Rover 3500 (SD1)

Fast Facts

• Best model: Vitesse
• Worst model: 2000/diesel
• Budget buy: Good 2600
• OK for unleaded?: Yes
• Will it fit in the garage? (mm): LxW mm 4730 x 1770
• Spares situation: Good
• DIY ease?: Generally good
• Club support: Improving
• Appreciating asset?: Slowly but surely
• Good buy or good-bye?: Only if you get a good one

V8 is best bet; sixes can be fi ckle, 2000 dire and TD rough

80s facelift included chrome detailing which causes rust

Said to be inspired by Ferrari’s Daytona, the looks of SD1 has aged pretty well although rust is rife

Fastback style makes for great practicality. Even brand new shells are now available

Futuristic cabin was comfy but lacked stamina

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One of the original ‘jam sandwich’ police cars, the SD1 Rover is a fi ne car as well as an up and coming classic – just pray you fi nd a good one!

If ever a car represented a brilliant idea, badly executed, it was the Rover SD1. As a much needed and long awaited replacement for the inventive P6 2200/3500 range (and Triumph’s 2000/2500 models), it appeared in 3.5-litre guise in 1976 and ditched Rover’s wood and leather image, opting for then ultra modern plastic fi nishes, and a swooping hatchback body, which owes a strong visual debt to the Ferrari Daytona. Although more conventional than the P6 it received rave reviews and scooped the 1977 Car of the Year Trophy. Here, at last, was a car that could give Ford’s Granada and BMW’s 5-Series a hard time. It never quite happened though, and this Rover really became a bit of a dog. That said, 30 years on, the SD1 is at last gaining classic status offering prestige motoring for peanuts.

History

Incredibly, the car was fi rst conceived 40 years ago. The SD1 was launched during the scorching summer of 1976 and it promised great things for Rover with striking looks, a hatchback (unheard of in an executive car at the time) and numerous other ingenious feature you’d expect from the company that made the quite brilliant P6 (although some aspects were strangely retrograde such as a conventional rear suspension and drum brakes). Despite a new factory and great publicity, the SD1 was horribly made, and broke down frequently. It soon gained a reputation for being a real dog, but instead of praising the car’s many qualities, owners instead yearned for the rock solid faithfulness of Rovers of old like the P6 in fact.

In 1977 all-new straight six engines joined the lower ranks of the SD1 range to replace the P6. The 2.3 and 2.6-litre units are actually Triumph designs, which also helped bring down the curtain on the old 2000/2500 ranges. Despite being fairly advanced for their time, these engines were fi rst instigated in 1970 and while few parts are similar, is broadly based upon the old 2.5 six-cylinder unit, which was an old Standard engine of the 1950s! Yet again, poor BL development meant that these units – and the car – became a joke. As a result, plans for an estate and four-door SD1 withered, but the car’s dynamic prowess kept loyal buyers coming to the showrooms, and a 1982 facelift (new dash, tailgate window and a host of physical changes) saw an expanded range care of a 2.0-litre four-cylinder, a 2.4-litre VM-engined diesel, the iconic and brutish 190bhp Vitesse V8, a twin plenim hotshot and the Vanden Plas fl agship. Build was improving, but still not fabulous compared to the BMWs and Audis and Ford Granadas it was competing with, and the SD1 was viewed as another missed opportunity when the Rover 800 replaced it in 1986. That wasn’t the end of the SD1 saga though, for it found a new lease of life in India where the country’s Standard Motors produced the car from 1985 for three years equipped with a modifi ed Triumph TR4 engine. Sadly, it developed the nickname ‘Stranded 2000’ due to unreliability, and less than 3500 were made. Interestingly, Standard approached Rover as far back as 1981 with the proposal – so it obviously knew that Rover was having trouble selling the things! Today, SD1s are rarer than P6s and P5s, but their mix of stylishness, fi ne driving dynamics, and sheer go in V8 form, make them attractive collectors cars – if you’re brave enough.

Driving

The SD1 drove like no other Rover before. Here was an executive express that rode as well as any prestigious German while that trusty but lusty V8 hardly lacked pace.Once you became accustomed to the hypersensitive, high geared power steering, which at fi rst makes the car feel too darty, you can revel in the up-to-date sensitivity of it. Ultra tall gearing (most manuals had fi ve-speeds) means it can more than hold its own like a modern on motorways, too.In terms of performance the 155bhp V8 and the 136bhp 2600 are the best bets. The 2300 and the Austin Princess-sourced 2000 engines appear sluggish yet offer no economy gains – especially if saddled with automatic transmission, as many are.
The less said about the Italian VM diesel the better, but in complete contrast, top SD1s such as the Vitesse are splendid sports tourer, so it’s no wonder that these rapid Rovers were such a success on the track during the mid 1980s. From a practical standpoint the SD1 ranks highly. Here is a commodious, stylish hatchback that thinks its an estate, while trim levels range from simply civilised to positively luxurious, especially with Vanden Plas models. Talking of practicality, owning an SD1 is almost as painless as an MGB thanks to the car’s popularity in India where it was locally made. A stash of body spares were unearthed a couple of years ago – even complete shells – so maintaining one shouldn’t be too much of a worry.

Prices

Early P and R-reg Mk1 3500s are particularly sought after, along with the chest thumping Vitesse (particularly the twin plenum nutter version) and you can pay anything from £1500 to £10,000 for an immaculate example. Four and six-cylinder variants are tougher to value, and less desirable. You’ll see a lot of clapped out cars, but with £2000 and a bit of patience, you could end up with a very tasty car indeed – and that’s extremely good value considering the quality metal you’re getting. Bangers stillstart from loose change – and deservedly so, but don’t dismiss one for vital spares. People are starting to restore SD1 but you have to remember that it will be a labour of love and you’ll never see a meaningful return on your outlay and effort. Half competed projects may be worth considering, though.

Three Of A Kind

Citroen CX

On the face of it, the Frenchie has a lot in common with the SD1 and was launched around same time. Another accomplished car but big money loser, the CX took over from where the DS left off – and look where prices for that icon are going! Best models are top Pallas versions and rare Turbos but it’s more a case of whatever you can get these days.

BMW 5 Series

This is just the car that the SD1 was designed to compete with head on and in terms of dynamics then the Brit had all bases covered. Sadly, build quality and reliability fell to the German and a good 1970s 5 Series makes a splendid sporty yet hardy saloon. The 520 is okay but really it’s the straight sixes which have the smoothness and the power.

Rover P5

Okay, so perhaps it’s not a logical choice but the good old P5 shares the same V8, has class and culture by the bucketload and apart from rust, is as durable as the later SD1. Obviously the older Rover lacks modern SD1 dynamics but cruises as well and feels like a proper Rover should. Values are starting to drift upwards – and not before time.