RE: SOTW: Rover 825i Sterling
Discussion
The red one looks great BlueRover.
I used to own the Vitesse turbo below. I sold it about 5 years ago as my work company car allowance policy required something newer.
I was a big old beast. Nothing ever went wrong with it apart from the adjustment mechanism on one headlight. The handling was nice and predictable. I always felt confident taking a corner quickly with it as any loss of grip always seemed so gradual.
The climate control controls were excellent. Not pretty to look at but very practical.
The most annoying thing about the car was that the dashboard didn't line up quite right with the door cards, but the frameless doors made up for that.
It's a shame they never made a 75 coupe.
I used to own the Vitesse turbo below. I sold it about 5 years ago as my work company car allowance policy required something newer.
I was a big old beast. Nothing ever went wrong with it apart from the adjustment mechanism on one headlight. The handling was nice and predictable. I always felt confident taking a corner quickly with it as any loss of grip always seemed so gradual.
The climate control controls were excellent. Not pretty to look at but very practical.
The most annoying thing about the car was that the dashboard didn't line up quite right with the door cards, but the frameless doors made up for that.
It's a shame they never made a 75 coupe.Balmoral Green said:
the Austin Rover sales and marketing school at Studley from back in the day.
Ah, a fellow Studley graduate.
I sold Rover from 1995 through to 2001 in the Nottinghamshire area with a brief period with VW/Audi inbetween. I had the pleasure in 'selling off' the 800's just before the 75 was launched too. I remember selling a brand new 825 Sterling for almost half list. Daft. (787 VU was the buyers plate, since been on various Jags).
SWoll said:
I haven't seen anyone agree with your suggestion that Rover didn't attempt to position itself as a more luxury brand than Ford/Vauxhall, and my comment regarding customer vs salesforce perception seems to be fair based on other posters replies vs your take on it.
I don't think Rover did. People that looked at buying a Rover were also walking in with Ford, Vauxhall, Peugeot, Renault brochures. I never recall anyone looking at an 800 alongside some German metal. Although the 75 did change that.Edited by Fun Bus on Monday 5th December 05:19
Back in the day there is no doubt that the 800 was aimed at the BMW 5 series (Audi were less of a player).
IIRC The advert for the 827 Vitesse (fastback only) was 2 German guys crossing Germany by Autobahn and being amazed at how much better the car was than its German equivalent. The strapline was "fast there, fastback".
When I bought mine (a used one) a BMW 5 series was slower, smaller inside and had no equipment. Audis were rare ish, Saabs dataed and the Granada was to soggy and soft.
I really enjoyed G444 XHP and only sold it because I didnt need the space.
The other cars of the peiod made by BL were a huge leap forward for them, the Maestro and Montego effetively replacing the Allegro and Marina, the gulf between those was probably as big as the gulf between the Montego and a modern Mondeo.
IIRC The advert for the 827 Vitesse (fastback only) was 2 German guys crossing Germany by Autobahn and being amazed at how much better the car was than its German equivalent. The strapline was "fast there, fastback".
When I bought mine (a used one) a BMW 5 series was slower, smaller inside and had no equipment. Audis were rare ish, Saabs dataed and the Granada was to soggy and soft.
I really enjoyed G444 XHP and only sold it because I didnt need the space.
The other cars of the peiod made by BL were a huge leap forward for them, the Maestro and Montego effetively replacing the Allegro and Marina, the gulf between those was probably as big as the gulf between the Montego and a modern Mondeo.
Balmoral Green said:
I reckon there are some retrospective or revisionist views flying around here, being back dated to the eighties. And I'm saying nope, it wasn't quite like that chaps.
A good example is the "A Rover to beat BMW head on" headline or something along those lines. But that's going to be a nineties phrase, there's no way anyone would have said that at launch
Wrong again.A good example is the "A Rover to beat BMW head on" headline or something along those lines. But that's going to be a nineties phrase, there's no way anyone would have said that at launch
Here is Car magazine from 1988. Their 'Giant test' is between a BMW 525i vs Alfa 164 and Rover 827 Vitesse. Inside the mag it says, quote 'A TOUGH TEST: ROVERS BEST CAR MEETS IT'S CLOSEST RIVAL FROM THE EXCELLENT NEW BMW 5 SERIES RANGE'. Note the use of the word 'Rival' there
This sort of comparison was commonplace in the major 1980's car magazines, I have many more in the loft with similar direct comparison tests, from early 1980's onwards. I still remember well, the new 200/400 being road tested by a news reader at the time of the launch, who said a Rover to beat BMW at their own game, or something like that. I couldn't stop laughing, but again the comparison was being made on TV as well, trying to convince the public that the more expensive Rover cars that were some sort of an alternative to a BMW. As I have said before, this only happened because the Magazine and TV people got given a Marketing Steer, from the top Marketing Execs at Rover. Which backs up my point, that although, clearly, the public did not rate the cars against BMW, there was a very concerted effort by the Rover top Management and Marketing Execs to reposition Rover above Ford and alongside BMW.
