DO YOU REMEMBER – THE ORIGINAL ROVER STERLING?
By Andrew Roberts |
8th January, 2021
1986 - the year I started sixth form and my first sighting of an imposing metallic silver saloon. It was a car that looked as though it could cope with any road conditions while barely dislodging the owner’s Filofax and A-ha cassettes. It was the new Rover Sterling, a car attempting to bridge the worlds of the Ford Granada Scorpio/Vauxhall Senator and BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz. Enthusiasts will tell you that it more than succeeded in this goal.
Project XX was the third British Leyland/Honda collaboration, the first two being the Triumph Acclaim and the SD3-Series Rover 200. BL commenced work on an SD1 replacement as early as 1979, but limited funds restricted their options. At one stage, Longbridge was seriously considering an enlarged version of the forthcoming Montego.
However, by 1981 BL signed a deal with Honda, who planned to enter the executive car market. The two models would share a floorpan but have unique bodywork. Japan would be responsible for the 2.5-litre V6 engine augmented by a UK-built four-cylinder 2-litre unit. Honda introduced the Legend in October 1985 followed by the Rover on 10th July 1986.
Mike Lawrence of Motor Sport thought that ‘Of all the models launched during Austin Rover’s long and painful haul back from the brink of oblivion, none is more important than the new Rover 800’. In Country Life, Roger Bell wrote that the latest Viking-badged car lacked ‘head-turning presence’, but others thought it faintly reminiscent of the P5B.
The initial lack of a five-door option surprised many observers, but Rover thought the saloon coachwork would enhance the 800’s appeal with conservative motorists. ‘Take the wheel of the new Rover 800 Series designed, developed and built in Britain’, read the sales pitch, carefully omitting to mention its Japanese elements.
BL also needed to persuade a well-heeled motorist that the 800 was more reliable than the SD1. Furthermore, dealers had to extol the merits of FWD and demonstrate that the Honda V6 was a convincing replacement for the famous V8. The new engine was not universally popular; Autocar complained that Rover 3500 owners would have to become used to working the 2.5-litre ‘very hard’.
Fortunately, the flagship Sterling certainly possessed showroom appeal with electrical power for the sliding roof plus the front and rear seats, ABS, cruise control, leather upholstery, and air-conditioning. Motor regarded it as ‘a very good car indeed’ and dynamically ranks ‘with the best’.
However, at £18,794 the top-of-the-range Rover cost nearly £2,000 more than a Volvo 760 GLE and over £3,000 more than the BMW 528i SE. Motor Sport also observed ‘Jaguar’s coup in bringing in the base model 2.9 XJ6 at only £700 more’ represented a significant threat to the Rover.
When Car tested the Sterling opposite its XJ 3.6 and Senator B rivals in 1987, they concluded it was ‘superbly equipped’ and a ‘worthy car’. However, ‘next year’s cars will probably be even better to drive’. In 1988 Rover replaced the 2.5 V6 with a 2.7-litre plant, and supplanted the saloon with the five-door Fastback. Three years later the 800 gained a facelift (and a return to a “traditional” radiator grille) as the R17.
Few examples of the original version survive, which is why we are delighted to be featuring Alex Sebbinger-Sparks’ Rover later this year. It is strange to think that the first Sterlings are now as remote from us as the 800 was from the P4 back on 1986 – a time of The Singing Detective and (wince) Brush Strokes. But then, little dates as quickly as yesterday’s vision of the future -
Why choose Lancaster Insurance?
Here at Lancaster, we love classic cars as much as you do and we understand what it takes to protect them for future generations.
We have links with some of the top classic car clubs around the country and some of our policies even offer discounts of up to 25% for club members.
Other benefits of classic car insurance through Lancaster can include:
- Historic rally cover
- Static show cover
- Limited mileage discounts
- Choice of repairer
- 24-hour claims helpline
Give your classic the protection it deserves and get a quote for your classic today.
Share this story, choose your platform
