FIVE TRIALs
We enjoy the Rover 80 and put it fully to the test
1 DAILY DRIVING
With steering that’s light, low geared and requiring four-and-a-half turns from lock-tolock, the P4 is an easy classic to manoeuvre around town centre traffic, so long as you’re aware of its dimensions. Visibility through the wide rear screen is good, though it doesn’t allow you to see the rear extremities. Likewise, the high driving position offers a commanding view down the bonnet, but the nearside wing is obscured, so it can be difficult to judge the width. Although always upright, the driving position can be tweaked to suit. This includes adjusting the seat itself, the armrests on the door and even the angle of the gear lever.
2 IN THE SERVICE BAY
The spark plugs are obscured by the trunking for the oil bath air cleaner, though access to the rest of the major engine bay components is good. Tipping the scale at 1.5 tons, it’d be prudent to check your car jack and axle stands are up to the task before venturing underneath. In spite of its traditional appearance and separate chassis construction, the Rover 80 requires minimal greasing – the universal joints on the propshaft require attention every 5000 miles (perhaps once a year, then, on the sort of mileage typical of regularlyused classics), while each of the swivel pin oil reservoirs need fresh grease at 15,000 miles.
3 ON THE SHOW CIRCUIT
It’s difficult to think of a car more in keeping with the cricket green and warm beer image of idyllic Britain, and even harder to imagine any P4 being turned away from an all-makes car show – this is the car that show organisers dream of. In terms of events marking the P4’s anniversary, the ‘ big one’ is being organised by the Devon branch of the Rover P4 Drivers’ Guild, which culminates in a car show open to all Rovers (not just P4s) on 8 September at Cheltenham Chase Hotel in Gloucester. Entry is £5 per vehicle but pre-booking is essential – visit the club’s website (roverp4dg.org.uk) for further information.
4 THE LONG WEEKEND
The 11.5-gallon fuel tank means that you’ll need to factor in fuel stops every 200 miles or so – a 1.5-gallon reserve supply is a helpful feature, though, made available via a switch between the pair of large gauges in front of the driver. However, that’s a minor grumble given the comfortable and unobtrusive motoring that passengers can expect, resulting from engineering that reduces mechanical, road and wind noise to a minimum. There’s ample space for three adults on the rear bench, though if this trio is especially tall then the curvature of the roof might mean that the outer pair may find headroom compromised.
5 THE B-ROAD BLAST
Just because this isn’t a sports saloon doesn’t mean that it’s not a perfectly pleasant companion with which to enjoy Britain’s smaller roads. With its stable and predictable handling, the P4 allows you to safely carry momentum into bends without fear of the sort of understeer of earlier models. What’s more, being equipped with progressive servo-assisted front disc brakes allows for later braking, again affording extra confidence. Of course, it would be remiss not to say that the true pleasure of driving a machine as tastefully appointed as this is to do so as smoothly as possible – though it’s reassuring to know that it can press on.