Rover P6 3500 Classic Car Review
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- Опубликовано: 8 дек 2018
- Britain didn’t make “Muscle Cars”, right?
Wrong - ours were just that little bit more polite. But they didn’t come much more British than the V8 Rover P6, with it’s bulging air intakes and wide wheels.
“A Very British Muscle Car”
Motoring Presenter, Paul Woodford is back behind the wheel of an iconic classic car for this latest film; a story of the British Muscle Car industry.
The very British big Rover hides a dark secret, however. Find out what it is with this latest feature from www.CarFilms.co.uk.
[SOUNDTRACK]
Artist: Whitesand
Track: “Eternity”
Link: • Video 
Авто/Мото
Not only it looks absolutely gorgeous, but the P6 is a delight to drive, is fast, safe, and supremely comfortable.
Thanks for the wonderful video. A true gem.
You need more views, you're a great presenter, loved this video! Can't wait for more!
Comments like this, from people who enjoy my work, are why I don’t need more views. 🙏🏻
Dear Paul! Greetings from Austria! I've never enjoyed a video like this before... you transported so much love, admiration and respect for that car... you managed to create a big smile on my face. You may believe me, i can really understand that as I also own a P6, a 1976 Rover 3500 S, paprika coloured, sunroof... which i restore since 2 years now and which is very very rare and unknown in Austria. If people look at the car, and don't understand it i always think about the slogan on a old german P6 advertisment that i saw once. It says: "Ein Wagen, den nicht jeder fährt, weil nicht jeder seinen Wert beurteilen kann" = "Not a car everyone drives, because not everyone appreciate its value."
Hi, I own one too, glad you agree with the review as well.
Owned a 73 3500s for 10 years, sold it 5 years ago and am still kicking myself now. Wonderful car, very well made and drove superb. I would have another one tomorrow if I had the space. Doesn't get the recognition it deserves. The closest we ever got to having a mass market V8 muscle car in this country, would blow the doors off almost any other car in its day. If you wanted faster then you had to spend a lot more money. Can't go wrong with a P6b I'd recommend one to anyone who wants a classic car.
Excellent Mr Woodford-and even with the rare boot spare wheel carrier-awesome!
I had a 1970 American spec P6, it was quite the car to drive! It was a rarity on the road when I got it in 1987, it was always good for a few stares and comments. I wasn't in a great financial position at the time, with a young family to look after, so it went back to England in 1997. I'm hoping it is still out there making someone smile!
My father used to own one of these cars in the U.S. As a professional engineer, he appreciated the way every detail of this car had been thoroughly thought out, not simply to make it look better or just for the sake of doing things differently, but to actually make the car better. That spare tire was a case in point. Just for the record, the spare tire was not normally mounted on the boot lid the way it is shown on this video, it was normally stowed inside the boot, as in other cars. However, in those days cars did not come with "run-flat tires", or reduced size "doughnut" spare tires. All cars came with full-sized spare tires, and the Rover 3500S had relatively large, wide tires, which occupied a considerable amount of space in the boot. Consequently, the engineers at Rover worked out a clever way to increase luggage space during long trips. They designed the Rover badge on the top of the boot lid to be removable, with a mounting point for the spare tire underneath it. That may not be a major feature, but it simply underscores the amount of thought that that went into the design of this car. The placement of the fuel tank forward of the rear axle, where it was protected in the event of an accident, the way the front and rear were designed as crumple zones while the passenger compartment was built inside a rigid roll cage were also sensible, well thought-out touches not seen on other cars then, and on very few even today. The only aspect of the 3500S that Rover did not think out was marketing it. In typically British fashion, they seem to have chosen to hide their light under a bushel, at least so far as the U.S. market was concerned. Here Rover had a car that put every BMW and Mercedes in the shade, and nobody knew about it. As a result, knowledgable American car buyers could pick up a second-hand Rover 3500S for a fraction of what they would have payed for a comparable BMW or Mercedes.
I remember seeing these on a British Leyland dealers lot, along with Triumphs, and Land-Rovers. Never knew they were so interesting underneath. Brilliant!
Just discovered your videos - very professional indeed, a cut above the rest 👍
I once drove my 1970 3500S (NAS specification) from San Diego to Missoula, Montana. A distance of a bit over 1,200 miles (over Interstates 5 & 15 and US Hwy 93). I had the spare wheel and tire mounted to the boot (trunk) lid for the trip. Had the tire cover on the spare tire. By the time I arrived in Missoula, the trunk lid of my Rover was out of adjustment. I suspect the reason for this was that during a fair portion of the drive, the Rover's cruising speed was in the low triple digits. That was one hell of a wonderful car to drive and was perfectly at home cruising at 110 MPH or so. These days I drive a Buick Enclave. The Land Rover products I owned many years ago have been replaced by a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. I'll always have a warm spot in my heart for Rover cars and Land Rovers.
