American Rovers?

[Station]

Was watching Seinfeld last night, and spotted this:

 

 

I didn't know Rover had 827's over there. There's usually a group of cars that is used on this programme for street scenes (Mitsubishi Starion/Dodge Conquest, Honda CRX, Nissan Fairlady, etc), and think I've seen this before. Did they export any other models at this time?

[fiatdaft]

thats not a rover !

[Albert Ross]

This was the prime market for the Sterlings... Thought everyone knew...!

[Lord Sterling]

They exported the Rover 800 for a time to America, they were known as the Sterling SL/SC/Oxford Edition etc... The actual 'Rover' name was never used. A mate of mine had a US-spec Sterling SL exported back here.

 

They did export the SD1 and a few other BL/BMC products to the US aswell.

[Station]

"Sterling Oxford"! Could there be a more English name for a car?! Apart from 'Buckingham Bowlerhat'.

[autofive]

most of the street scenes in these progs. are filmed in canada

 

so

 

Canadian Rovers?

[Lord Sterling]

The Sterling Oxford-Edition was the top-spec edition of the Sterling stock like the UK-version 'Rover Sterling' is of the 800 stock.

 

Heres a Pic:

[Futuramic]

Allegedly there are much more moden Rovers than that in the Southern states. The 75 was sold officially in Mexico and a few have swum across the Rio Grande.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I only learnt of the Merkur XR4Ti's existence after spotting one in Seinfeld.

[barrett]

IIRC they were badged as Stirlings due to the massive reliabilty problems of the P6 when it was imported in the 70s, no one touch anything called 'Rover' after that.

[ashmicro]

There was a 2 door Rover 25 parked outside a casino in an episode of CSI. Warwick Brown (Gary Dourdan) walked between it and an Escalade. I've been trying to find it now for ages.

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

IIRC they were badged as Stirlings due to the massive reliabilty problems of the P6 when it was imported in the 70s, no one touch anything called 'Rover' after that.

 

Between the P6 and the Sterling they offered the SD1 in the US.

[RedSparrow]

Arrgghhh! My eyes!

Did all SD1s have that superbly shite twin headlight and massive bumper arrangement? I know about the big bumper thing, but why the lights?

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

Because American legislation from the late '70s to the mid '80s required sealed beam headlights, and hideous 5MPH impact proof bumpers.

[barrett]

Yep, that's why US-spec Mercs always have twin lights. There are others, but I can't think what right now.

Oh, Citroen SM too

[RedSparrow]

Ah, cheers. Always wondered about that.

It looks so awful, I am starting to like it. Internetz sez only 800 were sold.