50 years of the Rover V8: the iconic British engine celebrated at the NEC

The Rover Sports Register celebrates the anniversary of the Rover V8

The Rover V8 has powered some legendary cars in its time. What started out as a compact V8 developed by General Motors for its Buick brand turned into one of the best known British engines ever. Standout applications range from the Rover SD1, Triumph TR8 and, of course, the Range Rover. TVR even turned to the Rover V8 for its Tasmin as an export-market-friendly alternative to a Ford V6, liking the engine so much that it used it in bored-out 3.9-litre guise for a number of its later models.

Launched in 1967, the Rover V8 has now been around for 50 years. The Rover Sports Register is celebrating this anniversary at this year’s NEC Classic Motor Show with an immaculate example of a P5B on its stand. The first car to be powered by the Rover V8, the ‘B’ in the P5B’s name stood for ‘Buick’, a nod to the engine’s previous life. Badged as the 3.5 Litre, the P5B was a favourite with Government ministers, including Harold Wilson, Edward Heath and James Callaghan. The final batch of P5Bs to be produced in 1973 were purchased by the British government and placed in storage, due to concerns that its successor wouldn’t be up to the job.

Even in 1979, six years after the last Rover P5B was produced, Maggie Thatcher entered Downing Street in a 1972 model.

Other highlights of the Rover Sports Register’s stand include a Rover P6B as well as a rare 1950 Marauder. Based on a Rover 75 chassis, the Marauder was developed by former Rover engineers George Mackie and Peter Wilkes. Only 15 were ever made.

Watch: Margaret Thatcher arrives at Downing Street in a Rover P5B

>NEXT: The retro bargains you can drive to the NEC Classic Motor Show

Andrew Brady

View Comments

Share
Published by
Andrew Brady

Recent Posts

Race and rally Ford icons head to auction this month

The Iconic Auctioneers NEC Classic sale features an array of legendary Ford performance cars, including…

1 day ago

Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS replica review: Retro Road Test

This 'backdated' Porsche 911 imitates the legendary Carrera 2.7 RS for a fraction of the…

4 days ago

1966 Fiat 500 review: Retro Road Test

The iconic Fiat 500 got Italy moving after the Second World War and inspired today's…

2 weeks ago

Daihatsu Cuore Avanzato TR-XX R4 review: Retro Road Test

The Daihatsu Cuore Avanzato TR-XX R4 is as bonkers as its name suggests. We recall…

3 weeks ago

1988 Land Rover 90 review: Retro Road Test

This Land Rover 90 is an exceptionally rare special edition. But the qualities that make…

3 weeks ago

Great Motoring Disasters: Sinclair C5

Sir Clive Sinclair's revolutionary electric trike for the masses wasn't quite the success he hoped…

3 weeks ago

This website uses cookies.