Lot details Registration No: HPD966K Chassis No: 84007621D Mot Expiry: April 2007
Introduced in 1958, the Rover 3 litre (codenamed P5) was Rover's first monocoque design. Styled by David Bache and designed to occupy a market niche higher than the well-regarded P4, it was a handsome car with a comfortable, well appointed interior. One of the best selling British luxury cars of the 1960s, it was subject to Rover's usual programme of evolutionary improvement through MKII & MK III variants. However, by the mid-1960s the 3-Litre was beginning to be outclassed by its rivals in terms of drivetrain refinement and so to redress the balance, in October 1967 Rover installed the new alloy 3528cc OHV V8 engine to create the 3.5 Litre Saloon & Coupe, or P5B in Rover terminology. Based on a 1959 Buick design, the alloy V8 developed 161bhp and 210lbft of torque which with the standard fit three-speed automatic gearbox gave a 115mph top speed and 0-60mph in 11.5 seconds, figures in a different league from the stately 3-litre. With sporty Rostyle wheels and power assisted steering of legendary lightness (the sales brochure included a picture of a fragile looking female turning the wheel with one finger!), the 3.5 Litre was a firm favourite among businessman and politicians of the era. Harold Wilson's car was even reputed to have a pipe rack in the back! Steady sales ensured that the 3.5 Litre found a place in the British Leyland catalogue, despite in-house competition from the more modern Jaguar XJ6, until the end of 1973. Although a replacement codenamed P8 had been designed by the Rover team, this was cancelled by Leyland management who feared that it may affect sales of the XJ6. The lack of a suitable replacement lead to the British government buying the last batch of 3.5 Litres for future governmental use, the last of which was registered in 1979!
The car offered for sale here today is a 1971 3.5 Litre Saloon which has covered only 75,000 miles from new, a figure supported by the old MOT's and service records kept by the one family owners from new. A letter from the previous owner who has known the car since 1971 states that the mileage is genuine, the car has been garaged and it has not been driven hard. Finished in blue with a beige leather interior, the MOT is current until April 2007. Also included in the paperwork are V5 document and original owner's handbook.
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