Absolutely stunning! My dad had three of these, first one in August 76 the year it launched. Al, three were amazing! People slam them, but he never had any trouble with any of them. Smooth, comfortable and I think still a beautiful car today.
The only problem on the early models was the rusting but that was down to problems with the paint I believe? By 83 they had solved all the rusting problems with better water proofing and better quality paint. If you ever buy one always go for a post 83 model.
I remember the Motorway Pursuit vehicle Rover 3500, that could exceed 300 kph. I got pulled over by one between London and Cambridge... That thing came out of Nowhere, and the motor rumbled like a Lamborghini. I'm trying to see if any of the Pursuit vehicle Rover 3500's are still in existence?
I own this car. It doesn't leak never welded totally solid no rot. Interior had new headling all seats removed cleaned and treated. All power windows now work. It was running ruff. Not any more. New carbs full engine service new magnacor leads. Gearbox oil renewed. It now runs as a V8 should and pulls rather well. Valued at 11.5k its condition has to bee seen its excellent
I agree totally. Nothing from any other British volume manufacturer ever came close, in terms of styling. They still look good today, and are a timeless design imo. I can only imagine how they would look with some minor styling tweaks, to keep them up to date, such as colour coded bumpers etc, but that is pretty much all that would be needed externally. Better safety features, airbags, crumple zones, and side impact beams would also have been required to keep them up to date. But they were definitely ahead of their time in 1976.
What you’d give to have that car now Steve? At least you had the experience of owning one. I remember them as a kid back in the 80s and even then they were head Turing cars!
The first truly 'modern' styled car. Aerodynamic, ergonomic, front wheel drive, liftback door, headrests, flanged seats, 5-speed gearbox, etc, etc. So many firsts, so many styling advances, lovely to its door handles. No wonder it was the class of the 1970s EU family saloons.
@@hermanmunster3358 yes I know I had one for 10 years and I enjoyed the shit out of it . The guy I got it off put stiff springs and shocks on it so you could drive it better. It could of done with decent font discs. I could go through the front pads in 6 weeks but lots of fun and you can sleep in it ok.
Just the colours alone are soulless. Their all that boring metallic grey and they all look the same. When I come out of Tesco’s it takes me 10 mins to find my boring mundane Passat because it looks the same as the equally as boring all BMWs & Audi’s!
@Retro Lover You're exactly wrong. They were exactly brilliant. Le man winning, genre defining and all sorts of other amazing things. The downfall can all be traced back to politics and your opinion is rooted in the effects of that. Quality did diminish as times got tougher which was bad, but that happened in the US and Europe too.. Mid you all cars break down... And when it comes to durability... There's a lot more old Brit iron around than there is Japanese stuff. Jaoanese cars of the '70s and '80s rusted out pronto! Anyway, in spite of it all - Largely due to international investment, Britain still has a motor industry. People in other countries often have a better appreciation and understanding of British engineering! Also cars don't have souls. They are machines. Soul is something people impart to them
@Retro Lover No. I'm not actually and you don't know the first thing about automotive engineering. That is abundantly clear as you didn't address a single point in my comment
Yes and some say it’s predecessor the P6 was over engineered even more than its German rivals. I believe they simplified the SDI so it was less expensive to repair and fault find.
Looks quite like a Ferrari Daytona. Hard to believe this was a car from the stable of Fuddy Duddy Rover. But hey those Rover 3500’s which used to be Police cars in the UK in the 1980’s, are real beasties!
Put the rear wiper in the right place, its all about the details, new paint does not make a good car. Make it as good as it can be when its for sale. Love the SD1
Being on a C plate shouldn't this be an EFi? There are several B plate EFis on RUclips....also where are the door and front wing VDP plastic trims? No 3500 badges on the sides either. Maybe it had a re-spray?
@@DR1VER1983 : Nice SD1 or 3500 as they were known in North America. These are as rare as hens teeth especially here in Canada. I'd love to own one but I suppose I'd have to get one from the southern United States to avoid a rust bucket. These didn't do well in Canada due to rust, they just rusted away like crazy if you didn't rust proof the daylights out of them. This one looks like a gem. If I was in the UK I'd snap this up in a heartbeat.
Saw that also .......never forget to carry a spare camshaft in the boot of your Vanden Plas SD1.Remember the part you have ,in stock, will never break .
