The Rover SD1 was one of the coolest cars of the 1970s and 1980s – a reminder of the days when a Rover was something really quite special, even if it was dogged by British Leyland quality control problems.
Styled by visionary designer David Bache, the SD1 aped the look of the Ferrari Daytona. And while familiarity with its shape means it doesn’t quite have the visual impact it once did, try imagining the new Rover back in 1976, parked amid a sea of three-box Vauxhall Vivas and Ford Cortinas. The notion of a streamlined executive hatchback was forward-looking, and while the details age it, the silhouette of the SD1 would easily sit well alongside modern car designs – slippery, aerodynamic and beautifully curvaceous, it was a perfect integration of sports car design into large saloon car motoring. An icon that truly deserved the recognition it got when new, even if BL did leave the customers to take care of the quality control.
When the SD1 was retired after over a decade in production, it still looked avantgarde. And that’s the mark of a brilliant piece of design. It mattered little that it had a live rear axle or a range of engines that could trace their roots back to the early Sixties, for the SD1 was so striking that it sold well throughout its life.
Today, it’s one of those cars that’s becoming increasingly more collectable. A few years ago, they were cheap entry-level classics. Today, you’ll need five figures for a decent example.
This one is especially unusual – a South African market 3500 SE, it was one of 14,376 SD1s assembled from CKD kits at Leyland Motors Blackheath in Cape Province, finished in a shade of green unique to the South African market and equipped with a carb-fed version of the venerable 3.5-litre Rover V8, coupled to an automatic transmission. 1.jpeg1021.1 KB
The History and Paperwork
Two keys
South African RC1 registration papers
Needs first registration in the UK, a simple process for a car over 40 years old
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Auction Details
Year1982
Make
Rover
Model
SD1
Colour
Green
Odometer
63,276 Kilometres
Engine size3528cc
Seller TypePrivate
CountyNorfolk
Country
United Kingdom
Auction ends
Bidding history
2 Bids
from 1
bidders
Landrov••••£10,00002/08/24
Landrov••••£8,00001/08/24
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