The Big Picture
James Taylor chronicles the legend
We wish the Rover V8 a happy 50th.
When Rover introduced a V8 engine in 1967, it joined a very select band of British motor manufacturers. Rolls-royce and Daimler both had V8s, Bristol and Jensen were buying-in American V8s… but that was it. Rover’s V8 came from GM’S Buick division, and had powered compact models from Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac between 1960 and 1963. Rover was pushing for more sales in the USA, and the head of its American operation, Bruce Mcwilliams, reckoned that the best way to get them was to use an American-sized engine. Rover’s MD, William Martin-hurst, asked him to find a US V8 they could buy in, but in fact found it himself when he stumbled upon a Buick 215 in late 1963. He chased Buick for the manufacturing rights, and the deal was finally signed in January 1965.
Rover re-engineered the engine to suit UK production methods and prepared it for its new role with SU carburettors and Lucas electrical equipment. The engine appeared first in the stately Rover P5, replacing the 3-litre straight-six in autumn 1967. With about 160bhp once installed (Rover claimed 184bhp, the benchtest figure), it completely revitalised the car and the Rover 3.5-litre remained in low-volume production for another six years.
Once production and confidence in the engine had built up, from April 1968 Rover put it into its smaller P6 model to make the 3500. Though automatic-only, this impressive pocket rocket firmly established the engine’s reputation in the UK. By the end of the Seventies, the only way forward was with petrol injection, and the first injected V8s went to the USA in Rover SD1 3500 models, accompanied by Triumph TR8S for California; Rover and Triumph had been merged in 1972. The engine grew from 3.5 to 3.9 and thence 4.0 and even a 4.6-litre version. The last production engine was made in 2004, with specialist MCT building them for the aftermarket until 2011.
How many were made? Probably just short of
a million of all kinds, plus about 680,000 made by GM. V8 technology has moved on, but few have the simplicity, strength and tuneability of Rover’s legendary V8. The Rover V8 is the subject of a new book due this year. Written by James Taylor and published by Veloce, it’s called Rover V8 – The Story of the Engine.