Cars of Coolhaven

This long Rover with the trademark spare tire on the boot has eluded me for almost a year. A dark silvery one drives round Rotterdam, but always escaped the focus of my lens… But now, in the hip and happening small city of Voorburg, I spot his red cousin. It is raining, not the best pictures, oh well, it will do!

Rover saw Buick’s compact 3.5 liter V8 from the Buick Special as a way to differentiate the P6 from its chief rival, the Triumph 2000. They purchased the rights to the innovative aluminium engine, and, once improved for production by Rover’s own engineers, it became an instant hit. The Rover V8 engine, as it became known, outlived its original host by more than three decades.

The 3500 was produced from 1968 (one year after the Rover company was purchased by Triumph’s owner, Leyland) until 1977. A 3-speed Borg Warner 35 automatic transmission was the only option until the 1971 addition of a four speed manual 3500S, a modified version of the gearbox used in other P6s. The 3500S had a reputation for gearbox trouble.

A shooting brake version of this car exists as well, but with less than 200 produced, they are quite rare to spot… would love to run into one of those!