The British version of the "State Police" used an extremely souped up version of this Rover 3500 as their Motorway Patrol and Pursuit police vehicle. I used to run London to Cambridge in my sports car in 18 minutes until one day a Rover 3500 (V-8 3.5 litre) Pursuit car ran up from behind me like I was standing still. After pulling me over and getting my license, registration and insurance (I was with Lloyd's of London at that time... A ticket would have tripled my insurance), the officer saw my briefcase and asked what was in it. I told him he couldn't see it or he would go to jail on the spot. But I did pull my law enforcement credentials, and we began a more chummy conversation... No more mention of the traffic stop, only comparing motors in our cars. In parting, he told me he wouldn't know who to report me to today, but if he caught me going that fast again (I was doing close to 200 kph) that the car and I would probably disappear that same day. I promised I'd slow down but... You know how that goes. When you're driving a sports car in your mid-20's that can reach 300 kph, you definitely want to try some of that. I've never in my life seen another pursuit vehicle that could go over 300 kph, but the Rover 3500 Police Pursuit vehicle could do it. I wonder if there are any left? It's in exactly this body style.
Not worth the £9,000 asking price on eBay at 8 June 2019. No way. And a new camshaft means it probably needs a load of other engine stuff doing too. The V8 engine and cooling system are a big money pit...... £4,000 for a decent engine rebuild,
Their worth what ever a person is willing to pay. Remember these cars are extremely rare and will only go up in price faults or not. Buying this SDI and keeping it under roof storage will be a investment. So you’d more than get your money back if you ever sold it.
@@matty6848 - I'm afraid you lost all credibility with your first word when you contacted 'they are' to 'their'. I immediately realised you're a simpleton and discounted everything you subsequently said. The small stuff matters, fella.
@@markfox1545 will you lost all credibility by being a childish troll and trying to insult me with a typo. Yes unfortunately we all get used to the grammar Nazis on social media. I imagine your a blast to be around🙂
Cills should be finished black like factory the idea of that was to give the car a lower stance same principle applied to the Tr7 it just doesn’t look right all colour coded
Absolutely stunning! My dad had three of these, first one in August 76 the year it launched. Al, three were amazing! People slam them, but he never had any trouble with any of them. Smooth, comfortable and I think still a beautiful car today.
The only problem on the early models was the rusting but that was down to problems with the paint I believe? By 83 they had solved all the rusting problems with better water proofing and better quality paint. If you ever buy one always go for a post 83 model.
I remember the Motorway Pursuit vehicle Rover 3500, that could exceed 300 kph. I got pulled over by one between London and Cambridge... That thing came out of Nowhere, and the motor rumbled like a Lamborghini. I'm trying to see if any of the Pursuit vehicle Rover 3500's are still in existence?
I own this car. It doesn't leak never welded totally solid no rot. Interior had new headling all seats removed cleaned and treated. All power windows now work. It was running ruff. Not any more. New carbs full engine service new magnacor leads. Gearbox oil renewed. It now runs as a V8 should and pulls rather well. Valued at 11.5k its condition has to bee seen its excellent
Lucky man, I'm extremely envious 🤢
What did you use on the seats? I have one of these in Moonraker blue with manual box but seats feel dry and need treating.
Finde das Auto sieht gruselig aus...als Kind hatte ich davor schon Angst 😳
One of the best rovers ever made in my opinion. The V8 engine is glorious and the styling is phenomenal.
I agree totally. Nothing from any other British volume manufacturer ever came close, in terms of styling. They still look good today, and are a timeless design imo.
I can only imagine how they would look with some minor styling tweaks, to keep them up to date, such as colour coded bumpers etc, but that is pretty much all that would be needed externally.
Better safety features, airbags, crumple zones, and side impact beams would also have been required to keep them up to date.
But they were definitely ahead of their time in 1976.
I thought this was a late 80s early 90s car, so ahead of its time
Beautiful this Rover SD1 mk2 😍
Car of the Year 1977 !
Please Land Rover re-edit this line
Yes but make sure you go for a 83 onwards. The phase 1 77 to 83 suffered terribly with rust!
I want one again! Had one as a lad and feel very broody 😋
I had an SD1, sadly not a VP, but still a lovely car. As I remember, the manual V8 wasn't too bad on fuel if you drove it accordinly.
