Magnificent cars. Sure, pre1988 they were appaling quality wise, but post '88 they were stonking cars. We've had a couple in my family and they were well built, reliable, comfortable and went really well, even the 2 litre was quick. Which is remarkable given the weight of the car. I'm looking and attempting to save for a nice post 1996 Mk2 820 at the moment. Can't wait to get one :-)
Look, this is a really pointless argument. But in 1986 if you had the choice of a Rover 800, a Mercedes, an Audi, or a BMW, choosing the Rover would be idiotic.
All of the German alternatives would be more reliable (especially in that era), would depreciate more slowly, would last longer, and would be less likely to go wrong.
And contrary to the message in this commercial, the vast majority of Germans would rather have any of the aforementioned vehicles over a Rover 800.
But getting back to this commercial, one of the characters is puzzled that the other purchased a Rover versus a BMW / Audi / Benz. And ultimately I would have to agree, because any of those cars beat the Rover hands down. Germans are also very patriotic about their excellent vehicles, so it would be odd for an executive to buy that ugly Rover over a German car.
As for the styling, just take a look at what BMW, Audi and Benz had in their fleets back in the 80s or early 90s. Light years ahead of Rover, with better reliability.
I'm British, but I have no fond memories for British cars, because they were crap. We let our good brands get bought out like Rolls, Bentley, Aston, Jaguar. And our meat and potato cars were shockingly built. A crying shame indeed. But I'm not going to buy a crap car to be nostalgic.
The Rover 800 was VERY good car, well....my dads was superb. Smooth, comfortable, spacious, well equiped, well built, VERY reliable....and personally I think the fastback like in this advert looked well cool, much better than 80's mercs/bmws etc. at the time.
I'm not going to rehash the same arguments I've already made. Here's the reality. You can't buy a Rover 800 any more. They don't make them.
Yet, for example, the BMW 3 series was introduced in 1975, and you can still buy them today. The BMW 5 series, been going since 1972. The 7 series, has been around since 1977.
Bottom line is that Rover came after BMW's now famous models, and went extinct long before (in 1999 in fact).
If Rover were so much better, they'd still be on sale today.
Just because they dont make the 800 any more doesnt mean that they where bad cars. I suppose if no one had rescued Bentley and Rolls Royce then they would be bad cars too? There are many reasons why the company failed, some quite complex. But one of the killers was infact BMW - you can say what you like, but Rover was making a very considerable amount of profit before BMW came along, after BMW had finished with them, Rover was making a loss.
Its not horrible. Originally it was badly put together. But it was a very high tech car which was very modern looking. You can't compare it with a VW either - because all they had was the utilitarian Passat and the out dated Sutana.
It was a poorly built POS that cost too much, fell apart, depreciated heavily, was unreliable and looked ugly compared to its German competition.
In the commercial they are walking though a parking lot talking about how the man with the Rover could have had a Benz or BMW instead.
Anyone who purchased a Rover like this over a BMW or Benz was simply an idiot. And I don't imagine that many Germans would have done such a thing, as evidenced by the lack of Rover success in Germany.
I'd never be so stupid as to buy a rover. My father had one, I've had friends with them, and they suck.
I own a BMW, and love driving it every day. One day I will trade it for another BMW. Even if I went back in time I would never buy a Rover. And I can assure you that no self respecting German executive from that era would either.
Apart from anything else, the message it would send other German execs is that he had no taste or common sense. Not a good message to give to the board.
I certainly don't want to provoke an argument, but if you go to Germany now, you'll find that in affluent areas most of the people with wealth seem to drive a Range Rover or a Jaguar.Particularly Range Rovers, but I'm not kidding (I spend a lot of time in Germany and Austria). The taste is really quite British.
also, 2 800s passed through my parents hands (an 827 Vitesse and a normal 820si) and neither were ever unreliable. I've never owned one, I'm too young really.
Although let's be fair, neither Range Rover or Jaguar have been true British companies since 2000. Both companies now owned by an Indian company from Mumbai, and Ford prior to that.
Let us also consider that you are talking about now. This commercial was shot in the days when German cars were at their peak.
Finally, while you may have had good experience with the 800, you have to go by overall stats, which are not great for Rover in any era.
I love my 820, Its never let me down. You get so much car for your money. Very underated.
U5096 5 months ago
The Rover 800 Fastback is slightly more spacious in the back than the saloon with a tad more practicality.
AnthonyUK 9 months ago
i think you will find austin rover launched this car in early 86
MattsFarm01 1 year ago
@MattsFarm01 '88 Actually, for the fastback...
CaptainSlow1991 1 year ago
Magnificent cars. Sure, pre1988 they were appaling quality wise, but post '88 they were stonking cars. We've had a couple in my family and they were well built, reliable, comfortable and went really well, even the 2 litre was quick. Which is remarkable given the weight of the car. I'm looking and attempting to save for a nice post 1996 Mk2 820 at the moment. Can't wait to get one :-)
stratman1990 1 year ago
the fastback was launched in 1988, I had one of the first ones
mickeymoose76 3 years ago
Britischer Architekt! ROFL. i remember learning German at school and memorising the words on this ad lol....and Falco's rock me amadeus lol
...yes i know, how sad! ...as sad as the car and british architects lol
TheCase4Utube 3 years ago
Look, this is a really pointless argument. But in 1986 if you had the choice of a Rover 800, a Mercedes, an Audi, or a BMW, choosing the Rover would be idiotic.
All of the German alternatives would be more reliable (especially in that era), would depreciate more slowly, would last longer, and would be less likely to go wrong.
