SOTW: Rover SD1 3500
Shed is drawn to Italian supercar looks, British luxury and, er, BL build quality...
It was a time when supply problems, management cock-ups, industrial disputes and generally shoddy build quality pretty much destroyed forever the reputation of some of Britain's best-known car marques, not least Rover.
And the Rover that suffered the most was arguably today's SOTW, the Rover SD1. Despite a dramatic, innovative design both inside and out, the option of classic V8 grunt, and more or less universally praised dynamics, the SD1's reputation -and its longevity suffered at the hands of a company in meltdown.
Heck, it even received rave reviews from the motoring press. "It is hard to be over-enthusiastic about the new 3500" said Autocar. "On every score, its qualities justify any kind of enthusiasm. It would have been hard to predict, especially looking at the bald paper specification, just how well the car would perform, handle and ride.
But production numbers, of course, could not be maintained and nor could the quality. And all we are left with in the 21st century is a whole bag of 'what ifs' and a dwindling handful of what was once one of the most promising cars ever to be created in Britain.
Advert is reproduced below
rover sd1 3500 se v8 auto REDUCED £995ONO For Sale (1981)
£995
rover 3500 se series 1.5 finished in arran with bayleaf interior . 11 months m.o.t & 5 months tax. loads recently done including full service & carbs tuned. The car starts first time ,runs great and would drive anywhere !This car is a genuine as you could get for the 30years old. Only selling to help fund resto of another sd1. A rare model thats a joy to drive in a very rare combo. Strictly NO more timewasters please.May p/x something of interest.
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Well, it's more of a cold-frame I suppose - or mini-greenhouse - but it was dumped on his allotment and so rather than move it - he used it!!
This is also the car my headmaster had (poss. not a 3500 in his case but same colour) so it brings FEAR
Remember talking to a couple of chaps from the owners club at the NEC classic car show a few years back. They let me sit in their restored cars - the build quality, even in an immaculate restored example, made my Capri seem like a Bentley.
If only they'd got the car right in the first place... one of the great 'what ifs' of the British car industry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTN5X4JZFjU
Even had a revolting yellowy green one that had been chopped about into the ultimate pick-up, was great for just throwing stuff in the back or just throwing about.
My favourite Area Car.
Traffic had a twin plenum version for a time - that was quick.
Brakes could be 'interesting' on a long run. Remeber one of my colleagues insisting that he wouldn't move from the car until the reporting officer arrived after a minor shunt - to show him that his foot to the floor on the brakes and they really had completely failed!
The other common failure was the clamp for the adjustable steering wheel would fail. Which wouldn't be that bad if this just allowed the column to move in, out, up and down. But it didn't when it failed the wheel steering wheel suddenly had 4" of lateral movement as well. Try controlling that on the Croydon Overpass at best part of a 100mph!
Shame when they were replaced with the Belgrano.
Luckily I wasn't in it when something snapped in the front suspension (tie rod?) and he barrel-rolled it into a field.
It gave him the V8 bug, though, as he went on to build a TR8 replica.
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