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UK’s rarest cars: 1979 Rover SD1 V8-S, one of only 10 left on British roads

1979 Rover D1 V8-S
1979 Rover D1 V8-S

Forty-two years ago, some cars aimed at the managing director class of driver opted for an understated appearance, while a few others revelled in sheer ostentation. The Rover V8-S, with its alloy wheels painted gold or silver plus chrome-plated door handles and exhaust pipe definitely falls into the latter category. More importantly, it was a vehicle in the tradition of the marque.

The original 3500 SD1 debuted in 1976, and in 1977 it was joined by the 2600 and the 2300, as featured in this series. The V8-S made its bow two years later as the ideal alternative to the Opel Senator 3.0 CD and the Mercedes-Benz 280E W123. British Leyland’s management further intended it to serve as a dry-run for Rover’s relaunch in the US market, although sales figures there would amount to barely more than 1,100 models.

The S suffix was not an abbreviation of “sporting” – the additional fittings resulted in a 1 ½ CWT weight penalty over the 3500 – but 123mph was a respectable top speed by the standards of the day. The interior was possibly the last word in plush, with ribbed “velvet” upholstery, while the brochure blatantly appealed to the reader’s inner social climber: “We set out to create an exclusive member of the Rover stable that would offer you the perfect marriage of unique style and motoring luxury.”

At £10,699, the new flagship SD1 cost £2,185 more than the standard 3500, but the list of appointments was indeed lavish. The V8-S came with headlight washers and wipers, a sliding roof and air-conditioning at a time when an Austin Allegro 1100 De Luxe owner could look forward to “button-type coat hooks”. The Rover’s fittings also distracted potential buyers from its reputation for electrical maladies and sub-par finish, as well as Leyland enduring strikes on a seemingly weekly basis.

1979 Rover SD1 V8-S
1979 Rover SD1 V8-S

Autocar thought the V8-S succeeded in aiming high and was “well ahead of its rivals in many respects”. Motor was equally impressed, describing it as the “world’s best hatchback” and finding the qualities that made the Rover 3500 Car of the Year for 1977 remained “essentially undiminished”. Car evaluated the V8-S opposite the Saab 900 Turbo and the Renault 30TX, the last-named winning the test. However, it lauded the Rover for “its comfort, its prestige and the rifle-bolt precision of its controls”.

In September of 1980, the Vanden Plas replaced the V8-S as the range-topping model, and only 10 are believed to remain on the road.

1979 Rover SD1 V8-S
1979 Rover SD1 V8-S

Tim Spencer’s Rover left the factory in the first week of production and is the earliest example known to the SD1 Club. He said: “It was originally a dealer demonstrator for Mylchreest Motors in Douglas on the Isle of Man. I became its fourth owner in 1997 after reading an advertisement in Autotrader and at the time I had no idea what a V8-S was.”

One unusual aspect of Spencer’s example is its five-speed gearbox, as most customers specified the Borg Warner Model 65 automatic transmission. “My car has better economy and performance and is more relaxed on motorways than an automatic V8-S; it cruises at 70mph in fifth at 2300rpm.”

1979 Rover SD1 V8-S
1979 Rover SD1 V8-S

As befitting a motor car of quality, his SD1 is finished in Midas Gold Platinum paint; the other paint options were Platinum Silver, Persian Aqua Blue and the Triton Green often seen in BL publicity photos.

Production of the SD1 ended in 1986 and today the V8-S seems almost as forgotten as the humble 2400 TD and the 2000 versions. Spencer finds that while a few people “in the know” recognise his car, “others tend to confuse it with a Vitesse”.

The impact of the 1979 oil crisis inevitably limited sales, but the V8-S is a reminder of why many enthusiasts regard the SD1 as one of Rover’s most significant models, gold alloy wheels notwithstanding.

Thanks to: Tim Spencer and the Rover SD1 Club

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