Rover 75's. Are they future classics?

[Bobthebeard]

As title. Am hoping so. Ok, probably not in the Ford scene madness but surely will be going up in value as they get rarer?

[fiatdaft]

Rarity does not equal value.

 

 

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[sierraman]

Probably but I wouldn't fill the garden with them. It'll be the MG ones that start to fetch the money first then prices will rise accordingly. I'd say now to buy one if you want to say you've had one for a reasonable price. At the moment you can't give an early 1.8 K Series one away. Sub £500 easy. Unfortunately this also means it's never worth putting them right when the head gasket goes.

[alcyonecorporation]

Not yet, no. There's too many around being used as disposable bangers. And the Roewe 750 only stopped production last year.

Although in some case Footman James will take 75s on as classics

 

All of these points make the 75 an assured AUTOSHITE APPROVED VEHICLE.

 

Probably but I wouldn't fill the garden with them. It'll be the MG ones that start to fetch the money first then prices will rise accordingly. I'd say now to buy one if you want to say you've had one for a reasonable price. At the moment you can't give an early 1.8 K Series one away. Sub £500 easy. Unfortunately this also means it's never worth putting them right when the head gasket goes.

K series 75s were the biggest own goal in MG Rover's history. A revvy four in a heavy saloon car. LOVELY.

 

And then they added a turbo! Yeah lads, let's take an engine known for self immolation and make its life even harder! That'll get those pesky reps out of their 1.8T A4s and Passats.

[alcyonecorporation]

hhhhh

[xtriple]

Don't know. I think they are cracking to look at and prefer them to the 'S' type Jaguar but... engines. I can't think of one which has a decent engine apart from the V8 obviously, and it tends to be major things like that which make a car desirable in old age or not. K series is never going to be desirable except to people in the know and the guy in the street will always call them 'kettles' and not in a good way (like Suzuki GT750s).

 

I would be tempted by a nice V6 but even that is not really a desirable motor to have in a car like this, needs more ooomph from low down (says the man with 6.75 litres of very low down oooomph!) and the V8s are already worth good coin and I suspect, always will be.

[Alexg]

Everything's a future classic, but I suspect the 75 will earn that status quicker than the contemporary Mondeo, Passat and Vectra due to it's retro styling, orphan status and misty eyed Brexit spirit.

[Zantimisfit]

Yes. They are sex on four wheels

[Guest Breadvan72]

As usual, I am baffled by the AS love for this car.  I hear that R75s are competent, good to drive and so on, but their looks, both inside and out, are to me the essence of boring and blancmange. To each his own, and all that.

 

I'm not a fan of S Type Jaguar looks either.  I assume that no one would think for a minute that a Jag X Type will ever become a classic, and the saloon ones of those are meh to look at.  I have an estate one, and think it looks OK and drives quite well, but I can't see me or anyone else falling in love with the type.

[oldcars]

I hope so, but as i have one i suspect they won't. I really like mine and can see myself parting with it anytime. I guess the launch spec cars will go up in value, rare monogram colour's and rare personal line leather or cloth options.

[Captain Furious]

As above, everything is a "future classic" but not all classics are equal.

 

A good case in point was a couple of weeks ago, a Fiesta 1.3 Ghia with ultra low miles offered on ebay for about 8 grand, while a similar vintage, similar mileage (sub 10k) 1.3 metro languished on there for 900 quid.  Granted the metro was an automatic which possibly put off the engine rapers and decreased its desirability somewhat

 

Quite honestly I think people are a bit obsessed over the "future classic" status of run of the mill cars, pretty soon we'll be all out of cheap rammel because absolutely everything is a "getting rare now GR9 investment opportunity"  Ebay get-rich-quick dreamers hoping to offload bangers at RS500 levels of appreciation because they're a bit old now and according to howmanyleft.com there is only 3928 still taxed.  They're in the same vane as people selling super rare new fivers with AJ37 serial number.

[John F]

As far as the majority of UK car owners are concerned, Rovers (and shitboxes such as the Metro mentioned above) are a deeply unfashionable reminder of the dark days of the British motoring industry.

 

Some models (e.g. the V8) will possibly be desirable, but most will probably end up either going over the bridge or round the banger track. Which, if true, is good news for any Rover lickers out there as they'll stay affordable.

[Guest Breadvan72]

Perversely, Rover was successful and making many sales when it went bust (thanks in large measure to the crookery of the geezers who bought the company from BMW.  The geezers were well known in car world as dodgy dudes).

[Liggle]

deeply unfashionable reminder of the dark days of the British motoring industry.

This says it all really. I think the SE 260/ZT 260 will be an exception though

[Captain Furious]

I think the 260's already are fetching eye watering money. The retro/classic car game is a fickle business, some models get singled out for greatness while others are completely overlooked with no discernible logic. For example, Mk2 Granadas have been systematically exterminated on the oval for years and must surely be on the endangered list by now, yet seem to have largely escaped a significant Ford scene tax loading, yet you're lucky to get a mk2 Escort for less than 5 figures even though there are thousands of them

 

Plus retro and classic owners spend most of their time arguing among themselves what actually is retro or classic

[BorniteIdentity]

Different strokes for different folks.

 

I loved all of mine.  

 

I think the 75 succeeded in its aim of being the best FWD car available at launch, succeeded at attracting displaced and lapsed Rover customers to return to the bosom, and succeeded in being a very handsome motor car.

 

They have shortcomings, and idiosyncrasies.  It was probably the last car to be made that still requires looking after rather than "get and forget".

