The Rover 75 Coupe – a classic that stayed a concept!

By Classic Yorkshire correspondent Tony Lofthouse

I’ll admit it, I have something of a soft spot for Rovers. I run a now rare four-door 2005-plate 45 and previously owned an earlier 45 five-door model and a 216.

So I was interested to read about a coupe version of its ‘big brother’, the 75, which was planned to mark the car makers centenary in 2004, but never went into production.

The Rover Coupe was based on the facelift 75 saloon – arguably the best car in Rover’s history – and was intended as a motoring lifeline for MG Rover as they negotiated their ‘future’ with Chinese buyers.

Rover’s design director, Peter Stevens, and his team rose to the brief of creating a two-door concept model with a stunning roof line and frameless windows. Inside the interior would capture Rover’s stylish tradition with the concept car fitted with Yew wood trim and Tan leather upholstery.

It was a level of comfort and refinement that reflected its Britishness and the specification of models before it, from the P5 and P6 to the SDI hatchback.

Sadly, the 75 concept never made production as Rover folded, but it did inspire some great customised models.

In 2018, retired builder Gerry Lloyd from Wales, painstakingly built a V6 coupe based on the bones of an MG ZT 190 and using BMW 3 and 4 series parts. Gerry’s attention to detail was impressive, complete with red leather interior trim, courtesy of BMW.

Whilst in West Yorkshire, Retro Sports Cars, developed an MG Coupe using a wide arch MG X-Power body kit.

These are just two vision of what might have been in the final months of MG Rover!