1974 Rover P6 Saloon

Looking at the registration document, 10 lucky individuals have had the pleasure of owning this delightful red 3500. It’s a 1974 car and therefore comes with the much sought after Series II improvements.

We understand the last but one owner purchased the car at auction a few years ago, but we gather he really wanted a Mercedes-Benz. There is no accounting for taste, but there you have it. Clearly this British beauty was not good enough for him, so the car was sold on.

The car has been subject to much expense over the past few years. Works of note include a full repaint in ‘Brigade Red’ and the fitment of Minilite style wheels.

The car boasts the 3-speed Borg Warner automatic gearbox which pairs well with the lazy V8 motor.

The Rover is a definite head turner, but with space for four adults (and a modicum of luggage), it can be used every day should you so desire. There will be a hefty fuel bill, but hey, it’s only money!

We would commend the company that carried out the repaint as it looks to be a mighty fine job. Red is an unusual colour for a P6, but we think it shows off the car’s beautiful lines to good effect. There are no obvious flaws that we can spot.

Whatever happened to the vinyl roof? We think it should make a graceful return. The P6’s covering is in black, which contrasts nicely with the bright paintwork. It looks in good nick so was most likely replaced at the same time as the respray.

The Minilite style wheels are in good order. Each is fitted with a premium Dunlop Elite tyre. As we always say, matching tyres is a good sign of careful and fastidious ownership.

Chromework – all bright and shiny and we love the period fog lights under the front bumper, covers in place. Did anyone ever get out of their car in a peasouper and remove them?

Many Rover P6s were fitted with leather seats. But who wants that – cold in winter, sticky in the summer. Much better the textured cloth seats fitted in our car. More exclusive too we would suggest. They are in remarkably good condition, though it looks as though the foam in the driver’s seat could do with a little attention.

The rear is best occupied by two, the sculptured nature of the seats with a central pull-down armrest sees to that.

Ahead of the driver sits the lovely spindly steering wheel, one which encourages fingertip control. Early cars came without power steering, but rest assured there is power here for easy manoeuvring.

Instrumentation is plentiful and all major controls fall easily to hand. We are not a fan of the modern Sony stereo and would source something more in period. The curious green knobs for the lights etc that sit above it should also be rapidly confined to the dust bin. These are but minor details…

We note that the paintwork to the door recesses is not as bright as the exterior and could perhaps do with a bit of sprucing up.

The wood veneer door cappings look fine, if a little faded from 47 years of sunlight.

Carpets are a little drab, perhaps in need of a professional steam clean.

The boot areas looks a little jaded in places and the spare wheel a little battered. We would be tempted to source a replacement to match the road wheels.

We always endeavour to include multiple photographs of the car’s underside, an area that is often much overlooked. Many hidden nasties often await the unwary.

Please look at the P6’s pictures and we think you will be impressed. Yes, there is a little surface corrosion here and there, but nothing that would worry us in the slightest.

We would be tempted to spend a little time cleaning and then apply liberal coats of quality underseal. Prevention is better than cure.

Raising the bonnet and that powerful V8 motor is sure to impress. It is a relatively straightforward engine and one which has gone on to provide service in a myriad of sports cars over the years. Robust, reliable, powerful, what more could you ask for?

The sound deadening material on the underside of the bonnet rather lets the side down and needs to be replaced and a little detailing here and there would not go amiss.

So, what can we tell you?

Of course, there is the exterior repaint and new wheels. We also gather the ignition system was renewed in 2019.

Despite being MoT exempt, the Rover passed its test in February of this year with no advisories, always a good sign. Over the last few years there has also been little of note on the certificates.

The odometer reads 26,500 miles, though we cannot confirm that this is genuine. Supporting MoT documentation does tell us that in 2003 the display read 21,383.

So, the car has covered around 5,000 miles in the last 18 years.

There is also a workshop manual included in the sale. Of course it’s by Haynes and it looks to be well used.

There is also the original owner’s instruction manual, a delight to peruse.

This must surely be one of the best Rover 3500 cars on sale today. Head turning looks, thanks in part to the resplendent red paint and snazzy wheels, will undoubtedly enhance the ownership experience.

Yes, we would have liked to see a little more paperwork, but we always welcome any inspection of the cars we have for sale. You won’t be disappointed, we are sure of that.

So, what price to ensure this pretty P6 graces your garage? We think the car will sell for between £9,000 and £14,000. A small price to pay.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car is located at our Abingdon headquarters; we are open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’