3500S , was even better being manual !!! :-)
@@tomfinney6498 this was the very unique is spec rover p6 which still had the autobox and series styling yet was called '3500s'. The series 2 interior actually originated from here
Fabulous to see you doing what you do best, creating excellent intelligent content about niche cars, I have missed this from you, keep it up..
I drove the 3.5litre V8 version of this car as an advanced driver with the Metropolitan Police and, at the time, there is no doubt that, they were the best police car we ever had. They were powerful, fast, compact and handled superbly. I liked the car so much that I bought the 2000 version and thoroughly enjoyed it. I wish that I had a 3.5 now. In the Met they were superseded by the Rover SD1 which was a different beast altogether and, I think, one of the worst police cars we were lumbered with.
Excellent video. The joy in what you're doing really comes across.
Thank you for doing this Paul. This is one of my favorite cars of all time. Nothing like it.
Excellent video! So good to see real passion for real cars. Keep up this good work!
I enjoyed watching you Narrate the Rover . Your very good presenter and kept this little documentary interesting.
Fabulous Rover . Id like you do talk about the SD1 Rover one day .
Good to see you Paul back at what you do best.
Well done ..👍
Fantastic film Paul! Love the 2000!
Nice to see your production budget seems to have gotten bigger 😉. Wonderful!
A very professional review and film, subbed!
Just found you after 2 and a half years😊 Full marks for the production quality of this video.
Only hope your still going? If you are I'll binge watch it all👍
Many Regards.
Great presenting style and great video. Had a P6 many years ago. Utterly brilliant car. Fantastic engineering. And it says a lot for the car's design that a boot mounted spare wheel doesn't spoil the visual effect. Well done sir. Can imagine you on mainstream TV.
My neighbour had a tc 2000 and as 16 year olds we had a great time driving around Vancouver, very rare car in amongst the Chevys,Buick’s,Fords and Chrysler’s of the 60ts. Loved the leather and wood interior.
Watching this 5 years later .. still an excellent video.. (Phil.. Rover P6 owner)
In 1972 I owned a 3500 in San Francisco. It was a beautiful tobacco leaf brown with two hood air scoops. We loved the car. But, came the day when I needed service, I literally had mechanics laugh and say, "Doctor, I couldn't charge you enough to work on that car." When I got the bill for a brake repair consisting of dropping the half axles off the Dedion rear end, I parted with the car and my bride nearly parted with me! We loved the car and each other. Thankfully she made the hard choice and we're still together.
Beautiful car and a very professional, well presented video 👍🏻
One of my all-time favourites, the P6 3500. The P6 shape still looks sharp 60 years on and with that engine, pure class (with a minor hooligan element)!
Hi. That was so brilliant to see someone half my age (I think) talk about the car I have owned for 15 wonderful years. I own a 1969 Rover P6 3500 Series 1 (yeah a mouthful) on a 'G' plate (aka The Red Car.... Brigade Red). I don't know how you got that one but it is gorgeous right down to the 'as new' leaflets. I have owned many classics (Hillman Imp California, Triumph 2500S, Toledo as well). I spent three years trying to find one of these, this car is such a high watermark in design, drive and ride for the time. There is nothing that can compare from the UK - it is peerless. It could outrun nearly everything except an AC or Jensen. I could go on but to see someone really get these cars, so young, and put it together in five minutes - just brilliant.
Needless to say, I'm a Dad now since I bought it, with a wife and two girls in the time They've all ridden in it, my kids love it and take the great engineering, the sound and the interior (which after nearly 50 years is evocative) to one side, they get this car, it's big (ish), loud (the Rover V8 is a legend) but it handles like nothing else since. They still hoot with joy when I take a sharpish corner. I recently bought a new car and my kids said: "It's okay but it's not as much fun as the red car."
The best thing I can say about this car, so criminally underrated - it has soul. You nailed it and whatever you do next, keep going.
P.S. I don't have a boot mounted spare - it was an option for those that travelled 'the continent' (or Europe). The point being you could drive this reliably to France or wherever because it was that reliable. That was unheard of at the time.