What you’d give to have that car now Steve? At least you had the experience of owning one. I remember them as a kid back in the 80s and even then they were head Turing cars!
A late Vanden Plas with leather and a manual box. Not only beautiful, but extremely rare.
The first truly 'modern' styled car. Aerodynamic, ergonomic, front wheel drive, liftback door, headrests, flanged seats, 5-speed gearbox, etc, etc. So many firsts, so many styling advances, lovely to its door handles. No wonder it was the class of the 1970s EU family saloons.
Front wheel drive?
@@George.Andrews. Nope, RWD.
@@hermanmunster3358 yes I know I had one for 10 years and I enjoyed the shit out of it . The guy I got it off put stiff springs and shocks on it so you could drive it better. It could of done with decent font discs. I could go through the front pads in 6 weeks but lots of fun and you can sleep in it ok.
Stunning car.
Modern cars are soulless garbage in comparison
Manual as well!!!😀😀
Holy words!
Especially Toyota
Just the colours alone are soulless. Their all that boring metallic grey and they all look the same. When I come out of Tesco’s it takes me 10 mins to find my boring mundane Passat because it looks the same as the equally as boring all BMWs & Audi’s!
@@matty6848 As good as these cars are, You can't compare them to BMW mercedes or Audi, You're in a total different territory altogether.
What a beautiful example. Looks like it’s just come out of the factory🙌🏼
Best car I ever had and drove to this day. British engineering is underrated as part of a political agenda sadly
@Retro Lover You're exactly wrong. They were exactly brilliant. Le man winning, genre defining and all sorts of other amazing things. The downfall can all be traced back to politics and your opinion is rooted in the effects of that. Quality did diminish as times got tougher which was bad, but that happened in the US and Europe too.. Mid you all cars break down... And when it comes to durability... There's a lot more old Brit iron around than there is Japanese stuff. Jaoanese cars of the '70s and '80s rusted out pronto! Anyway, in spite of it all - Largely due to international investment, Britain still has a motor industry. People in other countries often have a better appreciation and understanding of British engineering! Also cars don't have souls. They are machines. Soul is something people impart to them
@Retro Lover No. I'm not actually and you don't know the first thing about automotive engineering. That is abundantly clear as you didn't address a single point in my comment
@Mr. HandsomeNot my experience. This motor was reliable and powerful. No rust. The Dog's Bollocks of motoring!
Yes and some say it’s predecessor the P6 was over engineered even more than its German rivals. I believe they simplified the SDI so it was less expensive to repair and fault find.
The leather is nicer than soo many $million + cars of today .
Laaverly mow-tar! What handsome beasts these were 😘🇬🇧
Beautifull cars this one is an absolute glamour 👍👌
Holy shitballs what an absolute beauty! let's resurrect the real Rover and erase that crappy Honda FWD stuff
Looks quite like a Ferrari Daytona. Hard to believe this was a car from the stable of Fuddy Duddy Rover. But hey those Rover 3500’s which used to be Police cars in the UK in the 1980’s, are real beasties!
It looks like a Daytona, because it was designed by the same guy I believe, David Bache. He also designed the original Range Rover.
My father had the VDP 3.5 ... Absolute tarmac terrorist back in the day, beautiful cars.
Very late model SD1 1985 86 car aged really well still looks great today
A thing of beauty.
Old cam shaft in the boot......😁
Was there any rust or rot then? Paint job looks great but what’s underneath it?
Put the rear wiper in the right place, its all about the details, new paint does not make a good car. Make it as good as it can be when its for sale. Love the SD1
One of the hottest sedans back in the late 70s!! I would love to turn it into a drift car!
That is lovely. Would buy that if it was available.
Stunning car.
Jesus Christ that is gorgeous 😍
No picnic tables?
Being on a C plate shouldn't this be an EFi? There are several B plate EFis on RUclips....also where are the door and front wing VDP plastic trims? No 3500 badges on the sides either. Maybe it had a re-spray?
I love this car!
Looks better than one that came out of the factory. Has this been fully restored or is it a "barn find"?
Bit of both. A barn find that has had a light and sympathetic restoration.
