[trigger]

SD1's are one of my all time favorite cars, my dads boss had one back in the mid 80s and i can remember dad taking us all out to Mersea Island in it one day when i was about 7, it was a V8 too.

 

I was recently bidding on a red B reg Vitesse on ebay but got out bid annoyingly but part of me was nervous about paying over £5k for a pretty unreliable and complicated car so i bottled it.

 

Skizzers above was the first and only one I've ever driven, i still smile when i remember that passenger ride in it to get fish and chips, i was walking around with a fat chubby for weeks afterwards!

[cort16]

In about 1986 we had a mini 850 that had a top speed of about 48mph. My folks had booked a holiday in s caravan in Wales so my dad borrowed his mates 2600 se.

My mind was blown at electric windows, digital clock and centre rear arm rest.

My dads mind and wallet was blown by 25 mpg as he moaned about it the whole holiday.

 

It must have had some effect on him though as he sold the mini and bought a cortina, which wasn't as fancy as the rover but a damn site better than the mini .

 

My dads mate had the 2600 and 2 different v8s. He also had a mini 1275 gt. My dads car choices are distinctly boring in comparison .

[fred]

Out of  thousands of chod I love, the Ventora  , and SD1 are must haves again before gods speed hump cracks my mortal coil

[Guest Hooli]

I'd love a SD1, but not at today's prices

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I'm a bit strange,( I could finish this post there) in that I love both SD1s and Granadas, I'm even partial to Carltons and Senators.

 

During my 35 year career as a chauffeur I drove a lot of both when they were new.

My memories, although hazy ,are thus;

Granada' s were better built, quieter and had much more grip.

SD1's were faster and roomier.

I used to think of the Rover as a 5 series competitor, ie sporty and tail happy and the Granny as a better value w123, smooth riding and sober.

 

I once almost crashed through the gates of Buckingham Palace in a 3500SE one night when the throttle stuck wide open.

It was A98 OGS a Moonraker blue Auto, at the lights halfway down The Mall, I pulled up alongside a red 911 cabriolet ( this was 1985) and decided to race it, I held it with my left foot on the brake and scorched off the line with the near side tyre smoking and got the jump on Yuppyboy.

With my foot buried into the( damp) carpet I manually changed into 2nd as the 911 edged past , just before backing off at the end of the road, he must have been impressed as I didn't back off , just charged through the lights turned right in a strange brakes and throttle full on powerslide/stumble , and shot through the red light at the pedestrian crossing on Constitution Hill.

When I realised what was happening and I was going in a straight line I switched off and coasted to stop.

When I opened the bonnet , I'd had my foot so hard on the pedal the linkage had gone over the stop and got stuck.

Within a few seconds a dark green 2600 with Minilites pulled up and 2 curious coppers asked what was going on, when I explained, they just shrugged and said " Sounds about right for a Rover"

I forced the linkage back and was a lot more cicumspect when driving that particular car.

 

I have loads more of this sort of crap and that's before I move onto the dozen or so I owned in various stages of bangerdom.

[JeeExEll]

Interesting period BL vid on design of the SD1 from 1975 or 76. Check out the hi-tech computers.

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WPRS1qXD6qk

 

And a short vid of Ken Wood's rally SD1 from the mid 80s. (Turn up the volume).

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp1JJYtigEk

[Bren]

I'm a bit strange,( I could finish this post there) in that I love both SD1s and Granadas, I'm even partial to Carltons and Senators.

During my 35 year career as a chauffeur I drove a lot of both when they were new.

My memories, although hazy ,are thus;

Granada' s were better built, quieter and had much more grip.

SD1's were faster and roomier.

I used to think of the Rover as a 5 series competitor, ie sporty and tail happy and the Granny as a better value w123, smooth riding and sober.

I once almost crashed through the gates of Buckingham Palace in a 3500SE one night when the throttle stuck wide open.

It was A98 OGS a Moonraker blue Auto, at the lights halfway down The Mall, I pulled up alongside a red 911 cabriolet ( this was 1985) and decided to race it, I held it with my left foot on the brake and scorched off the line with the near side tyre smoking and got the jump on Yuppyboy.