Great vid guys. I've got both a 2000 and a 3500. Love them both, but the V8 has a magnificence missing totally from modern plastic/electronic nonsense.
Good question. I've never bothered working it out as it's not something I care about in a classic car. Anyone even slightly bothered about fuel consumption wouldn't buy a V8. I can only say that I put much less petrol in the 2000 than the V8 which does drink like a parched George Best. You forgive it because of the noise. That noise....
@Ned Chil the V8, you lucky you get 20mpg, the 4 cylinders , hi 20s?!
Couldn't agree more with you. I own a 3500, it's far more enjoyable, and considerably more comfortable than the tinny BMW I use as a daily hack. The P6 was a superb piece of British engineering, so far ahead of it's time, it's an ideal daily use classic. Quality.
Thank you for letting us hear the sound of that mighty V8
Talking and unnessessary music throughout that whole clip.
When will you learn ??
Agreed. Background music is too foreground
Next to the Jensen Interceptor, this is my favourite British car of that era - the big difference with the P6 though was that they were considerably more affordable - so you could get the same refined British muscle car feel of the Jensen without having to earn movie star money
Damn, I wish I still owned my one. Back in the day it was just another car. Nowadays you appreciate how great things were made then!
Great review, well done!
not long enough to satisfy my lust for p6 stories - do another!!
First view of your channel and subscribed,it was nice to see a review of a car without fifteen minutes of waffling before the car was driven; Hubnut, Furious driving and the rest take note. 👍
Excellent review, enjoyed this
How many 40-50 year old cars are still completely practical daily drivers in 2019? A wonderful car.
Outstanding video, it gives me early 1960s flashbacks to the winding roads of Loch Long and Loch Eck with a beautiful Scots girl... a hamper & a bottle of Highland single malt on a Sunday afternoon. Those were the days lads!
Ok, this video is the inspiration to get my P6b going again. Great Video. Subbed.
Great video. Very good presentation. I've been driving a Rover V8 as my daily for a few years covering 10,000 a year without fault. I also owned American V8's. I'll take the one with all round discs and handling every time.
This also has an American V8 lol
@@sc1338 I think he means actual fully American built V8 muscle cars, as opposed to this one, which just has the American engine in it
I always loved the slender steering-wheel hub, exquisite.
Beautifully shot and presented, well done. I own a lovely 3500S, my seventh P6B (I ran them in UK and now Oz). One thing I've learnt in recent years rightly or wrongly is that the Buick 215 all alloy V8 was actually designed for the US market by Porsche!? I've read this in a few old motoring periodicals. Any thoughts on this?
My dad bought a 3500s in 1973.He only liked manual transmissions.Lovely car.👍
The Rover P6. The best saloon car ever. The first sports saloon. My top favourite car.
Those were the days
I wish you could buy the V8 Rover as is new today. I had a Rover 2000 TC , H . REG in the 70s Loved that car. The ride so comfy , small gearstick , comfy leather seats , quarter lights , good brekes and the car looked beautiful what more do want or need.. Apart from the V8 bulge for the radiator that was my car , same colour. Thanks for the memory , very good video .
By what means (I wonder) have you managed to catch so beautifully how special owning a new Rover was in the 1960s? My late father and his work colleagues drove only these cars for many years because Rovers (and especially the P6) were by the standards of the day not only excellent, but also understated cars. Yet even at the time, Rover owners knew they were connoisseurs to select them. At 4.10 of your video, there is a brief flash of an owner’s manual. It states “A Rover owner is no ordinary motorist”. In 1974 an advertisement from BL had two barristers in wigs and gowns standing outside the Old Bailey looking at a P6. The text was, “If you have judgement you own one”. That rather said it all.
Good presentation, next time can we hear a few examples of the V8 going through it's paces? It was a great sounding engine and exhaust note. The sleepy music detracts from the message of it being a muscle car. Nonetheless, one of my fave Brit cars and proof innovation didn't die though BL purched them in the 60's. Very comfortable car too, I rode in several of them as my father worked for BL Canada out of Burlington, On. and part of his job was to get to know the cars by bringing them home, much to my delight! BL made cars with abundant problems, but they were also resplendent with personality and many of them (like the '74 MGB I rebuilt and drove 25 years) were good for much "fun per gallon". Loved the 3500S, great car.
I like your use of a very short camera person. It gets the viewer a good look at the details. M.
Great presentation!! More please! ie. Triumph Stag!😉😎
You have a very pleasant way of presenting. Lovely car, by the way.
