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One Year Import: 1980 Rover 3500SD

This V8-powered Rover 3500SD is one of just a few hundred sold on our shores as a U.S.-market model. The exposed headlights and larger bumpers are tell-tale signs that this is a one-year-only version as the car was quickly pulled from the market following such disappointing sales. It’s too bad, as the pool for upscale import sedans was quite limited in 1980. Find this Rover here on craigslist at what looks like a Pick ‘N Pull holding yard.

The marker scribble on the back quarter panel is a pretty good indication this Rover was junked or picked up as a donation vehicle. Kudos to the salvage yard for making it available for sale, as there’s surely a Rover enthusiast who would love to snatch this up. The body looks quite straight and I can almost assure you this resided in the care of a long-time owner who likely passed away or could no longer drive. That seems to be the only way oddballs like this manage to survive so well.

A 5-speed manual was standard equipment, a slightly unusual feature for this class of vehicle. The interior does show signs of cloth deterioration but the console areas looks presentable and there’s no duct tape holding the glovebox door up, all pluses. Though intended to compete against BMW’s 5-Series and other import sedans, just under 500 were sold in 1980 and only 774 Rovers found new owners the following year. Given the Rovers weren’t being manufactured stateside, it began to look like a losing proposition for the company and they soon left the U.S. market.

Vacuum hose spaghetti, emissions equipment and other power-robbing tweaks limited the performance of the V8 Rover, which is a fate that befell many cars from this era. Making a little over 130 b.h.p., this V8-powered sedan wasn’t going to deliver scorching performance despite the three-pedals in the cockpit. Still, the looks were quite handsome for the era in which it was made and the opportunity to own such a rarity in the U.S. is hard to resist. Hopefully, this Rover doesn’t end up in the scrap pile in the background.

Comments

  1. Avatar Nathan Avots-Smith Member

    Terrific find! These were styled to look like a four-door Ferrari Daytona, with a healthy dose of 365 GTC/4 at the rear, and came out really striking, although obviously it’s compromised by the modifications required for the U.S. market. As this car is in California, failure to pass our smog testing regime, which is required for all non-diesel cars manufactured after 1975, is another likely reason it ended up where it is. I hope it gets saved!

    Like 5
    • Avatar Balstic

      But once it reaches 25 years old it is exempt in California. Been living that nightmare for years.

      Like 1
      • Avatar dweezilaz

        Balstic: did they finally pass a rolling registration cut off for smog there finally ?

        They hadn’t at the time I left CA in 2010

        Like 2
      • Avatar Nathan Avots-Smith Member

        Alas, the rolling exemption ended years ago; anything newer than ’75 (which is now 43 years old!) must pass. Only certain diesels built up into the ’90s are exempt.

        Like 2
      • Avatar Beatlepat

        As if! They changed it from 25 years to 30 years to locking it in from ’77 and newer. Gotta get outta this place. Politicians are not gearheads. They are not to be trusted. And I always eye gin drinkers with much suspicion, too, also.

        Like 2
    • Avatar dweezilaz

      Thanks, Nathan.

      Would have been a nice compromise for old car lovers in CA.

      No rolling exemption in AZ either, though it’s been proposed

      Like 1
  2. Avatar Skorzeny

    I thought these were VERY attractive cars, but as Avots-Smith said, compromised, especially those ugly headlights. That little 215 was a pretty good motor and I too, hope this nice Rover is saved…

    Like 3
  3. Avatar sir mike

    A perfect motor swap for a MGB GT….

    Like 3
  4. Avatar Beatnik Bedouin

    Assuming the car is solid and the engine is in reasonable shape, it would be great to add some Euro-spec lights and bumpers, clean it up and drive it.

    When SD1s come up for sale in the local market, they’re usually automatics. The manuals really liven up these now rare machines.

    Like 3
  5. Avatar hatofpork

    A sad end for what should have been a great car…Somebody save this one!

    Like 4
  6. Avatar Danger Dan

    Everyone rushes in to defend, but the glass is half empty. I had 3 of these. I got them in a package to gain access to a 63 etype. I sold one on eBay for $99. Gave one away on Craig’s and sent the last to be crushed, as this one should. If you want to raise a fuss about it, I have. 2 wheels left you can have.