With my foot buried into the( damp) carpet I manually changed into 2nd as the 911 edged past , just before backing off at the end of the road, he must have been impressed as I didn't back off , just charged through the lights turned right in a strange brakes and throttle full on powerslide/stumble , and shot through the red light at the pedestrian crossing on Constitution Hill.

When I realised what was happening and I was going in a straight line I switched off and coasted to stop.

When I opened the bonnet , I'd had my foot so hard on the pedal the linkage had gone over the stop and got stuck.

Within a few seconds a dark green 2600 with Minilites pulled up and 2 curious coppers asked what was going on, when I explained, they just shrugged and said " Sounds about right for a Rover"

I forced the linkage back and was a lot more cicumspect when driving that particular car.

I have loads more of this sort of crap and that's before I move onto the dozen or so I owned in various stages of bangerdom.

155 bhp never felt so quick - part of the charm.

[Spottedlaurel]

When I started work in 1986 my boss had a 2000. It was never very clean and he smoked a pipe, so the interior was as unpleasant as might be expected.

 

He then replaced it with a late 2600. This did seem a plusher thing to be ferried around in.

 

I do remember that the central locking was temperamental, and opening the boot or a door at the wrong time would throw it out of kilter?

 

In turn that got replaced by an 827 (which I did drive).

[NorfolkNWeigh]

155 bhp never felt so quick - part of the charm.

Yes, somehow the 160 BHP of the 2.8i Granada never felt as fast, must have been the self-lightning BL bodywork , although to be fair although they took a bit longer to start the process Granadas know how to rust.

[quicksilver]

Love SD1s, never had any experience of them though. Seeing this one was a highlight - it was being driven by a young black guy, shades on, window down listening to the V8 burble and he looked cool as! At that moment I really wanted to be him...

1985 Rover SD1 3500 Vitesse by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

And this is what BL really should have built. Still one of my favourite cars at Gaydon.

1976 Rover SD1 3500 estate prototype by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

[oldford]

I remember as a teenager bunking off college one day to go to London to collect a rental SD1, it was a black, 2 month old 3500 Vanden Plas EFi.

[Timewaster]

Ah yes the VDP EFi with cream leather? It had the wrong front bumper on that car, I wonder how much it made?

£9765 Inc. premium

[Vin]

My Dad had a couple of these when I was growing up. I've had a little dig about and have found some pictures, although they aren't the subject so they aren't great...

 

His first one was a 2000 - XWR 689X.

 

This is the background of a picture of my two sisters, It was taken at Christmas 1986. I do remember that the alternator was knacked at this moment in time, because between Xmas and new year we took my Aunt down to Heathrow. She was going to Australia to see friends as my Uncle had died unexpectedly during the summer. On the way back we gradually lost all electrics until it was running on sidelights. We made it to Newark and stayed in my Aunt's empty house and carried on north in the morning. Grim.

 

 

He replaced it with a Volvo 240 GLT and ran that for a few years (I liked that a lot) but then traded that in for a 1986 2600 Van den plas - C431 GAG. He bought it from a secondhand car lot near Hull Royal Infirmary called 'Harvey Bloom's Car Corner'. A few weeks after he bought it it grenaded itself on the M62 near Castleford due to oil starvation. It all got rebuilt under warranty, so it wasn't too bad...

 

The purchase of the VDP also coincided with my Dad buying a second hand caravan (a 1978 Elddis Cyclone) for child friendly cheap holidays...This picture is from the first caravan holiday in October 1989. It was taken at a caravan site in Rothbury. Obviously the picture is of the van and my sisters 'enjoying' themselves...the SD1 is incidental...but gladly it is there for all to see...He traded the VDP in for a 85 Volvo 760GLT Estate in about 1991 and it took over caravan duties...

 

 

[EssDeeWon]

Some great stories and photo's, thanks everyone.

[Bren]

I passed my test in my first one - a 2000 in champagne beige.

 

After the test my examiner admitted he had previously owned a 2.6 that had grenaded......

