1971 Rover P5B Coupe

First registered at the end of August 1971, this Rover P5B Coupé has had 6 owners, the last of whom bought the car in June 2015 and they have collectively driven 60,400 miles. Looking at the MOT history, both online and paper based, this mileage appears genuine.

Our vendor has always had a thing about Rover P5s - having broken his leg as a teenager he was taken to school by a Rover P5 minicab and even then it seemed like something of an antique. He bought and restored a P5 Saloon in the mid 90s but had to sell it for lack of space. He’d really hankered after a Coupé, and whilst living in Cyprus was looking on the internet and saw this car for sale. An engineer looked it over for him, and he duly bought it and had it properly stored to collect on his return.

He hasn't used it as much as he thought he would, but highlights include driving his wife and her walking friend to various points along the South Downs Way in 2017 and attending Goodwood Revival in 2018 and 2019. All of it without incident.

Spending more time abroad and more recently not being able to drive it much due to both the pandemic and the other vehicles in his small collection, the time has come to part with the Rover.

The P5B is finished in a lovely contrasting two-tone of Silver Birch over Zircon Blue with the blue also pinstriping the edge of the roof. This is a 50 year old car so we wouldn’t expect it to be perfect but it is in very good condition for its age with few blemishes. Yes there are a handful of scratches, scuffs and paint flaws but no body damage or serious corrosion that we could see, just a little surface rust in the wheel arches.

The rear window rubber looks a little dry and has started to crack - and some of the door rubbers are also looking their age - but the chromework is very bright and clear with only the lightest of pitting on a couple of the trims. It’s also nice to see wing mirrors where they should be - on the wings (the clue is in the name).

The car sits on original 15-inch Rostyle wheels which look in reasonably good order and are fitted with matching Nexen tyres dating from 2011. As you know, we like to see matching tyres and believe they are a pointer towards a car that has been well maintained with no cutting corners on costs.

Don’t take our word for how good this Rover looks, scrutinise the detailed photos in the gallery and then why not come and see the car at our HQ in Oxfordshire. Use the ‘Contact Seller’ feature to arrange a visit.

Opening the wood-capped doors, you are greeted by a pleasant ambience with the aura of a grand stately home. Install yourself into one of the comfortable leather seats and you will be reaching for the bell to summon Carson for your afternoon sherry. There’s a little patination across the leather as you’d expect, more so obviously on the driver’s side, but the upholstery appears largely clean and tidy with no evident damage.

The wood-fronted dash has very little depth giving a great feeling of space for the front passenger. There’s just the instrument binnacle protruding towards the driver with the addition of a rev counter (which doesn’t seem to work, however, the current owner has said that he was told by an engineer who inspected the car this was because the car had been fitted with electronic ignition) and four small gauges underneath that are only seen on the Coupé.

Below the dash is a full width shelf and in the centre - below the period Radiomobile tuner and Binatone cassette player - is what appears to be a small picnic table but also contains a tool kit. The large diameter steering wheel looks original and has an impressive chromed horn ring around the Rover badged centre boss.

The beige carpets appear in good order; plush and intact throughout - and up above the mottled headlining looks clean and taut.

Under the bonnet, which has a thick padded acoustic liner attached, the engine bay appears clean and tidy with no sign of rust - exhaust manifold aside - and sports some new components here and there. The engine starts and runs sweetly with a lovely whoosh on revs as it breathes in through the K&N air cleaner.

The undersides of the car are remarkably clean, especially the sump for reasons unknown. There is some light surface rust appearing on various suspension and steering components but otherwise most of what is underneath is coated in black underseal.

In the boot the linings and rubber floor mat are intact. As well as a jack for the spare wheel and battery compartment, the boot contains the car cover and a disklok security device.

The Coupé has a current MOT valid until April 2022, which it passed after some minor remedial works. The history file contains numerous old MOT certificates dating back to 1980. These and the online records show the mileage increasing by only a few hundred miles a year over the last decade and a half.

There are also lots of invoices from current ownership. Until a fairly recent move to Richmond, the car has been looked after by Midhurst Engineering & Motor Co, undertaking annual servicing, MOTs and regular repairs.

Significant recent works include brakes and carburettor refurbishment in April 2021 at Richmond Bridge MOT Centre. Inertia reel seatbelts were fitted in 2019.

Other documentation with the car includes previous V5C stubs, original sales leaflets, P5 owner’s club flyers, parts catalogue, Rover UK directory and owner’s manuals.

The Goodwood Revival sticker in the window gives an excellent indication of the kind of car this is. One that will take you and the family to a period event in style (even though technically it was built after the Revival’s mid-sixties cut off) and bring you nothing but admiring glances from across the class divide for its sheer unpretentious beauty and Britishness.

Although not perfect (how many half-century cars are?) this one is a strong and well-cared-for example. It is a good runner and a dream to drive and more than capable of being pressed into everyday use without histrionics or fuss - indeed it was driven to our HQ in Oxfordshire from Richmond and never missed a beat.

Whilst we’re not trying to herald any 'future investment' potential - these are crazy times we are going through after all - we have noticed the increased demand, and therefore prices, for excellent P5B Coupés like this one.

At our estimate of between £19,500 and £24,500 for this tip-top P5B Coupé, we still think there is room for appreciation with careful improvement, especially when you consider what its contemporary rivals are fetching now.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon. We are open Mon-Fri 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. To arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.