Stately cars with English design both inside and out are what we associate with cars from Rover.
The history of the Rover car brand
The factory was started in the late 1800th century as a bicycle factory and quickly became known for good products. It helped when the production of cars and motorcycles started in 1904. Bicycle and motorcycle production continued until 1924. Rover produced a number of cars in different price ranges in the interwar period. One of the models had an advanced engine of 2132 ccm which was designed by the Norwegian Peter Poppe. From 1945 Rover concentrated on family cars in the middle class. In the 50s, Rover experimented with gas turbine operation, but only test models were produced. In this period, Land-Rover also came, which was a success. The model was later supplemented by the Range-Rover. New models of the family cars (P4) came in 1949 with a modern design and a larger model range. This series lived until 1964 with some changes. In 1967 Rover joined the Leyland Motor Corporation.
Rover 3500
Rover, which was known for its rather sturdy and solid car models, surprised the market in 1976. A completely new model saw the light of day. The luxury and the big engine were in place, but for the first time a Rover had a 5-door hatchback model in its product range. These were new lines from a traditional manufacturer of "finer" English cars. The real reason was probably that Leyland, which also controlled the Jaguar car brand, did not want competition between its own car brands.
With a hint of Ferrari
The lines of the new car were modern and extremely streamlined. Many thought it resembled the Ferrari Daytona - certainly not a rear end. Technically, the new car was more conservative. Apart from a 5-speed gearbox, there were traditional technical solutions. The interior was elegant and luxurious with a very comprehensive instrument panel. 2 years after its introduction, 2 new models with a smaller engine were introduced. In 1980, the factory created a racing team that participated in track races for several years with great success. In 1986 it was over and the Rover 3500 was replaced by new models.
Data Rover 3500
Length: 469 cm
Width: 176 cm
Height: 138 cm
Top speed: 200 km/h
Engine: V8 3528 ccm, 155 hp.
See
Anders de Lange
Anders de Lange writes about car history. He has written about cars and car history for over 30 years, published his own books and written for the Norwegian car press.
