Sold: £14k over estimate Ones this good are very, very rare. Originality and history fired up the bidders.

Why this amazing P5B set a Rover auction record

There’s no denying just how popular the P5B is. It’s never been out of favour, even in the late 1970s and early 1980s when they were little more than bangers. P5Bs appear regularly at auctions, but very few have been as good as this one.

The price was still less than a full restoration would cost.

It might be, but to buy a half-decent Coupé and bring it up to this standard would way exceed what was paid for this original car. What’s more, off-theradar deals have seen P5B Coupés making this sum, and more. For one to make this amount in the public arena is clearly more unusual. The mileage was a warranted 20,403 – way less than any recent offerings and some of that could be attributed to being in long-term storage. But that was just the start. It was a very late example, with extremely well-preserved bodywork and paint, excellent panel gaps and non-saggy door hinges. The paint scheme is important, too, being the highly popular Zircon Blue with Silver Birch roof – perhaps the most desirable colour combination.

And the all-important interior?

Let’s face it, a P5B interior is a very smart, comfortable place to be, but years of neglect have taken their toll on too many examples. Not so here, where everything was wellpreserved and original, right down to the woodwork varnish. Seat facings, headlining and carpet were remarkably fresh, meaning there was no costly rectification required.

Originality pushed the price up.

In every respect this was a special car, and for so many reasons, but what really added value was its originality. Auctions have seen equally good restored examples but originality trumps restoration in today’s market.