PS: Any idea where I can get a "GB" badge exactly like the one mounted on the back of the car?
Thank you. I have no idea on the badge front - perhaps try a classic car supplier like Rimmer Brothers or Mini Spares?
Nice review Paul, TBH, never been a lover of the shape of the P6, or the car generally, although the very last P6 with the different grille looked OK. A very professionally presented review, great music, Former Top gear standard, IMO. Subbed
Great car and excellent review :))
The Rover P6B 3500/3500S is a class act, superbly engineered, fast, safe and extremely comfortable. Only the Jaguar XJ6 4.2 had an edge over it overall. The road holding is first class with the De Dion tube rear suspension maximising grip at all times- the car has a very sure footed feel. The only essential upgrade is to replace the standard roll bar- which greatly reduces the roll experienced in corners. It would be churlish not to tip a nod of gratitude to the American's- who certainly know how to build reliable V8 engines. Slotting the V8 into the P6 transformed it and gave it so much character with that glorious V8 wuffle. Although Rover engineers significantly modified the Buick 215 cu engine to produce the RV8, there is no getting away from the fact that it's origins come from the other side of the pond. It's interesting because previously, cars like the AC Cobra- which were aimed predominantly at the US market, had British chassis and styling, complimented by American muscle. Although the Rover P6B was sold in the US and Australia, it's biggest market was still the UK. Anybody fortunate enough to drive a P6B can fully appreciate why the American's favoured low stressed, lazy V8 engines that ladled out bags of torque and plenty of power. It's a completely different style of motoring compared to other engine configurations.
Very good video...
(My father had one of these...sold in the late 80's)
Supper Video mate.
Rovers always had so much class,these models always had a problem of what to do with the spare wheel as the car was so compact,hence the later get rid of it altogether and put on run flat tyres by Dunlop.I remember a spokesman for Rover in Solihull in 1974 saying that they could always sell every single product that they produced no problem,and he was right.
One of the last great British motorcars. A true classic.
Great car, great vid!
What is the advantage to have spare wheel mounted on the boot? mad rear vision? boot trap to weight a dead horse?
You referred to the ‘soundtrack’ on several occasions but didn’t stop yapping long enough for viewers to hear it?
Actually, the P6 replaced the P4. The P5 could still be brought and was a bigger car.
Great video about a stunningly good car which technically was far better than most on the road. Drove a friends S model (manual) I had an SD1 which I fully restored which he later bought! The irony however was that that 3500 V8 S was a far far superior car. Better vision, handling, acceleration and better made. But I did like my SD1 I loved the looks.
Hmm, I have a 1970 model and I love it but "huge" it most certainly isn't. In fact even in the day it was considered a bit cramped. 160hp depends on what standards you use. 144-148bhp seems more realistic but it tunes easily. The interior has only leather faced seats and all the rest is (very high quality) vinyl, it could be that nice example has been retrimed. Perhaps some mention of the wacky suspension, aluminium body panels, all round disk brakes and safety features? (I believe it's the first Uk car with crumple zones, safety cage, rear seat belt mountings and collapsible steering wheel). Nicely filmed I must say.
Another few details missed. Those wheels are 15" from a P5. 14" versions were theoretically available in the UK but almost exclusively they were fitted to export models. The engine was totally reworked in the UK, the block is cast differently, the heads are reworked and the carburation is SU.
Great review and a beautiful example of the legendary P6. (Imo the boot mounted spare wheel is the best option) use a wing mirror if you want to see what's behind you 🤣🤣🤣
I owned one of the last Rover P6 3500 S in white with the denovo wheels and a vinyl roof. It was a manual and had belonged to a local doctor who had passed away. When his wife offered I wasn't even going to look at it however because she was a family friend I felt obligated to turn up and dismiss the car as I really wanted a Capri. However on opening the heated garage this immaculate V8 S with still the plastic on the seats was in front of me. I bought it only after 5 minutes of viewing and kept it for one year and because I was getting married I sold it to a collector with it now having only 6000 mls on it. It also had a bronze plaque on the glove box stating that it was one of the last P6 made and the second last 3500 S ever produced. It was signed by Sir William Lyons. I wish I still had this car today
".....felt obligated to......".
Sorry to be pedantic but the word is "obliged".
@@PenzancePete sorry to be a double smart ass, if it was that I felt the right thing to do then that would be Obligated. Obliged could also work. I am guessing that you are stuck at home with not too much to do.
