These were designed from the word go around the famous ex-buick 3.5 litre V8 as used previously in the P5 and P6, whats this about some Australian motor? the only one I can think of from Leyland Australia would be the the 4.4 litre V8 from the P76, which itself was the exact same engine with different bore/stroke.
Brilliant in it's design -One of the very best lookingBritish cars ever-, but you realy need a company like Honda, to make a car as sophisticated as this one, good enough.
The Rover 3500 costed 25% less Then a BMW 525i, but offerd far more luxory.
However, unlike the BMW, this one just didn't offer proper building quality...
If this car was so crap why was it every police force in the country could not keep there hands off them? Could it have anything to do with the fact that the meaty 3500 V8 sd1 could out power and had better handling that any of the competitors for the price?
@bommmmmmmm quite right, the Met was so in love with these they stockpiled them once word got out it was going out of production. Twin plenum Vitesse models also saw duty as special ops vehicles, e.g royal protection duties
No thanks, I'll stay and defend my right to say it wasn't good tv. So to those who want to see cars getting wrecked for no good reason, you in turn can 'fuck off'. I thank you.
They had a chance to surprise everyone by not wrecking these three quite tidy cars (the Princess was particularly clean) but they did what most people, myself included thought they would do and ruin them instead.
Very yawn-worthy and predictable, ho-hum.
I'm guessing they ended up in the crusher afterwards, no doubt that fool Clarkson pushing the start button aswell. Clarkson isn't going to particularly care about anything I say, but it has to be said, I really don't like the fellow!
@charlieflint apparently, Hammond's Dolly sprint did actually go to an enthusiast for a full restoration after TG had finished with it. chances are the Princess and Rover got cubed though unless anyone knows different. a tragedy, series 1 SD1s are very rare now, particularly one as clean as that one was.
It's nice to know at least one of them escaped to live again! as you say, the other two were likely cubed, such a shame. The Princess was a proper gem, auto 2.2 6 pot, I'd have rolled that as a cool alternative daily!
I think your being a little bit unfair to JC, JM and RH. The challenge was to prove they weren't that bad cars, but if they do perform badly why not have a bit of a laugh at them.
The writing was on the wall for a long time for the British car industry and decision like making the CityRover at the end sums most of it up.
I think your being a little bit unfair to JC, JM and RH. The challenge was to prove they weren't that bad cars, but if they do perform badly why not have a bit of a laugh at them.
The writing was on the wall for a long time for the British car industry and decision like making the CityRover at the end sums most of it up.
I want to know what happened to these three cars. I am not altogether happy about destroying the interiors and electrics by flooding them just for a cheap laugh either. I would love another sd1, once you have rectified all the designed in flaws they are good cars
Clarkson is a total git, not content with helping see off our last mass producer of cars, he and his two brown nosers have to go out and find three 30 year old British cars and put them through stupid tests to show how bad they were...great TV! What a wanker!
The SD1 was/is a great car. You can make any car look shit if it's not been looked after properly. Besides, if Clarkson was a car, he'd be a knackered old diesel Mercedes up on bricks in a chav's back garden
If Clarkson were a car he'd be a knackered young Russian Wartburg, expelled from school through poor quality metal but with the best workmanship put in there! Clarkson was never a Mercedes! Never efficient at school with the best efforts spent on him, Clarkson was looked after properly, what a pity that the face of what Britain has become benefits such a waster as a Clarkson! But the SD1 was never a great car, its style was copied from a Ferrari and it never got its intended Australian motor!
Ironically (in my opinion) it looked far better than the Ferrari Daytona it took inspiration from. I thought it WAS a great car. I agree about Clarkson though.
The Rover SD1 had the makings of a 'great car' as the Austin 18.22, but engines and bodyshells are designed to work as one unit, the Australian motor intended for the SD1 was not available! Consider then the VW K70 piston parallel to the Ro.80! The Ro.80 deserved to be a 'great car' but like the Caddy V8-6-4 lacked the technology required for the bid 'to be first' AND successful! Police found the SD1 spent four months in 12 out of service and 'a great car' would offer better value than a BMW!
OMg that not good..!! haha
Freyda210992 1 year ago
where is that old rover now it would be so cool to see it restored :-)
v8nomad 1 year ago
These were designed from the word go around the famous ex-buick 3.5 litre V8 as used previously in the P5 and P6, whats this about some Australian motor? the only one I can think of from Leyland Australia would be the the 4.4 litre V8 from the P76, which itself was the exact same engine with different bore/stroke.
mrspivvy 1 year ago
nice old car sad old driver
richiemoos 2 years ago
The rover SD1?
Brilliant in it's design -One of the very best lookingBritish cars ever-, but you realy need a company like Honda, to make a car as sophisticated as this one, good enough.
The Rover 3500 costed 25% less Then a BMW 525i, but offerd far more luxory.
However, unlike the BMW, this one just didn't offer proper building quality...
