Smooth Movers
Classic Car Mart|April 2017

It’s hard to believe today but the Audi 100 was rated as the overpriced underdog when the Rover SD1 was in its prime.

Iain Wakefield
Smooth Movers

It’s amazing how time and tastes change when it comes to buying cars, as flicking through a pile of well thumbed Autocar magazines from the early 1980s revealed a headline declaring how the latest Audi saloon was set to give Rover a serious run for its money. Move on just over 30 years and Rover-badged cars have been resigned to the history books, leaving Audi as one of the main players to fill the vacuum left by the once highly respected Viking longboat-badged marque.

It wasn’t always like this, as the majority of UK motorists back in the late 1970s and early 1980s were still quite patriotic when it came to the cars they chose. The 1976-launched Rover SD1 3500 V8 was initially received well by the press and the introduction of the six-cylinder powered 2300 and 2600 a year later proved a hit with middle management and the all important fleet buyers.

Meanwhile, a resurgent Audi was prospering under the wing of the Volkswagen Group and the same year the covers came off the SD1, Ingolstadt-based Audi launched the restyled C2 series 100 saloon. Power for the refreshed 100 came from a fuel-injected 136bhp inline-five cylinder engine; a unit Audi claimed was ‘as smooth as a four but with the power of a six’.

In 1982 Audi launched the heavily revamped 100 C3 series, one of the first production cars to be marketed for its CD aerodynamic capabilities. That was the same year Rover introduced the inline-four O-Series powered version of the SD1 along with an oil burner, while a facelift across the whole range and a steady increase in quality control kept the five-door Rover in the showroom for another four years.

ROVER 2600 SD1

Bu hikaye Classic Car Mart dergisinin April 2017 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Classic Car Mart dergisinin April 2017 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

CLASSIC CAR MART DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
3D Technology To Preserve Classics?
Classic Car Mart

3D Technology To Preserve Classics?

Traditionally, the unavailability of a critical component has had major repercussions for owners of historic vehicles, putting the brakes on a restoration project or even forcing a historic vehicle off the road.

time-read
4 dak  |
February 2020
UPCYCLING
Classic Car Mart

UPCYCLING

Two British-made modern classics which made credible sporting saloons despite their unlikely origins.

time-read
8 dak  |
February 2020
NICHE WORK
Classic Car Mart

NICHE WORK

A crossover model before the term had even been invented, the original Range Rover could well be the perfect multi-purpose classic.

time-read
10 dak  |
February 2020
CLASSIC REVIVAL
Classic Car Mart

CLASSIC REVIVAL

Fancy an MGB without the welding and SUs? The much modernised RV8 should fit the bill.

time-read
7 dak  |
February 2020
1980s FLEET FAVOURITES
Classic Car Mart

1980s FLEET FAVOURITES

We profile a line-up of popular mid-sized '80s company cars ranging from the ubiquitous Sierra and Cavalier repmobiles through to the king of the company car park, the BMW 3-Series.

time-read
10 dak  |
February 2020
Solid State
Classic Car Mart

Solid State

Although a well-preserved Volvo 120 Series ‘Amazon’ makes a good choice as an occasional everyday classic driver, the range can be confusing. We play the numbers game and reveal some of the Amazon’s main foibles.

time-read
7 dak  |
January 2020
Round-Up - 1990s Jaguars
Classic Car Mart

Round-Up - 1990s Jaguars

Following Ford’s acquisition of an independent Jaguar in 1989, the Coventry-based luxury car maker underwent a transformation that led to the introduction of a range of capable models that today are reasonably affordable as well as being fun to own and drive.

time-read
10+ dak  |
January 2020
Myth And Rumour
Classic Car Mart

Myth And Rumour

The Stag may have suffered a poor reputation when new, but in the 21st century it’s one of Britain’s most popular classics – and justifiably so. We take a look at the pros and cons of investing in Triumph’s sporting flagship.

time-read
8 dak  |
January 2020
The Full English
Classic Car Mart

The Full English

An English-built Citroën meets English wine as we enter a slightly bizarre parallel universe.

time-read
6 dak  |
January 2020
Tailgate Revolving Doors
Classic Car Mart

Tailgate Revolving Doors

Paul Guinness looks back at his experiences from 35 years ago, when he helped to arrange a club stand at the first-ever Classic Motor Show at Birmingham’s NEC

time-read
3 dak  |
January 2020