Do you see the distinction being made here now? No one is saying the buying public thought the cars were equal to a BMW, far from it, what some of us were saying (me included) is that the top Rover Bosses, using the media, were trying to push the idea that Rover was now of sufficient quality to compete with BMW.
drgoatboy said:
A neighbour had one of these from new when I was a lad.
After all the electrics (including every single interior and exterior light) turned themselves off whilst doing 70mph+ on an unlit section of the A1 at night he soon chopped it in for a Granada (scorpio?).
Out of the frying pan into the fire, surely?After all the electrics (including every single interior and exterior light) turned themselves off whilst doing 70mph+ on an unlit section of the A1 at night he soon chopped it in for a Granada (scorpio?).
Late 80s Fords (Orion in particular) had a habit of suddenly losing all their electrics whilst in motion...
Seems to be a bit a of a halo effect going on with the 800 Coupe interior giving some undue credibility to every 800 ever made.
I think why the 800 Coupe was so different has been well documented, including here (PH and possibly a former SOTW discussion).
AlexC1981, your Coupe reminds me of a 2 litre Turbo one that was for sale recently in that the front half and back half seemed different colours.
I think why the 800 Coupe was so different has been well documented, including here (PH and possibly a former SOTW discussion).
AlexC1981, your Coupe reminds me of a 2 litre Turbo one that was for sale recently in that the front half and back half seemed different colours.
ITech said:
I have many more in the loft with similar direct comparison tests, from early 1980's onwards.
Are you sure, the cars didn't even exist then? 
ITech said:
I still remember well, the new 200/400 being road tested by a news reader at the time of the launch, who said a Rover to beat BMW at their own game, or something like that.
The new 200/400 (R8) was nineties ITech said:
Do you see the distinction being made here now?
Yes I do 
ITech said:
No one is saying the buying public thought the cars were equal to a BMW
Yes they were, quite a few. And many were saying they saw them above Ford & Vauxhall, when the topic had moved to a broader spectrum from just the 800 to Rover as a whole. Which is when I jumped in, and that's where you're agreeing with me where the others who have taken up this debate with me disagree.From a much later era, let alone the era I'm focusing on...
Fun Bus said:
I sold Rover from 1995 through to 2001 in the Nottinghamshire area...
...People that looked at buying a Rover were also walking in with Ford, Vauxhall, Peugeot, Renault brochures. I never recall anyone looking at an 800 alongside some German metal. Although the 75 did change that.
And to undermine my own argument ...People that looked at buying a Rover were also walking in with Ford, Vauxhall, Peugeot, Renault brochures. I never recall anyone looking at an 800 alongside some German metal. Although the 75 did change that.
blueg33 said:
IIRC The advert for the 827 Vitesse (fastback only) was 2 German guys crossing Germany by Autobahn and being amazed at how much better the car was than its German equivalent. The strapline was "fast there, fastback".
Not the same ad, but 'Ta da', look at this...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMESnHBpMkc
Note the comment 'From 1981', was it posted by one of you lot?
Edited by Balmoral Green on Monday 5th December 11:45
Rover was aspirational in this market in the same way that H Samuel is more "Asprey" than Ratners was. It doesn't mean H Samuel compete with Asprey.
I always thought that Rover was seen as slightly more 'aspirational' than Ford or Vauxhall in that you get 'Ghia' trim for 'GL' money and they had a certain Britishness - but nonetheless Rover competed with Ford and Vauxhall rather than BMW or Saab or Audi or Alfa-Romeo or Peugeot or anyone else who may have made a car at similar money. They didn't compete with BMW in that their cusomers were not choosing between a BMW and a Rover - whereas maybe a Saab 900 customer may have.
It doesn't really matter now, the company is dead and gone. It's products were respectable, decent cars in their time. I think they're unfairly condemned now; many seem to focus on their faults whilst dismissing their strengths. The opposite seems to be true for many of their competitors whose faults are generally glossed over. I'm not a Rover enthusiast but I try to remember them with fairness.
I always thought that Rover was seen as slightly more 'aspirational' than Ford or Vauxhall in that you get 'Ghia' trim for 'GL' money and they had a certain Britishness - but nonetheless Rover competed with Ford and Vauxhall rather than BMW or Saab or Audi or Alfa-Romeo or Peugeot or anyone else who may have made a car at similar money. They didn't compete with BMW in that their cusomers were not choosing between a BMW and a Rover - whereas maybe a Saab 900 customer may have.
