Tennessee Shite: 1 May 2026 Update!

1,828 · December 11, 2010

On 11/12/2010 at 11:56, Madman Of The People said:

well, it's about time I post some Shite from this side of the pond. I'll begin with a car familiar to you but more exotic than a Ferrari or Lamborghini over here.

Yes, that's a Rover SD1 on American soil! I'd love to have this as a project car.

Note US-spec round headlamps.

I want this car!

For one year only (1980), Jaguar-Rover-Triumph (AKA British Leyland USA) sold the Rover 3500 (SD1) in America. Thanks to EPA emmisions standards, the 3.5 litre V8 was detuned from 155 to 133 horsepower. Buyers could choose between a five speed manual transmission or a three speed automatic. Standard equipment included velour upholstery, air conditioning, cruise control, power operated windows and door locks and a cassette stereo. Base MSRP was $15,900 (plus $350 for optional automatic transmission). American ads promoted the 1980 Rover 3500 as being "logical as a sedan, practical as a station wagon, responsive as a sports car."

There are conflicting estimates as to how many were sold here. The Standard Catalogue of Imported Cars by James M. Flamming claims 481 SD1s were sold in 1980 before Rover pulled the plug. Hemmings Motor News puts the figure at around 800 units. Either way, this forlorn looking Rover I spotted is more exclusive than many Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Rolls Royces in North America.

The 1980 SD1 was the first Rover sold in America since the 1971 P6 2000/3500. As we all know, Rover's last stab at the American market was the 1987-91 Sterling 800 Series. Supposedly one of the reasons for returning to America under the Sterling name in 1987 was because Rover didn't want to get sued by it's former dealers whom they had burned when Rover abruptly halted exoprts of the SD1 to America in 1980.

Feast you eyes upon this beautiful US-spec Rover SD1, complete with sealed beam headlamps and gigantic bumpers!

And another one which has been retrofitted with European headlamps.

Cheers,

Madman of the People

On 11/12/2010 at 11:56, Madman Of The People said:

well, it's about time I post some Shite from this side of the pond. I'll begin with a car familiar to you but more exotic than a Ferrari or Lamborghini over here.

Yes, that's a Rover SD1 on American soil! I'd love to have this as a project car.

Note US-spec round headlamps.

I want this car!

For one year only (1980), Jaguar-Rover-Triumph (AKA British Leyland USA) sold the Rover 3500 (SD1) in America. Thanks to EPA emmisions standards, the 3.5 litre V8 was detuned from 155 to 133 horsepower. Buyers could choose between a five speed manual transmission or a three speed automatic. Standard equipment included velour upholstery, air conditioning, cruise control, power operated windows and door locks and a cassette stereo. Base MSRP was $15,900 (plus $350 for optional automatic transmission). American ads promoted the 1980 Rover 3500 as being "logical as a sedan, practical as a station wagon, responsive as a sports car."

There are conflicting estimates as to how many were sold here. The Standard Catalogue of Imported Cars by James M. Flamming claims 481 SD1s were sold in 1980 before Rover pulled the plug. Hemmings Motor News puts the figure at around 800 units. Either way, this forlorn looking Rover I spotted is more exclusive than many Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Rolls Royces in North America.

The 1980 SD1 was the first Rover sold in America since the 1971 P6 2000/3500. As we all know, Rover's last stab at the American market was the 1987-91 Sterling 800 Series. Supposedly one of the reasons for returning to America under the Sterling name in 1987 was because Rover didn't want to get sued by it's former dealers whom they had burned when Rover abruptly halted exoprts of the SD1 to America in 1980.

Feast you eyes upon this beautiful US-spec Rover SD1, complete with sealed beam headlamps and gigantic bumpers!

And another one which has been retrofitted with European headlamps.

Cheers,

Madman of the People

December 11, 2010

Great stuff.

I think I'd have died of shock if I'd have seen an SD1 when I was in Florida earlier this year! I did see an old-style Mini though - with the original British number plate still on the front!

30,923 · December 11, 2010

I don't remember spotting that when I was in Nashville last year... well done sir! I rather like the SD1 with the round lights. There's something quite special about cars that were never designed for those, wearing them because US law demanded it.

More, more!

15,142 · December 11, 2010

Fantastic, looks almost usable?

December 11, 2010

Blimey - I've been here 15 years and have only seen them on ebay! Looks in pretty good shape

1.3k · December 11, 2010

OOh! It's like having our very own US correspondent!

How about a knock on the door and a quick interview, Joan Rivers style, with the owner?

481 sold is a most lacklustre performance but somehow not surprising.

3.6k · December 11, 2010

not keen on the US spec bumpers, but the lights look different

are those wheels Vitesse alloys or something specific to US cars?

25,075 · December 11, 2010

not keen on the US spec bumpers, but the lights look different

are those wheels Vitesse alloys or something specific to US cars?