 

For me - these are all pointers that they'll be pretty sought after in years to come.  The V6 engine, particularly in 2.5 tune with working VIS motors is a fine, fine motor.  Strong, light, brisk, sonically superb.

 

To me, at least, I think they're bloody wonderful old tubs and are sure fire hits in the future.  I'd say NOW is the time to buy: yes they will get a bit cheaper, but they won't get any better in that time.  Book early to avoid disappointment.

[Roostybroon]

I have a 75 two ZT's and a streetwise, none will be classics or fetch strong money until approx five minutes after I've sold or scrapped the lot for peanuts, or that's how it usually goes anyhow.

[HMC]

As the last new model developed (and with an actual budget thanks to BMW) by the last remnants of our indigenous volume manufacturer, they will always have a certain appeal. It was in many ways a 'classic' from birth as it was a modern interperetation of a brand and its values from 40 years earlier. A sort of theme park version of the rovers of yore. I love them, but as they have never and will never be fashionable I don't see them as a great investment. To be bought and enjoyed if you 'get' them.

[alcyonecorporation]

I bought a Xedos 6 instead.

[Zantimisfit]

I think the 260's already are fetching eye watering money. The retro/classic car game is a fickle business, some models get singled out for greatness while others are completely overlooked with no discernible logic. For example, Mk2 Granadas have been systematically exterminated on the oval for years and must surely be on the endangered list by now, yet seem to have largely escaped a significant Ford scene tax loading, yet you're lucky to get a mk2 Escort for less than 5 figures even though there are thousands of them

 

Plus retro and classic owners spend most of their time arguing among themselves what actually is retro or classic

 

This 260 in Denmark was for sale at just under 31,000 (GBP not DKK). So they fetch good money here in seems

 

[Mally]

I've got a diesel tourer paid £650, its very, very nice.

When it breaks I'll probably throw it away and buy another one.......repeat until the repair cost is less than the cost of a complete car.

Possibly another 5 years on before that happens.

If I'm still around then.

[Roverageous]

I'd imagine so one day.

 

Once the diesels have all disappeared and the really nice kept cars start coming up for sale. V8s and LWB vehicles will be the ones that are worth monies. 

[BavarianRetro]

 

Plus retro and classic owners spend most of their time arguing among themselves what actually is retro or classic

And how much their car or proposed purchase is worth or could be sold for.

[SiC]

Classic yes, but only because they'll get old. A desirable classic? Probably not. Just looking at the current resale value of Rover P6 suggests to me that they won't be worth a fortune for a good while.

 

Might make a good first, affordable classic car in the future though, like 70s MGs often are.

[vulgalour]

Older Rovers are struggling to hit classic money and status, see Bucket Rovers and R8s for prime examples of this.  The 75 should win some status because of the styling, in the same way as New Beetle and Fiat 500.  Thing is, even New Beetles are now becoming undesirable and can be got incredibly cheaply.

 

You can get into a classic car show with a 75 and exhibit, but then you can do that with a PT Cruiser too.

[Bobthebeard]

Different strokes for different folks.

 

I loved all of mine.  

 

I think the 75 succeeded in its aim of being the best FWD car available at launch, succeeded at attracting displaced and lapsed Rover customers to return to the bosom, and succeeded in being a very handsome motor car.

 

They have shortcomings, and idiosyncrasies.  It was probably the last car to be made that still requires looking after rather than "get and forget".

 

For me - these are all pointers that they'll be pretty sought after in years to come.  The V6 engine, particularly in 2.5 tune with working VIS motors is a fine, fine motor.  Strong, light, brisk, sonically superb.

 

To me, at least, I think they're bloody wonderful old tubs and are sure fire hits in the future.  I'd say NOW is the time to buy: yes they will get a bit cheaper, but they won't get any better in that time.  Book early to avoid disappointment.

 

This sums it up for me really. I love them in V6 form. Yes, they do need 'looking after' which, for me is part of the appeal. I enjoy looking after cars that need it, rather than owning something bland and modern. Been there and done the new car thing. Just didn't enjoy the lack of involvement or pride of ownership.

Which is why our daily driver is a 15 year old Saab, backed up by the MG ZT and the Rover 75.

[Captain Furious]

And how much their car or proposed purchase is worth or could be sold for.

It's one of the things that 'irked' me on that there other forum, not so much about value, but the constant debating over what was retro and what wasn't, if whatever you drove wasn't retro or interesting enough your thread would plummet off the page like a lemming. Personally I don't care what fulfills the literal definition or how interesting a car is considered to be, I'm just interested in reading about people being interested in their cars, even if to most 'normal' people it's considered a complete dog egg (in fact, quite often, they're the best reads)

 

Something I feel that this place does much better

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

 Probably not. Given that a proper Rover (P4, P6 2000) can still be had for a derisory sum, the 75 will never be worth much. It was a great car (I went to the launch and was bowled over by it) but it has a giffer image and too many issues.

 

Like the Princess, it will attract a small following and be a rare sight in 10-15 years.

[RoadworkUK]

I suspect they'll be borderline extinct before they hit anything approaching classic status, and I've already accepted that the 800 that went before will never be sought after by anybody other than eccentrics (Hello!).

 

The 75 might get there first, but hell could freeze over in the meantime.

[Bobthebeard]

Thanks for the many replies and thoughts..

I hope the Rover/MG does become more desirable in the future. Not totally because I have one of each, but because I really like them. Made in the UK and all that. Having worked in the car industry from 1988 until 1997 and been involved with Rover I have a soft spot for them. Warts and all.