The Rover 800

I did a blog on the Rover 600 recently and thought I would add a piece about the 800. It arrived in 1986 as a replacement for the SD1, a car it didn't quite match in my opinion. Still, based on the Honda Legend as it was, it proved not a bad car. A friend of mine had an 800 from new in NZ. He gave it a pretty hard life and it went well for just about 225,000 kms, by which time it was somewhat tired. The 800 was imported into the USA under the Sterling brand from 1987 to 1991. Production ran until 1999, fourteen years in total.

The initial model ran until 1991, with total production below:

1986 15,450
1987 54,400
1988 48,700
1989 39,400
1990 29,400
1991* 12,700

Total 197,500

*includes some face lift production

After face lift:

1992 28,200
1993 28,400
1994 21,700
1995 18,200
1996 11,400
1997 11,100
1998 6,500

Total 128,500


For nearly all its life, UK sales were over half of total worldwide sales. The only thing that would have made it viable was the collaboration with Honda. The car itself has slipped into history, without causing much of a ripple.

Pics: motorkwik.co.uk