    Like 6
    • Avatar Donek

      :O Questions, questions…

      Like 0
  7. Avatar Pat

    Weren’t these the cousin of the Sterling that were also imported during that time frame in slightly better numbers?

    Like 0
    • Avatar Derek

      No, the Rover Sterling was a Honda V6-powered thingy. There was a nice-looking fastback variant – 827, I think. There’s video of Tony Pond doing a 100mph TT lap in one as the “course clear” car.

      Like 0
    • Avatar RayT

      Same manufacturer, yes, but completely different cars. The “Sterling” was an Acura Legend under the skin, using Japanese hardware assembled without the care and reliability Honda built into the original product.

      I believe JRT — or whatever the company was called at that point — sold more Sterlings than SD-1s in the US, but it was a futile effort. Can’t recall seeing one in recent years.

      Like 3
  8. Avatar Kenneth Carney

    No, the Sterling was a partnership between Toyota and a British firm whose
    name I can’t recall right now. The first
    Sterlings hit US shores in ’86 or ’87 about
    the same time Hyundai came out with
    their Accent small car for under $7K.
    Like the Hyundai, the build quality of
    the Sterling left a lot to be desired.
    After a year of dismal sales, Toyota and
    their British partners went their separate
    ways. Toyota then took their Sterlings,
    got the bugs out of them, and rebadged
    them as the Lexus in ’88 or ’89. I can
    tell you firsthand that there were a lot of
    angry owners after the dealer network
    collapsed here in Central Florida. I started to see them on buy here-pay here
    car lots for as little as $750.00! Saw one
    once that went for $400.00. It was very
    clean and showed only 16K miles on the
    clock. Almost bought it ’til I found out
    from our Toyota dealer that he had no
    parts to fix it if something broke. So
    much for the Sterling, hope they save
    the Rover.

    Like 1
    • Avatar davew833

      That’s the best bit of automotive fiction I’ve read in a long time. A simple Google search would confirm that Sterlings were a collaboration between Honda/Acura and Rover between 1987 and 1991. Leftovers rebadged as early Lexus? Nope.

      It is true that dealer support disappeared in the early 90s and consequently the prices for used ones tanked.

      I’ve owned several Sterlings and can confirm that by ’90-’91, they were reasonably reliable cars with decent build quality, but as others have mentioned, the British tended to finally get things right just in time to cancel the whole venture, the damage having been done by poor quality early on.

      Like 1
  9. Avatar MoparMatt

    Sterling was actually a Rover built Acura Legend, not a Toyota. I almost made the mistake of buying a low mileage Sterling in college. At the time I had an Eagle Premier and had it serviced at a European only garage. My mechanic told me that he never knew how the British could take something as good as an Acura and make it as bad as a Sterling. Sterling as imported by ARCONA and was named after the top of the line Rover 825 Sterling.

    Like 6
    • Avatar JP

      I think the Sterling got a bad rap. It was actually a much better car than the myth would indicate, at least the 827s were. I bought one for my mother – a basically new ’91 – for peanuts and it lasted, problem-free, for over 10 years before dying in a rear end collision. By the end Rover got the electricals right but, of course, it was too late…

      Like 3
      • Avatar davew833

        The ’90-’91 Sterlings had more Japanese electricals than the ’87-’89, although the majority was still Lucas. They also benefited from the 2.7 C27A Honda V6 which was a better engine than the earlier 2.5, whether it was in an Acura Legend or a Sterling. My ’90 827SL developed problems with the alarm system, the power locks, windows and headlight wiring.

        Like 1
      • Avatar JP

        Should have got a ’91 :). And, to add even more to the off-topic discussion, I’d venture to say these were *really* nice cars – super comfortable, every luxury option available at the time, nice styling, fast, great handling. And sooo cheap!

        Like 1
  10. Avatar Pat

    Thanks for the education on the sterling….didn’t mean to highjack the thread.

    Like 1
  11. Avatar Scott Tait

    Someone save this… all the ones here where rust buckets and worst build quality you could imagine… the fact this is still intact says it was one of the better ones… last time i saw one was in a scrspyard 12 years ago!