It doesn't really matter now, the company is dead and gone. It's products were respectable, decent cars in their time. I think they're unfairly condemned now; many seem to focus on their faults whilst dismissing their strengths. The opposite seems to be true for many of their competitors whose faults are generally glossed over. I'm not a Rover enthusiast but I try to remember them with fairness.
i had one of these ,bought it cheap ran for 6 mths and sold it for the same,l liked having a multi changer and all the toys.nice and quick in a straight line,corners needed some planing as wallowed quite a bit.the thing i do remember putting the autobox in sport mode and the rev counter needle would dip into the red which was a bit of a worry!
Morningside said:
Roman said:
cjgreaves41 said:
827 or 820 turbo are both much better than the 825.Dont forget this classic. "Tony Pond attempts to lap the IOM at 100mph average "
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6noOET7Eik
jazzyjeff said:
drgoatboy said:
A neighbour had one of these from new when I was a lad.
After all the electrics (including every single interior and exterior light) turned themselves off whilst doing 70mph+ on an unlit section of the A1 at night he soon chopped it in for a Granada (scorpio?).
Out of the frying pan into the fire, surely?After all the electrics (including every single interior and exterior light) turned themselves off whilst doing 70mph+ on an unlit section of the A1 at night he soon chopped it in for a Granada (scorpio?).
Late 80s Fords (Orion in particular) had a habit of suddenly losing all their electrics whilst in motion...
Did I read somewhere that the Police purchased all the old SD1 models as they could not fit their equipment in the new ones?
Many, many years ago I phoned one of those car purchase companies.
Came to pick up my Rover 2600 and he was annoyed that he misheard it as a 216. I wondered why he was in a rush to collect. Must have thought he had the bargain of the century
Did they also have metric wheels or tyres and that was a problem at the time? Same of Montegos
jazzyjeff said:
Out of the frying pan into the fire, surely?
Late 80s Fords (Orion in particular) had a habit of suddenly losing all their electrics whilst in motion...
Ah yes, now I remember! I had a 1985 Orion 1.6i Ghia and that used to loose all electrics in the most inconvenient of places, I remember once going down a dark lane somewhere in Cornwall (where I lived) and having to do a U turn in the lane as I'd taken the wrong turn, bloody car died right in the middle of a 3 point turn, my mate Mark got out to give me a push and he ended up getting back in quicker than he got out! Unknown to us was a property just behind us who had a bloody great big dog that was stood waiting, by the time Mark got in and shut the door the dog jumped up and left some pretty hefty scratches on the side of my car. We were both sat there in the pitch black crapping ourselves a) because of the dog and b) in case someone came tearing down the lane!!Late 80s Fords (Orion in particular) had a habit of suddenly losing all their electrics whilst in motion...
Eventually I managed to get ignition back but it still wouldn't start so I had to sit with my hand on the horn until someone got the dog in!
And another time (if anyone knows Truro) my car cutout out on the roundabout at the bottom of Morlaix Avenue and Mark and two other mates had to get out and push me all the way to Trafalgar roundabout Shell garage (I didn't tell them that the electrics came back on as we came past the first turn off for the bus station/Vospers garage!!).
Stef
Stef
king arthur said:
BlueRover said:
My current car
Quite rare now, only a handful (approx 25) left.
Turbo?Quite rare now, only a handful (approx 25) left.
The ECU has a socketed eeprom which will allow mapping unlike the MEMS in the Mk2 series. Even on stock intercooling and mapping 250 bhp is attainable (reliably too due to the less than frugal use of fuel by the Lucas system). Any more than that would probably require an upgrade to the turbo itself and a larger intercooler. I intend to keep it standard though as I think these are worth saving now they're pretty much extinct due to piston snafflers etc.
carinaman said:
Seems to be a bit a of a halo effect going on with the 800 Coupe interior giving some undue credibility to every 800 ever made.
I think why the 800 Coupe was so different has been well documented, including here (PH and possibly a former SOTW discussion).
AlexC1981, your Coupe reminds me of a 2 litre Turbo one that was for sale recently in that the front half and back half seemed different colours.
Dunno..I didn't notice at the time. Looks ok in this picture, but it's the other side of the car. Perhaps some work had been done on the drivers side. I think why the 800 Coupe was so different has been well documented, including here (PH and possibly a former SOTW discussion).
AlexC1981, your Coupe reminds me of a 2 litre Turbo one that was for sale recently in that the front half and back half seemed different colours.
Chicharito said:
slarnge said:
Now this is what you want!! 75 cdti,its a Bmw underneath This is a new one i have added to my fleet.
Well, it used some BMW components, but it's not a BMW underneath by any stretch of the imagination.This is a new one i have added to my fleet.I had a 1.8 turbo which was a very refined and well balanced car (until the head gasket blew - right car, wrong engine
)More than just a the sharing of a few components. The only reason why you find them owned by father chav is because they are grossly undervalued.
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