FrightfulAccountant 2 years ago
thats stupid try that with a mercedes 280SE without limited slip and it even will drive backwards hehe
Klottelitsch 2 years ago
If this car was so crap why was it every police force in the country could not keep there hands off them? Could it have anything to do with the fact that the meaty 3500 V8 sd1 could out power and had better handling that any of the competitors for the price?
bommmmmmmm 3 years ago 2
@bommmmmmmm quite right, the Met was so in love with these they stockpiled them once word got out it was going out of production. Twin plenum Vitesse models also saw duty as special ops vehicles, e.g royal protection duties
mrspivvy 1 year ago
You've gotta give it to him, Rovers have a problem with getting up hills.
david01478 3 years ago
where is the whle challenge of this, i cant find it now
adamtheho 3 years ago
Drive your car up the hill, park it on the line, get out and get away! :P
the06bug 2 years ago
Lol!
it sounded like a bad jet engine!
For those of you who hate seeing these cars supposedly being wrecked then fuck off to your little community groups!
B757204 3 years ago
No thanks, I'll stay and defend my right to say it wasn't good tv. So to those who want to see cars getting wrecked for no good reason, you in turn can 'fuck off'. I thank you.
charlieflint 3 years ago 7
They had a chance to surprise everyone by not wrecking these three quite tidy cars (the Princess was particularly clean) but they did what most people, myself included thought they would do and ruin them instead.
Very yawn-worthy and predictable, ho-hum.
I'm guessing they ended up in the crusher afterwards, no doubt that fool Clarkson pushing the start button aswell. Clarkson isn't going to particularly care about anything I say, but it has to be said, I really don't like the fellow!
charlieflint 4 years ago 8
they are still rotting at dunsfold... :(
youbeenhurt 3 years ago 7
@charlieflint apparently, Hammond's Dolly sprint did actually go to an enthusiast for a full restoration after TG had finished with it. chances are the Princess and Rover got cubed though unless anyone knows different. a tragedy, series 1 SD1s are very rare now, particularly one as clean as that one was.
mrspivvy 1 year ago
@mrspivvy
It's nice to know at least one of them escaped to live again! as you say, the other two were likely cubed, such a shame. The Princess was a proper gem, auto 2.2 6 pot, I'd have rolled that as a cool alternative daily!
charlieflint 1 year ago
@charlieflint All 3 cars were sent on for restoration. Even the Princess (:
Spac8 1 year ago
I think your being a little bit unfair to JC, JM and RH. The challenge was to prove they weren't that bad cars, but if they do perform badly why not have a bit of a laugh at them.
The writing was on the wall for a long time for the British car industry and decision like making the CityRover at the end sums most of it up.
Squidlover1000 4 years ago
I see what you're saying, but it was obviously fixed to make the cars look bad, it's painfully obvious!
We didn't really make the City Rover as such either, it was a rebadged Tata running a Peugeot engine and gearbox.
charlieflint 4 years ago 2
I think your being a little bit unfair to JC, JM and RH. The challenge was to prove they weren't that bad cars, but if they do perform badly why not have a bit of a laugh at them.
The writing was on the wall for a long time for the British car industry and decision like making the CityRover at the end sums most of it up.
Squidlover1000 4 years ago
I want to know what happened to these three cars. I am not altogether happy about destroying the interiors and electrics by flooding them just for a cheap laugh either. I would love another sd1, once you have rectified all the designed in flaws they are good cars
mrspivvy 4 years ago 3
Clarkson is a total git, not content with helping see off our last mass producer of cars, he and his two brown nosers have to go out and find three 30 year old British cars and put them through stupid tests to show how bad they were...great TV! What a wanker!
jawajawa350 4 years ago 6
The SD1 was/is a great car. You can make any car look shit if it's not been looked after properly. Besides, if Clarkson was a car, he'd be a knackered old diesel Mercedes up on bricks in a chav's back garden
1herp1 3 years ago 18
If Clarkson were a car he'd be a knackered young Russian Wartburg, expelled from school through poor quality metal but with the best workmanship put in there! Clarkson was never a Mercedes! Never efficient at school with the best efforts spent on him, Clarkson was looked after properly, what a pity that the face of what Britain has become benefits such a waster as a Clarkson! But the SD1 was never a great car, its style was copied from a Ferrari and it never got its intended Australian motor!
keplermission 2 years ago
Ironically (in my opinion) it looked far better than the Ferrari Daytona it took inspiration from. I thought it WAS a great car. I agree about Clarkson though.
bluesugarmonkeys 2 years ago
The Rover SD1 had the makings of a 'great car' as the Austin 18.22, but engines and bodyshells are designed to work as one unit, the Australian motor intended for the SD1 was not available! Consider then the VW K70 piston parallel to the Ro.80! The Ro.80 deserved to be a 'great car' but like the Caddy V8-6-4 lacked the technology required for the bid 'to be first' AND successful! Police found the SD1 spent four months in 12 out of service and 'a great car' would offer better value than a BMW!
keplermission 2 years ago
@1herp1 SPOT ON MATE
Debbiebaxter51 3 months ago
All three cars were too good for these spoilt middle aged prats.
jontrackerjack 4 years ago 5
I want one of them, just to see if it can climb to the top of south scott street
AllyMacG 4 years ago 2
Good old SD1s!
peaps 4 years ago 8