    Like 2
    • Avatar Bruce Jackson

      Or, this one resided in a non-rust-belt area (like California), and that is why it looks as intact as it does…

      If there are few or no parts, the fate of this vehicle is inevitable.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Stang1968

        There are adequate parts located across the pond but the shipping expense will add up if you have any substantial or odd sized components to source.
        The Rover SD1s were used by police forces in the UK in the early 80’s. For the Love Of Cars featured one in brilliant “Jam Sandwich” livery; it was a handsome car. I would love to own this SD1 and add the european headlights, bumpers, and new interior. I suspect it was sent to the junkyard as it couldn’t be made to pass CA emissions. The build quality of British Leyland vehicles was pretty poor, but you have to consider the local automobile climate at the time – historic marques were trading hands, introducing badge engineering,unions were changing the environment. Most of the engineering was fairly sound on the cars, but it was the actual assembly where tolerances were too much, attention wasn’t given to installation or orientation, etc…

        Like 2
    • Avatar Concinnity

      Perfect for the straight ‘bolt in’ installation of a later 4.0 or 4.6 V8 from a later Range Rover P38 or Discovery. They’re just bigger capacity Rover V8s with the same block. SD1s go really well with the manual trans and 200+ hp

      Like 0
  12. Avatar JP

    Cool as this car might be on some level, they were pretty much junk, and certainly not worth the money it would take to sort this example. A much better investment, if you’re into Rovers but not concerned with *ever* getting a return on your efforts, would be a P6 3500. Much better build quality, great lines and appearance, and a perfect resto-mod vehicle. The SD1 is just a nightmare in every respect.
    And $2k for a non-running car? Gimme a break…

    Like 1
  13. Avatar Jubjub

    My eight year old mind was blown at the sight of a row of these sitting on the front line of the British Leyland dealer near my home. Conned my dad into a totally cool Polistil 1/25 die cast car.

    Totally flawed and the ultimate example of the Brits “stealing defeat from the jaws of victory”.

    I’d probably give a grand for it if I didn’t live across the country.

    Anybody seen the Retrorides thread of the guy restoring the SD1 police car? Great read. Dude is the man!

    http://forum.retro-rides.org/thread/131089/1986-rover-sd1-3500se-police

    Like 1
    • Avatar Doyler

      I’ve been following this build since it started.

      It’s made me want one badly. In rosso corsa with a biscuit leather interior, of course.

      Like 1
  14. Avatar Karl

    Wow I sure hope it’s got the full compliment of Lucas gauges and the wonderful wiring that went with them!!!

    Like 0
  15. Avatar Kenneth Carney

    I stand corrected. Thanks Matt. Knew it
    to be some Japanese partnership there.
    Couldn’t quite recall it though. That’s
    what 4 mini strokes do to a person.
    Puts a lot of holes in your memory
    bank.

    Like 1
  16. Avatar Daymo

    Find a uk/Euro spec car without all the US emissions kit (if you can) – they all go like SOAS, especially the 3500 Vitesse. Rimmer Bros here in the UK can source (most) parts.
    As for US Sterling’s, they were Rover 800 (Mark 1s) with Rover 2.0 & 2.5 or Honda 2.7 litre engines, hence the 827 designation – in saloon/sedan, hatch and coupe bodies; only the top spec models got the Sterling name here. And don’t believe the hype. They were no where near as bad as they are made out to be. My father had a succession of them, none giving any trouble whatsoever.

    Like 1
  17. Avatar Wrong Way

    Good read!

    Like 0
  18. Avatar Tommy

    I had one these good luck finding a distributor in the us if it goes its why I junked mine

    Like 0
  19. Avatar Bubba5

    Wasn’t this also the same car Princess Grace was killed in??

    Like 0
    • Avatar Concinnity

      No that was the previous model P6 Rover 3500. She suffered a stroke while driving her favorite car and drove off the road over a cliff. Her daughter survived the crash, as would have Princess Grace if she hadn’t suffered a stroke. The P6 Rovers were one of the first cars designed with crash safety in mind. This is the car after the crash, with the door cut off to get access to the occupants

      Like 0

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