I'm sure my old V8S had the same wheels (but painted gold).

1,828 · December 14, 2010

Massive Chevrolet Impala from a recent trip to Florida. You still occasionally see things like this being driven over here.

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Cheers,

Madman of the People

December 14, 2010

How do you park one of those things?!

Or is that why most parking spaces in the US are diagonal?

4.1k · December 14, 2010

Parallel parking would be fun over here with that overhang... I think you could clear the sidewalk of bikes, pedestrians etc.

2,352 · December 14, 2010

not keen on the US spec bumpers, but the lights look different

are those wheels Vitesse alloys or something specific to US cars?

I'm sure my old V8S had the same wheels (but painted gold).

Yeah, they were one of the factory alloys in the UK too.

Nice rarity.

30,923 · December 14, 2010

How do you park one of those things?!

Or is that why most parking spaces in the US are diagonal?

At least US parking slots are big enough to fit these things! On the many occasions I'd go to Tesco (for example) in my Cadillacs, I always parked as far from the store as I could, so that I could position the car on the cross of four spaces. There was no way on earth it was going to fit into just one, or even two: two side-by-side would leave the nose way out in the aisle; two in line astern would take doorhandles, mirrors and even bumpers off the adjoining cars.

US streets tend to be built on a bigger scale than UK too, so parallel parking actually isn't a problem, there will be room.

1,828 · December 14, 2010

From the archives.....

Chevrolet Chevy II Nova.

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Chevrolet Fleetline.

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Cadillac.

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Cheers,

Madman of the People

December 14, 2010

SD1s aren't quite as familiar a sight on British roads now as they once were, at least not around my neck of the woods. The last one I saw was in a very similar situation to your over-the-pond spec spot, ie festering on somebody's driveway.

The Cadillac is fantastic, any ideas what year it is? I'd have guessed from the reduced fins and the front bumper details that it's pre-1960...

30,923 · December 14, 2010

It's 1962, I had one...

Seen above with my friend's Mustang, and below on the day I bought it:

The roofline is different, signifying a different model in the range, but it's substantially the same car. I use the word "substantially" here as it's most appropriate!

December 14, 2010

Lovely! Looks to absolutely dwarf the R8 in the second pic. I love those ostentatious old Caddies.

30,923 · December 14, 2010

Me too, and yes, it certainly did dwarf the Rover, in fact it dwarfed everything I parked it next to! When I took it to my friend's garage for some work, he wasn't even sure he could get it in the building, but give him his due, he tried, and succeeded. He said that while it was there, it stunned everyone who came in, they simply had to ask about it. I took it to work on Christmas Day 2008 with the intention of going out for an after-lunch drive with the two people my co-worker and I were looking after, but was foiled by the arrival of the family of one of our charges. It certainly filled the driveway of their house! That was the oldest American car I've owned, and (so far) the last. Here in Cyprus the chances of me having another are pretty slim, but at least I can say I've done it. And you never say never, do you?

1,828 · December 22, 2010

Some shite I spotted earlier this year....

Heritage Legacy, a 1980s glassfibre Merc 500K replica with Chevy bits underneath.

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Mazda RX-7 Cabrio.

Somebody with a pair of Porsche 944s. (for sale, last time I checked)

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Well-worn Beetle.

Merc W123 Coupe.

26,358 · December 22, 2010

Heritage Legacy, a 1980s glassfibre Merc 500K replica with Chevy bits underneath.

Jesus wept, that is fuggin horrible - and the name is worse...

18,505 · December 22, 2010

I'm always wary about photographing shit like that, just incase the owner sees me and thinks that I actually like it. Although if challenged I'd like to think i;d be honest and explain it was just so a bunch of people can laugh at it on the internet.

2.4k · December 22, 2010

There is something about fibreglass cars, please correct me if I'm wrong, that just screams SHIT!

1,828 · December 28, 2010

Isuzu VehiCross. Rare as rocking horse poo.

Cheers,

Madman of the People

1,429 · December 29, 2010

How big are these doors , you could block off the average road over here just getting out

December 29, 2010

The car in the above post is also fantastic. I remember seeing lots of them being crushed by monster trucks in the many monster truck videos I had when I was a kid.

I would think the Heritage Abomination is a poor attempt to ape one of those old supercharged Duesenbergs. Could well be wrong, though.

30,923 · December 29, 2010

I'm pretty sure it's supposed to recall the Mercedes 500/540K. Not bad, but wouldn't be my choice. Now a Duesenberg SJ, yes please! Even a fake, which would probably have to be on a Dodge Ram chassis or similar. But then I keep coming back to the sexiest car ever built, and the kit available to convert a 1970s Lincoln...

(and yes, I know I've posted it before, but it made rather an impression on me 45 years ago...!)