[mercrocker]

Sheeesh, hardly a day goes by these days without it being 50,40,30 or something years of another thing that I still think happened only a few years ago.... 

 

I do remember quite vividly the first time I clocked an SD1.   Bloke up the road ran a P6 3500S and my Mum came home to tell me he had traded it in for a Princess.   I though that extremely unlikely and walked up to investigate.   Just as I thought, there was a brand new SD1 in that yellow colour.  

 

I have to say I was a bit underwhelmed - until I saw the front.    Never really wanted one, personally, though I did smoke around a borrowed 2600 a few years later which I found a pretty decent steer.   A bit later on, a manager I worked under stretched his company car budget as thinly as he dared to get an O series 2000 SD1.   It should have been shite but that drove better than it ought to have done and we had several illicit London nights out on fake company business in it and I will always remember taking turns to waft it down the M3 at bedtime o'clock with nothing else on the road.  Try that nowadays.   

  

Why does every bloody thing make me nostalgic?

[spike60]

I bought a W reg 3500 manual, ex Strathclyde Constabulary. White with a black vinyl roof, no PAS but good tyres etc, £260 from Big Mike's in Stockton for any N'Easterners. Had the usual SD1 refinements, boot floor already replaced at 8 years old, broken choke lever, comedy fuel gauge and foot cooling system from the water filled drivers glove box. Many mornings I squelched into the locker room at work to wring my socks out. I sold it at a profit a year later, i'm surprised we both survived the year as it was not a good time for me due to lady problems...

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Right here's another, Spike' s tale of his ex-Police 3500 manual with no PAS reminded me of my mate Dave's similar car. His was S reg and the rustiest one anyone had ever seen at that point ,1984.

We went to Fatha N's in mid-Wales for a weekend , me and the now Mrs N in my Mk1 XR2 , him and my brother in the Rover, after a spirited 200 mile drive , the XR2 didn't stand a chance on any straight stretches, we somehow arrived in one piece( apart from the back section of the SD1's exhaust).

The reason for our visit was to spectate on The Cilwendig 12 car rally, younger readers may not be aware of these, but they were basically a legal Tarmac rally on public roads in the middle of the night- long since watered down and then banned.

Anyway ,as this was my old stomping ground and I thought I knew the roads like the back of my hand,after learning them on my pushbike and Fizzy. I was elected driver and of course the great lumbering Rover was our car of choice over the hot(ish) hatch.

Needless to say after an hour or so I decided these rally Sunbeams,Chevettes,Escorts etc weren't trying very hard so on one section that went down into a seaside hamlet called Cwmtudu which had a hill with 3 hairpins on the way out , we sort of got in between the competitors.

I actually caught up and overtook a Mexico on the way down into Cwmtudu, this was more because the brakes had disappeared , but when I passed him I realised without his 4 Cibies lighting the way I couldn't see a thing and almost wiped out a group of spectators on a bridge, to this day my brother reckons 2 of them jumped over it into the stream below.

Going up the hairpins out of the village , the noise from the missing exhaust and the lack of traction typical to all SD1's must have been entertaining because their was loads of cheering.

We calmed down after that, and survived the night. The report in Motoring News , bemoaned the bad behaviour of the Welsh spectators- couldn't have meant us, I'm not Welsh!

[warren t claim]

Right here's another, Spike' s tale of his ex-Police 3500 manual with no PAS reminded me of my mate Dave's similar car. His was S reg and the rustiest one anyone had ever seen at that point ,1984.

We went to Fatha N's in mid-Wales for a weekend , me and the now Mrs N in my Mk1 XR2 , him and my brother in the Rover, after a spirited 200 mile drive , the XR2 didn't stand a chance on any straight stretches, we somehow arrived in one piece( apart from the back section of the SD1's exhaust).

The reason for our visit was to spectate on The Cilwendig 12 car rally, younger readers may not be aware of these, but they were basically a legal Tarmac rally on public roads in the middle of the night- long since watered down and then banned.

We need a thread about these sorts of events.

[NorfolkNWeigh]