The Rover SD1 was 30 in June 2006. Launched in June 1976, the new Rover was a very bold step forward by Rover standards. Gone was the auntie Rover image, and in it's place was a new low drag sporty hatchback. Indeed the design was so advanced today's cars, bear similar features, this fact has hampered the SD1 gaining Classic status. It is said to be styled on the Ferrari Daytona by director of styling David Bache. The 3500 with its 155 BHP V8 engine, showed great promise. The Rover SD1 won many awards, never before has a new car won so many awards in the first year of its life. The SD1 at that time was available with optional Dunlop Denovo tires, remember those? claimed to run deflated for 100 miles at 50 mph, making a spare unnecessary and gaining more luggage space. However they did not live up the the claims, so most were replace free with standard steel or alloy wheels by arrangement with Rover and Dunlop.

The SD1 was a winner from day one, and was said to be under priced when compared with other cars of it's class, at the time under £5.000. But then things started to go wrong, with paint problems water leaks rust and poor reliability the future was looking bleak. At this time the SD1 was being produced in other variants to break into the fleet market, with the 6 cylinder 2600 cc and 2300.

With production now moved to Cowley in Oxford, the Series 2 models were launched, with revised trim levels and body updates. 1982 was the model change over year, but it was not until late 1983 changes and updates were completed. Now with most of the problems of paint and poor reliability behind it, as well as more new models being introduced sales improved. First the 3500 VDP followed by a 2400 diesel, and the high powered V8 Vitesse, a 4 cylinder 2000 cc also made its debut, but this had none of the refinements of the larger engine variants.

The Vitesse was to be named Rapid, but Aston Martin, owned that name and would not release it, so BL used the name Vitesse from the Triumph range they already owned. Descended from Rovers successes in saloon car racing the Vitesse with its lowered suspension, and fuel-injection was capable of 130 MPH quite quick for those days! The Vitesse became the flagship of the Rover SD1 range, later fitted with the Lotus improved twin plenum engines, capable of 0 to 60 mph in around 7 seconds (in 1984 this engine was fitted to the 3500 VDP EFi this was to be the top of the range model with all the bells and whistles the only extra needed was air-con, the VDP EFi was not a normal production model but was to special order only. It is though they only numbered around 1,000 so are now one of the rarer models about today. The more popular model being the Vitesse in particular the rarer Twin plenum these can change hands at quite hefty prices.

Over the last 2 years of production, the range was run down in October 1986, saw the last of the Vitesse, later production of the remaining VDP's 2300 and 2600 ceased. In all about 300,000 SD1's were produced, 8 years ago the number of UK cars on the road (all model) was around 25,000, it is thought that less than 1500 are now registered. Of the total built the Vitesse numbers were under 4,000, including about (700 or more?) twin plenum cars. In fact all Vitesse's built at the end of production (possibly all the last years production?) were fitted with twin plenum engines. VDP Efi's as said numbered around 1,000 probably the most endangered species is the V8-S number built also around 1000 now thought to number less than 20.

The Rover SD1 was exported to many parts of the world, often in kit form CKD Kits (Completely Knocked Down) for local assembly. Some with differences in engines and other equipment. BL sent most of the production jigs and tools to Madras, (now named Chennai) India to produce their own version of the SD1. It was to be called the Standard 2000, this has been done in the past with other cars i.e. the 1950's Morris Oxford renamed Ambassador. The Standard 2000 was intended as a replacement for this now outdated car. Many Ambassadors are still in use in India as taxi's, a few can also be found on London streets. The Standard 2000 had a 2000cc Triumph unit and locally built axle. The Standard 2000 has recently become a talking point over the discovery of warehouses full of SD1 CKD kits, sufficient to build around 600 SD1's/body shells, this stock has been locked away under guard since the collapse of the company in 1988.

The first Standard model went on sale in January 1985, the price at that time was 212,000 rupees about £12.000, around 3,500 cars where built before production stopped in 1988. The intention was for the factory to produce SD1 panels and body shells as spares for the UK and the world market, this never happened! During the 90's the SD1 club did sent representatives out to India to try and locate the factory, and if possible recover the tooling, but the trail was cold until now? The latest news is as some of you will by now? is that Rimmers have bought the entire stock of salvageable parts, good deals are also promised.

the Rimmer Indian SD1 parts list is now available; get your copy from Rimmer, good news if you are looking for body panels as most of the haul is of rare now unobtainable panels. Club member should have had the details sent to them by now? see link below.
http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/rimmer/rover/sd1_india/index

The police version of the SD1. During it's heyday the SD1 was used by many police forces. For
more information on the police version of the SD1 click here.

Specialist Division No 1, (SD1) is now over 30 years old and is still in demand by classic car enthusiasts. For reliability and good spares availability the V8's in particular are a sort after model in particular the injection engine variants, the Vitesse and VDP EFi.

The Rover SD1 will continue to be enjoyed as a classic by their owners for many years.

Doug King.