@@DR1VER1983 : Nice SD1 or 3500 as they were known in North America. These are as rare as hens teeth especially here in Canada. I'd love to own one but I suppose I'd have to get one from the southern United States to avoid a rust bucket. These didn't do well in Canada due to rust, they just rusted away like crazy if you didn't rust proof the daylights out of them. This one looks like a gem. If I was in the UK I'd snap this up in a heartbeat.
Nice
The ones I used to own had their own swimming pool in the boot!
Mine was in the from passenger foot well. Soon solved that with a drill.
Luxury feature. 😊👍
Looks the same colour as mine, is it Arum White?
Yes that's right. Great colour
Thanks! My Dad had an 'A' reg MKII SD1 in this colour, couldn't remember what it was called till I saw your post. Looked very classy.
My Grandad had the Vanden Plas when it came out, said it cost more than his house at the time
That I can believe. Especially as back in the 70 & early 80s you could buy a 3 bed semi for less than 5k.
Was that a spare cam back there?
Saw that also .......never forget to carry a spare camshaft in the boot of your Vanden Plas SD1.Remember the part you have ,in stock, will never break .
Door panel didn`t pull off. The glove compartment wasn't full of water.
My Dad used to keep car wash sponges in the gloveboxes in his MK1 SD1 so he could wring them out after it rained. His later MK2 SD1 was ok though.
The British version of the "State Police" used an extremely souped up version of this Rover 3500 as their Motorway Patrol and Pursuit police vehicle. I used to run London to Cambridge in my sports car in 18 minutes until one day a Rover 3500 (V-8 3.5 litre) Pursuit car ran up from behind me like I was standing still. After pulling me over and getting my license, registration and insurance (I was with Lloyd's of London at that time... A ticket would have tripled my insurance), the officer saw my briefcase and asked what was in it. I told him he couldn't see it or he would go to jail on the spot. But I did pull my law enforcement credentials, and we began a more chummy conversation... No more mention of the traffic stop, only comparing motors in our cars.
In parting, he told me he wouldn't know who to report me to today, but if he caught me going that fast again (I was doing close to 200 kph) that the car and I would probably disappear that same day.
I promised I'd slow down but... You know how that goes. When you're driving a sports car in your mid-20's that can reach 300 kph, you definitely want to try some of that.
I've never in my life seen another pursuit vehicle that could go over 300 kph, but the Rover 3500 Police Pursuit vehicle could do it. I wonder if there are any left? It's in exactly this body style.
Thats a beuty sir and it a manuel.
Not worth the £9,000 asking price on eBay at 8 June 2019. No way. And a new camshaft means it probably needs a load of other engine stuff doing too. The V8 engine and cooling system are a big money pit...... £4,000 for a decent engine rebuild,
Nine grand! I think not !
Classics are only worth what someone is prepared to pay , unless they are in demand by multi millionaires
Their worth what ever a person is willing to pay. Remember these cars are extremely rare and will only go up in price faults or not. Buying this SDI and keeping it under roof storage will be a investment. So you’d more than get your money back if you ever sold it.
@@matty6848 - I'm afraid you lost all credibility with your first word when you contacted 'they are' to 'their'. I immediately realised you're a simpleton and discounted everything you subsequently said. The small stuff matters, fella.
@@markfox1545 will you lost all credibility by being a childish troll and trying to insult me with a typo. Yes unfortunately we all get used to the grammar Nazis on social media. I imagine your a blast to be around🙂
Lovely thing 👌
How many horses?
It won the Australian races
is it for sale ? and price?
Yes it was £9000.
Noice!
nice!
This car was the BUGATTI VEYRON of the 80s
Cills should be finished black like factory the idea of that was to give the car a lower stance same principle applied to the Tr7 it just doesn’t look right all colour coded
A tin of Hammerrite would sort it, and probably do it good too :)
Nice car bro i have also this car but i have sale
BMW owns the rights to the Rover name. Bring back this car.
No they don't. They sold the company to the Phoenix Consortium.
@@markfox1545 Bitch, who ask you!
Actually, JLR/Tata own the Rover marque, which is now discontinued.
SNATCH
When you reverse things come from behind you
@@richlee509 "It was a funny angle"
@@davisx2002 dont worry about Tyrone he can move when he has too.
@@richlee509 "Hes bad to the bone, ain't you Tyrone?"
@@davisx2002 keep that dog off my seats
How the fuck have you got a British car from the 80s with a working sunroof?