@Classic Britain Somewhere I do. It was a few years ago now. I will try and find and post the pictures
I have a P6B -- love it -- what a car
I had of these in Cream and white leather interior, still one of the best cars I ever owned, I was loike the king o the road not many cars could live with me at the time with the exception of Jags
Thought this was a regular car reviews video for a second. Don't drink, kids
Your turn next - interested to see what you think makes a car review. Thanks for watching and helping with my algorithms. 👍🏻
Had one identical to this,same colour,everything.Sadly,it turned to powder 30-odd years back.Still miss it
As a youth this was my pinup car……..the 2000 TC …….someone else can change the rear pads though.
Thought I was watching a short film from Top Gear! Amazing film Paul. Love the shots, narrative and of course that beautiful P6. Just brilliant! Jon
Looks to be what comfort was all about back in the day.
Liked the 3500 ''S'' too , with the manual gearbox !! :-)
I own one of these fine beasts, truly one of the best handling classics ever even with the boat like suspension. Nothing like throwing it around door handles on the floor and wheels flat on the road.
Thanks !!
Always loved the Rover P6... Still got my 1970 Dinky car
People hate my hair and the way I say Porsche too! Ignore the haters. Lovely lovely video. Enjoyed it a lot. 😁👍🏻
Nice video
Having the battery at the back corner behind the driver and the spare on the other corner probably not only helped to balance the car side to side but front to back.
did the V8 replace the 2000/2200 or did they run along side each other?
They ran alongside for a while I believe.
I did like the boot mounted spare wheel
I had an Olds F-85 cutlass from 1962 and, besides the cheaper American interior, it had a lot in common with this car: compact, the same Buick 3.5L aluminium V8 and therefore the feeling that it’s faster and lighter than appearances would have you believe. Both had also a similar understated exterior, although again, the American version used cheaper looking materials on the outside; the grille was a thin aluminium air grater.
I wish there had been a Triumph with this engine in the uk. They WERE made but only for the South African and Australia and NZ markets.
With a very British Buick V8 under the bonnet! Lol.
Really want a P6 v8 3500s
I ran one (Mexico Brown) for about five years about fifteen years ago. Had seen better days but was wonderful to drive: excellent roadholding, power and with that wonderful V8 sound.However, inboard brakes needed replacing - nightmare - and had to have the head gasket replaced (fortunately my late father was a brilliant mechanic). I think the car featured however would look far better with the 'correct' wheel trims. The rostyle ones I think were only fitted to the 3500S.
I had 3, a 2000 J reg chocolate brown SC auto, an L reg 2200 SC auto in beige and a R reg 3500 V8 auto in beige.
Bodie and Doyle use a J reg Chocolate brown 2000 TC manual in the first series of The Professionals!
I'm pretty sure Princess Grace died in one?
No, Princess Grace died in an SD1. I remember the news report as clear as day. The SD1 was also a great.
@@santoprattico6027 Do your research, it was a 1971 p6.
@@9256steven You're absolutely right, my mistake. I went to check and it seems the SD1 was used in a reconstruction of the accident, my bad.
Great video. Perfect European car for cruising continental Europe
Nice car. like the Magnum 500 wheels. I have a car like this from Corgi Toy's with golden jacks.
I owned the facelift model,Great car
In 82 my Dad took us on my first holiday to the isle of white from se London in his 69 zircon blue 2000, days before we set off the rovers block cracked, Dad glued it together with Haraldite, it was boiling hot all week Dad said, yet the car made it there and back and all round the island, Dad just expected it to blow at any moment but the car never got hot once or lost water. Well. done Dad. Dad/ Haraldite 1, hot summer 0
This car looks great in green
My 1st car, And I had the pleasure to drive many v8 manual and auto P6 Rovers in my teans , A beast until Quattro and Cosworths roared in.P.S that steering wheel was awful
great vid, well done, can't agree about the boot mounted spare, it just ruins the look, , besides, im a P5 fan look foward to a review on those! cheers.
GREAT VID. IF YOU EVER WANT TO DO A REVIEW ON A P6 3500s. (the manual version of this one.!.) YOU CAN USE MINE.. :-)
E.T was based on the headrest. Fact ;-)
My Rover p6 68000 MLS white orig paint .here in new Zealand .
What are you prattling about ? don’t you think the Aston Martins and the AC’s and the Bristols qualify ?
I have owned two, best cars I have had ever. 😊
Hold on there. This V8 was originally designed by GENERAL MOTORS.
bless
The boot needs the boot mate😁🇺🇸🇺🇸