Starter classic: Rover P6 (1965-’75)
This sleek Brit is becoming increasingly collectable
wHHEN we tested the Rover 2000 in 1966, the company was still called Rover Company Limited but that changed the following year when Leyland Motors took over the helm, changing the corporate name to British Leyland.
In the earlier years, Rover was considered a desirable premium brand and was known as the poor man’s Rolls-royce, but its reputation – along with many British marques – suffered in the 1970s due to labour issues and British Leyland’s poor management.
The model we’re looking at this month filled a big hole in Leyland’s product offering, having a bunch of cars under 1,6-litre capacity and many above 3,0 litres.
PACKAGING
The suspension was unusual in that the front had horizontal, longitudinal coil springs that were compressed via lever bars. The rear used a De Dion tube with coil springs and there were disc brakes for all four wheels, the rear ones being mounted inboard. Vacuum boosting was added to the front and braking was excellent for the time.
As you would expect on a Rover, the interior was quite luxurious, including leather upholstery. Interestingly, it featured a modern, rectangular instrument binnacle with ribbon speedo-meter and the usual gauges; not quite the walnut around the dials that was so common on British models.
Seating in the rear was tailored for two, but legroom was tight. The large boot could swallow 459 litres, even with the vertically mounted spare wheel taking up some room.
POWERTRAIN
The engine is a robust unit with machined piston crowns, chain-driven overhead camshaft and a single SU HS6 carburettor that was barely up to the job. Producing 67 kw and 153 N.m of torque, it had adequate performance for the day.
A four-speed manual gearbox used a short-throw lever and drive was sent to the rear wheels. There was also an automatic for those who liked to rest their left foot.
WHICH ONE TO GET
Most would prefer to nd a 3500 V8 but, with fuel getting horrendously expensive, this 2000 is a better bet for an everyday classic.
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
The 2000 is more fuel-ef cient than the V8 but not by much. Our fuel index worked out to just under 13,0 L/100 km, although it does improve a lot if you stay under 100 km/h.
Be sure to look underneath for rust, especially in the sills. The bonnet and boot panels are made from aluminium, so no need to worry too much there. Check all cooling joints for leaks and corrosion, too.
The camchain may make some noise but too much could mean replacement. Gearboxes seldom give trouble but the inboard rear discs are dif cult to work on, so be sure to check the pads for wear. Spares can be obtained from owner’s clubs, mainly in Britain.
AVAILABILITY AND PRICES
This car was not a big seller, so rarity makes it stand out. The 2000 was offered in South Africa between 1965 and ‘69, with a total of 1 587 sold. The price in 1966 was similar to a MercedesBenz 230 and some American V8s, but considerably cheaper than the Jaguar MK 2.
For interest, the Rover 3500 V8 took over from the 2000 in 1969 and a total of 1 180 of these were sold before the nal V8 Sport was introduced from 1971 to ‘75 (1 324 sold). The later models had some extra power and new instrumentation. In 1978, the more modern SD1 took over.
There recently was a pristine example at Sedge eld Classics but they’re rare. There also are more V8s on the roads than 2000s.