Rover . . . ?

I swore I was opening a Forum dedicated to those machines that explored the moons surface, or whatever planets they explored . . .

I didn't know there was an actual car maker called "Rover" . . .

"Honey, I'm gonna start a car company . . . and name it after the dog!"

That's silly . . .

My God Rover has made some of the BEST cars ever made in the History of the car!
Thats a pretty Naive statement I-Rebel!!!

... and they made some of the worst cars as well. How well I remember the gutless P3 and what followed, the 75 'cyclops' through to the 110, the grannie-model Rover as we call them here. Just perfect for sliding into the funeral courtage, immediately behind the hearse, and then slowly motor on towards deaths door.

...Visions of SD1s littering the roadside, worthless, unsaleable. Of deconstructing interiors and brittle BL plastics, of dead fuel pumps, or if you were lucky enough to get fuel then a carby fire, and that automotive coup-de-gras ... a Lucas electrical system.

Let's not forget the Austin Marina and those lovely MGs modified to meet the 1975 bumper standards (rubber bumpers added and raised an inch to throw off the handling!).

Oh! Who can forget the rebranded Hondas like the Triumph Acclaim (Honda Ballade) and the bane of the 1980s US luxury car market, the Sterling 825/827!

We can go on, my friend. Plenty of ammunition at the BL incendary dump!

I recall driving a lurid pink Marina coupe (we got a bastardised 6-cylinder 2600cc version here) as a company car, and it was hell on wheels let me tell you. Overpowered, and on crossplies so no handling or brakes to speak of. Truly awful stuff.

Do you remember the Austin Princess, the wedgy replacement for the 1800? There's a great scene in the fantastic movie 'Full Monty' in which some poor desperate tries to commit suicide by gassing himself in one, but of course the car refuses to start...

Ah the disasters of BL - I'm, er, fortunate to own a Leyland P-76, Australia's very own Edsel-style disaster and thus well-versed in the culture of British inspired automotive patheticness. Details await for those who are game.

I have heard stories of the Leyland. As a fellow owner of the fine wares of British Leyland, my heart goes out to you.

I have a theory that the British actually won the American Revolutionary War/War with the Colonies, it just took them 200 years to prove it. I've worked on British cars...I have the scars to prove it.

I think the new Rovers are very nice, even though quality is so bad, no wonder they´re so cheap in Europe; I saw one Rover 25 the other day and one of the black moldes (I don´t really now how it is said) was falling off the door. (?!) The 400 (now 45) is just the european Honda Civic with the add of some cheap wood trim in the interior, now the 45 hasn´t evolutioned like the Civic did in 2001.
I think it´s no news that BMW owned Rover and recognised it was a very bad move since Rover is in bankrupt/debt.
The Rover 75 is the last try-hard Rover luxury car ;)

I think BMC/MG/Leyland/Rover/Austin/Morris/Wosely's cars can be pt into two catagories

Gems:
75 (5th in JD Power survey)
Mini
MGA
Chrome bumper MGB
Maxi (Quite reliable wee things)
MGF
25
45
Minor
600

and Lemons:
SD1
800
400
200
Allegro
110
3-litre
Metro/100
Leyland P76
Sherpa


I have forgotten some but most of those forgotten fall into the Lemon catagory

MG Midget should be in the "Gems" category. I, personally, would put the MG RV8 in that group as well.

And you left out the later Triumph products. Triumphs from (about) the late TR4s on were British Leyland products. TR4, TR5/TR250, TR6, TR8, Stag, Spitfire/GT6 - GEMS. I'll even admit that the TR7 could fall into the Lemon category. Many other BL/Rover Group products fall into the nether region between Gems and Lemons. Triumph Acclaim, for one.

Gems:

25

and Lemons:

200


This is interesting, seeing as the cars are 99% identical - Most of the parts can be swapped!

It's only the cosmetics on the front end that differ! Is a 200 a lemon because it doesn't have twin head lights????

Or is your list flawed?


And any problems with Rover are the fault of BMW and ONLY BMW (Unlike the Germans to storm in where there not wanted - mess it up - and leave with their tails between their legs!)

MG Rover will/are recovering and will be successful - 2nd in the World Touring Car Championship behind the superior Vauxhall team (and in their 1st year - FANTASTIC)

:sun:

Originally posted by i_rebel


"Honey, I'm gonna start a car company . . . and name it after the dog!"

That's silly . . .



I'm guessing your Name is Tom F. Thadiaw???

Hello Tom, I understand you don't like Rovers or the name "Rover"?


What did your Daddy say to your Mummy??

"Honey, Bend over, I'm gonna start a family . . . and name it after the a scraggly alley cat in the UK!"

Now that's REALLY silly . . .
:flash:

Originally posted by Sir Rover
Gems:

25

and Lemons:

200


This is interesting, seeing as the cars are 99% identical - Most of the parts can be swapped!

It's only the cosmetics on the front end that differ! Is a 200 a lemon because it doesn't have twin head lights????

Or is your list flawed?


And any problems with Rover are the fault of BMW and ONLY BMW (Unlike the Germans to storm in where there not wanted - mess it up - and leave with their tails between their legs!)

MG Rover will/are recovering and will be successful - 2nd in the World Touring Car Championship behind the superior Vauxhall team (and in their 1st year - FANTASTIC)

:sun:

The 25 has massivley improved in build quality thanks to a bit of help from BMW beore they were flogged off


Anyway I'll update the list

Gems:
75
25
MG ZS, ZR, ZT
MG TF (old & new)
MGF
MGA
MGB (Chrome)
Mini
Maxi
TR 2-6 (i never seen a TR1)
Triumph Saloon (2500 Mk II)- like Moppies old one
Spitfire/GT6 (Especially GT6)
200 Tomcat
P5 & P6
MG Midget
Herald

Lemons:
Metro
Allegro
Stag
Marina
SD1
1100
1300
1800
Princess
P76
400
800
200
Lancer
Montego
Acclaim
Mayflower
45

Originally posted by Jimmy_11_cars


The 25 has massivley improved in build quality thanks to a bit of help from BMW beore they were flogged off

45




I'll just pop outside and compare my 200 to the Mrs' 25 then shall I?

I don't want to argue but they the build quality is EXACTLY the same - I think you had better put the 25 on the crappy list

:rolleyes:

Glad to see u moved the tomcat to the GEM list

how could you overllok the 200bhp 200 coupe ??? 171 lbs torque and 150 bhp/ton power to weight . . . .for a factory born mass produced car they really fly . . . .std = fast modified = scarily fast

having owned BMWs Mercs Rovers and Hondas I can safely say there aint much in em . . . Honda and Rover almost Identical . . often the same damn parts bin !!!

Originally posted by TurboTomcat
. . . Honda and Rover almost Identical . . often the same damn parts bin !!!

The Rover 200/25 and 400/45 were based on the Civic's platform. The 600 was based on the Accord and the 800 shared many parts with the first-generation Honda/Acura Legend. Rover was in such dire straights that they needed Honda to provide much of their engineering. The later 25/45 are claimed to be mostly Rover parts, but they do trace their heritage back to the Civic. The 75 was developed under BMW and has no signifcant Honda components.