1970 Rover P5B Coupe

First registered on the 12th of August 1970, this Rover Coupé has ticked up a modest 63,568 miles on the odometer and has benefited from £23k+ of work inside and out over the last six years.

The vendor purchased this vehicle in 2020 with the intention of it being his daily driver. In his words: “I’d always admired the shape, status and elegance of the P5B coupe, and this one in particular has a stunning colour combination and an outstanding interior”.

Despite the owner’s aim for this to be his daily ride, the pandemic hit and the car spent most of the last three years in professional storage until it was recommissioned. The vendor estimates that his invoice total comes to the best part of £10k, having sorted a leak from the power steering, installing a stainless-steel exhaust and new hoses, among other things (more on that later).

The previous keeper owned this vehicle for a couple of years and spent time restoring the interior and getting it mechanically sorted. This amounted to considerable outlay, with the interior alone setting him back £13,000. The owner previous to that kept it for around eight years.

Dark blue with a white roof is possibly the best colour combination for a V8-powered coupé, and the paintwork on this example is a cut above the average. The panel gaps, shutlines, and flanks are all very good. Given the car’s 53 years of age, it’s unsurprising that it’s picked up the odd stone chip over the years, but they have been touched in meaning they’re difficult to spot with the naked eye. Lovely little details abound, like the carefully crafted front sidelight lenses, the amber reflectors set in the chrome side trim, the small red accent on the top of the front sidelights, and the bluff rear end that reminds us that Rover used to compete with the likes of Jaguar, Bentley and Rolls-Royce.

The vendor had the chrome polished up, so it’s fair to say the brightwork dazzles aside from a little patina on the driver’s window. The Rostyle wheels are in a good condition throughout. New centre caps have been fitted with matching whitewall tyres. The bulbs have been updated to LEDs for greater reliability, extra brightness, and a lower current draw.

The interior is far from standard. Trimmania earned every penny of its £13,000 bill; not only did it recover the seats in some of the softest ivory leather, but it carried on and recovered the door cards, dashboard, rear parcel shelf, and headlining. The seats are piped in blue to match the custom inertia reel seatbelts (which cost more than £1,200 all by themselves), and headrests have been added front and rear. The rear seat passengers have their own heater control, and there’s even a fold-down walnut tray/cupholders in between the rear seats. (There’s one in the dashboard above the gear selector too).

Freshly completed in January 2019, the interior is simply magnificent. Needless to say, it’s vibrant and fresh and every bit as magnificent as the day it was fitted. The only mild blemishes worth highlighting are the scuffs to the carpet by the driver’s pedals. Also, the boot floor metalwork, while solid, could do with detailing to bring it up to the same high standard as the rest of the interior. The walnut trim is very good, with no sign of peeling lacquer, sun fading, or other damage. There is also a full toolkit in the middle of the dash.

The engine was completely rebuilt a couple of years ago, and it’s had very light use since then. And that light use is very far from the exception. The MOT history shows the Rover has seen very light use since the mid-nineties.

The vendor had the engine retuned as the setup needed to be readjusted. Alongside this it benefited from a full service and carb set up so it’s fair to say the car runs as sweet as a nut. The underside is solid, but has clearly been professionally welded throughout its life.

The car comes with an active MOT that expires in March 2024, a number of expired MOT certificates and a thick sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been carried out. It also comes with the original owner’s instruction and owner’s maintenance manual. This car benefits from a new exhaust, hoses and heating system.

The vendor confirms that the electrics work well following some wiring repairs to the headlights. It’s had an overhaul to the power steering; it had the rubbers and seals readjusted to ensure the doors close properly, a new battery installed and it's been machine polished inside and out.

The owner explains: “This car drives brilliantly well and it’s a lovely cabin to be in”. Given that he’s got a number of other interesting cars in his collection, he’s finding this one just isn’t getting used. As such, it is time for someone else to enjoy what might be one of the most impressive Rover P5B Coupés around.

For a prospective buyer who enjoys fettling, there is opportunity to make some further improvements that the current vendor simply didn’t have time to do. The bonnet springs and sound deadening blanket under the bonnet could do with being replaced, and the rev counter needs to be changed as it no longer works since the electric ignition was installed. That being said, this car’s interior lifts it from the very good to extraordinary. Therefore, we expect this car to fetch somewhere between £20,000 to £25,000 which seems low considering it’s had the best part of £23,000 spent on it over the last six years or so.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.