Here’s something you don’t see every day: a 1982 Rover SDI equipped with a V8 and a manual gearbox. This is one of the more unusual models you could possibly choose to import from among the legions of eligible cars that are over 25 years old, but I applaud the current owner for marching to the beat of their own drummer. Rover did sell the SD1 in the United States, but exceedingly few survive and it’s highly unlikely you would find this combination of condition and features. The Rover featured here on craigslist is a Vanden Plas model, which is another reason why this particular model is worthy of saving given the higher level of trim and options. The seller is asking $17,500 for the rare Rover.
Now, here’s the thing: the SD1 was never a particularly great car. High hopes were pinned on it for somehow saving the British car industry, but given the turmoil that many of the British marques found themselves in at the time, build quality wasn’t exactly on the menu. Shoddy construction, electrical woes, and other issues caused the motoring press at the time to largely pan the Rover, despite acknowledging that it was a potent cruiser in V8 form. And while the interior may seem less than robust up close, the cabin of this Rover presents very well in photos, with handsome wood trim, and an aftermarket steering wheel that looks surprisingly at home here. With the manual gearbox, it looks like a pure driver’s car inside.
The Rover V8 was nothing to sneeze at, putting forth a respectable 190 horsepower and 220 lb-ft of torque. The SD1 could reach 135 miles per hour for a top speed, and acceleration was more than adequate as it could eclipse 60 in seven seconds (and I’m not sure if that’s the manual gearbox being reported – if not, it’s potentially quicker still.) The reason for importing this Rover SD1 is still slightly lost on me, but if you’re a fan of sleeper sedans and don’t want a BMW 5-Series or a Mercedes E-Class, this SD1 is an interesting option. Plus, given it wasn’t exactly an instant icon when new, I’m guessing the seller is into it for less than the asking price shown here.
Throw in the BBS-style wheels, rear spoiler, and European-spec lighting and bumpers, and you suddenly have a surprisingly attractive car. I can’t recall much about the perception of Rover in the United States when the domestic version of the SD1 was sold here, but I’m guessing it was fairly muted. Every once in a great while, one will show up in a salvage yard, begging the questions as to who owned it and how did they end up keeping it for so long, but I’m lucky if I see one in the recycling facility every two years. This Rover SD1 V8 is not for everyone, and I suspect the seller will own it for a while with this asking price – but I can hardly fault you for wanting to drive it, as I’m quite curious myself.
If you want the ultimate sleeper version of this car, how about one with a RR Merlin 27 liter motor….. If this doesn’t put hair on your chest and a need for fresh underwear I’m not sure what would!!!!
https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1089032_27-liter-rolls-royce-powered-rover-sd1-hits-160-mph-video
The SD1 was sold in the US in ’80 and ’81 as the Rover 3500. If you forgot that’s because it quickly vanished. Construction was shoddy and performance underwhelming and it didn’t sell. This Euro model would be considerably better though. Popular as police cars in the UK.
The original Rover 3500 was a very different and very good looking car. This one has too much “80’s “styling that blends in with other cars.
Agreed; the polis kept them long past their sell-by date as there was nothing else as reliably fast at the time.
What isn’t mentioned here is this Rover still used the 3.5 liter motor, which was descended from the old aluminum Buick 215 V8.
A very good point indeed and absolutely worth mentioning in the write-up
as Bick Banter notes, these were sold as the Rover 3500 (with the 3.5 V8) and various names based on engine size, outside the US, 2300, 2600 even a 200 and a diesel version. “SD1” was the factory development name. I don’t believe any of these cars were ever badged “SD1”
I don’t suppose many readers on this site will ever have ridden in one or driven one – but they are dynamically good cars to drive, especially with the 3.5 V8, they are comfortable, ride and handle nicely and were relatively fast cars for their time. There was a high performance “Vitesse” twin-plenum version that really was pretty quick. Styling is always a matter of taste, but these were generally admired in the UK and the 5-door hatchback format is very practical – even if it never really caught on here in the US.
Yes…another British car that could have been successful if it hadn’t been killed by build quality and reliability issues. I recall they had a brand new paint plant at the time for these cars and had all sorts of issues with paint quality… as often happens, by the end of the production run they had de-bugged a lot of the issues and later cars were much better built…but by then it was too late.
I owned a Vitesse twin plenum they were built for racing to compete in European races. Then IFIR Volvo bought out their turbo. There were only a couple of hundred made for homoglation the engine was breathed on by Lotus. It had a big air damn on the front, and the stock rubber fin on the rear. Certainly looks like a big fin on the rear of this. these are not to be confused with the ordinary vitesse which was similar to the vanden plas. I think that some vitesse extras have been added
Part of the brief for these was to create a 4-door Ferrari Daytona. Look at the Ferrari and you’ll see. Good idea, really.
https://www.sportscarmarket.com/profile/1970-ferrari-365-gtb-4-daytona
Such a shame that the British car industry simply could not get it together to deliver what customers really wanted in addition to style and performance: QRD (quality, reliability, durability). This could have been a hit in the US if …
It was a sleeper car because each morning it wouldn’t start, it was still sleeping.
Here’s something you don’t see every day: a Rover.
I think that is the shortest description of a vehicle i have ever seen!!
The VDP came in 1984. This would be a Vitesse model.
This one looks to be a Series 2, which had greatly improved interior quality along with various exterior updates and numerous other production and equipment improvements, so it should be less fault-prone than the early Series 1s we briefly got here in the States.
Yes, I remember the series 2 also had a larger rear hatch window to help with visiblity.
Sadly build quality was a MAJOR issue with these cars.
the Rover 3500 as I remember.
https://www.google.com/search?q=rover+3500+v8&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=NtTWylHfhfg1OM%252CCTdQqDbDI4FN3M%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kQUJ4MthJjriRIRH-yiJP0zR5rbRw&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj8m4LfnqXyAhWmVN8KHStgBPEQ9QF6BAgLEAE&biw=1166&bih=685#imgrc=NtTWylHfhfg1OM
Never saw this one so thnx !
As a UK based reader I’m undecided on whether the Vitesse bumpers & spoiler add or detract from the value? Pretty sure that the Vitesse version with the fuel injection was the 190hp version. Just imagine it with a TVR 4.6 or 5.0 V8 would make a perfect hooligan in a suit!
https://youtu.be/ZnW-sTwxeUM
….. this is what I always think of when I hear Rover SD1…… seems like the old Brit has put on the running shoes!!
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