And contrary to the message in this commercial, the vast majority of Germans would rather have any of the aforementioned vehicles over a Rover 800.
ZCT808 3 years ago
i would actully have the rover for a few reasons
my dad had one (a '91 820i fastback ) when i was a kid and it was good
it was fairly reliable, had a few problems here and there but it genrally good and it was pretty fast. from what i heard it drove really well too.
it might look blocky by todays standards but i like the styling, it echoed the sd1. it was cheaper than audi/bmws and more roomy
it was one of the last fully british familly cars (the later ones like the 75 were bmw made)
dan171717d 2 years ago
Ultimately, to each their own.
But getting back to this commercial, one of the characters is puzzled that the other purchased a Rover versus a BMW / Audi / Benz. And ultimately I would have to agree, because any of those cars beat the Rover hands down. Germans are also very patriotic about their excellent vehicles, so it would be odd for an executive to buy that ugly Rover over a German car.
ZCT808 2 years ago
As for the styling, just take a look at what BMW, Audi and Benz had in their fleets back in the 80s or early 90s. Light years ahead of Rover, with better reliability.
I'm British, but I have no fond memories for British cars, because they were crap. We let our good brands get bought out like Rolls, Bentley, Aston, Jaguar. And our meat and potato cars were shockingly built. A crying shame indeed. But I'm not going to buy a crap car to be nostalgic.
ZCT808 2 years ago
@ZCT808.
The Rover 800 was VERY good car, well....my dads was superb. Smooth, comfortable, spacious, well equiped, well built, VERY reliable....and personally I think the fastback like in this advert looked well cool, much better than 80's mercs/bmws etc. at the time.
ash7990 2 years ago
I'm not going to rehash the same arguments I've already made. Here's the reality. You can't buy a Rover 800 any more. They don't make them.
Yet, for example, the BMW 3 series was introduced in 1975, and you can still buy them today. The BMW 5 series, been going since 1972. The 7 series, has been around since 1977.
Bottom line is that Rover came after BMW's now famous models, and went extinct long before (in 1999 in fact).
If Rover were so much better, they'd still be on sale today.
ZCT808 2 years ago
Just because they dont make the 800 any more doesnt mean that they where bad cars. I suppose if no one had rescued Bentley and Rolls Royce then they would be bad cars too? There are many reasons why the company failed, some quite complex. But one of the killers was infact BMW - you can say what you like, but Rover was making a very considerable amount of profit before BMW came along, after BMW had finished with them, Rover was making a loss.
ash7990 2 years ago
@ZCT808
Sorry, the 3 5 and 7 Series NAME is still going, not the same model. And Rover did not 'come after BMW' it started making cars in 1904.
allegrokarl 10 months ago
@allegrokarl Awesome. So go buy a Rover 800 Fastback then. Oh wait, they are all in junk yards, they don't make them any more, and no one wants one.
ZCT808 10 months ago
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ZCT808 2 years ago
Comment removed
ZCT808 2 years ago
Really liked the Bauhaus look of this commercial, coupled with the elegance of the German language. The music was ambient and before it's time...
Thank you.
kitefighter 3 years ago 2
Great commercial, although I think the car came out in 1986, not '81.
Horrible car though! It's laughable to imply that any sensible German would pick this over a VW, Audi, BMW, or Benz.
ZCT808 3 years ago
Its not horrible. Originally it was badly put together. But it was a very high tech car which was very modern looking. You can't compare it with a VW either - because all they had was the utilitarian Passat and the out dated Sutana.
andycarr75 3 years ago
Why so? Is it so laughable to fathom they might actually have some imagination in cars?
LiamOlf 3 years ago
It was a poorly built POS that cost too much, fell apart, depreciated heavily, was unreliable and looked ugly compared to its German competition.
In the commercial they are walking though a parking lot talking about how the man with the Rover could have had a Benz or BMW instead.
Anyone who purchased a Rover like this over a BMW or Benz was simply an idiot. And I don't imagine that many Germans would have done such a thing, as evidenced by the lack of Rover success in Germany.
ZCT808 3 years ago
How many Rover 800s have you owned?
The Germans didn't hate Rover either, far from it, they bought the whole company.
LiamOlf 3 years ago
I'd never be so stupid as to buy a rover. My father had one, I've had friends with them, and they suck.
I own a BMW, and love driving it every day. One day I will trade it for another BMW. Even if I went back in time I would never buy a Rover. And I can assure you that no self respecting German executive from that era would either.
Apart from anything else, the message it would send other German execs is that he had no taste or common sense. Not a good message to give to the board.
ZCT808 2 years ago
@ZCT808
I certainly don't want to provoke an argument, but if you go to Germany now, you'll find that in affluent areas most of the people with wealth seem to drive a Range Rover or a Jaguar.Particularly Range Rovers, but I'm not kidding (I spend a lot of time in Germany and Austria). The taste is really quite British.
also, 2 800s passed through my parents hands (an 827 Vitesse and a normal 820si) and neither were ever unreliable. I've never owned one, I'm too young really.
iainthornton 1 year ago
@iainthornton Fair comments.
Although let's be fair, neither Range Rover or Jaguar have been true British companies since 2000. Both companies now owned by an Indian company from Mumbai, and Ford prior to that.
Let us also consider that you are talking about now. This commercial was shot in the days when German cars were at their peak.
Finally, while you may have had good experience with the 800, you have to go by overall stats, which are not great for Rover in any era.
ZCT808 1 year ago
Outstanding!
jetboy2 3 years ago 2