By Classic Yorkshire contributor Tony Lofthouse
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of one of the boldest British cars ever made – the Rover SDI.
As British Leyland grappled with finding a motoring winner, whilst faced being bailed out by the Government financially, along came a Rover that broke the mould.
It was 1976, the year the sun blazed down on our shores for weeks on end and punk rock was born!
Work had begun in 1970 on a new fastback design to woo the executive market and replace the Rover P6. Its designer David Bache drew inspiration from Italian classics like the Ferrari Daytona to create a dramatic looking car.
Inside, the wood and leather fittings synonymous with Rover were replaced by a more modern clean design and cloth velour seats.
The Rover SDI came in two phases – a V8 version, marketed as the 3500 and capable of 155bhp, to be followed by smaller-engined versions.
The 2300 and 2600 six-cylinder engines were based on the old Triumph units but still offered plenty of power.
In 1979 Rover added the V8-S premium model including air-conditioning and electric sunroof. A year later saw the arrival of a Vanden Plas version.
Whilst the motoring press warmed to the SDI there was no getting away from poor reliability and quality issues. Industrial disputes also added to an already badly-dented reputation at BL.
By 1982, Rover freshened up the SDI, including reintroducing leather and wood interior trim. It also launched the 3.5 litre Vitesse to more positive reviews and a successful sortie into motorsport followed.
Sadly, the end of the road came with increased competition and the Rover-Honda link up which would bring its replacement, the Rover 800.
Despite the serious problems at BL, the SDI was a fabulous car. It won European Car of the Year in 1977 and in 1984 Andy Rouse won the British Saloon Car Championship in a Vitesse.
In 10 years Rover sold 303,000 units.
Today, the most sought after SDIs are probably the Vitesse and 3500 models with good condition examples changing hands for over £15,000.
Not bad for a rather fine slice of British motoring heritage.
You forgot to mention the rare 2400 SD Turbo diesel engine version from the Italian VM Motori firm.
It was a cracking car I know because I used one in my business
I was’nt aware of this model Michael – sounds fabulous. Thank you for your comment