Description
This is a very good example of a 1999 Rover 200 1. 4i. It is a 5 door model with the 8 valve K Series engine and finished in British Racing Green. There are surprisingly few of these cars licensed and on the road now. ( Check them out on howmanyleft. com). They are becoming pretty rare and ever more desirable.
Ownership
The car was purchased from a Rover Main Dealer, in Milton Keynes in May 1999. The next owner was another woman who purchased it from a Rover/ MG main Dealer (Torbay Central Garage) in October 2002 with a mileage of 21754. The car remained in her ownership until late 2024 I think.
When it was sold the mileage was just over 44, 300. This equates to an average annual mileage from 2002 to 2025 of only 2000 miles per annum!
I purchased it privately earlier this year, since then it has been SORNED, stored in a dry garage and only driven from where I purchased it and to and from the MOT station. The current odometer reading is 44885 miles.
Service History and Documentation
The car has a pretty good paper trail as well as the original Rover wallet with Owners Handbook, Service Portfolio etc.
The car has a Full Stamped Service History from 2000 to 2023 plus more recent invoices for the MOT and full service in 2024. The car has only done 800 miles since the last full service!
The car comes with a new MOT done on 30/ 06/ 2025. There are NO advisories on the certificate. The only work that has been done for the last MOT was a new NS CV gaiter/ boot.
Since I have owned the vehicle, I have fitted a new rear exhaust box and completely drained and cleaned the cooling system and replaced with the correct coolant. The engine does not use any coolant and there is no evidence of any cylinder head gasket problems on any service record or invoice. I have checked all through the car and it is in surprisingly good condition. Items that should be borne in mind are listed later.
The V5C document is present as are the previous ones. There are 2 keys.
Condition
Given the amazingly low mileage, careful ownership and FSH, it is not surprising that the appearance and condition of the car is very good. The bodywork is straight with no obvious dents or scratches. The original trim, badges and bumpers are intact. Under the bonnet, it is totally original, clean and well cared-for. The battery is strong, the car starts first time. Tyres, exhaust system, brakes all very good. No obvious corrosion to underside. There was an issue with the MOT in 2022. Both rear sills just in front of the wheels were welded and there appears to be no further problems. In fact, with the exception of brake adjustment, bulbs not working and an ineffective wiper, the car has had no real or expensive MOT problems in its lifetime.
The interior is clean with no rips or obvious wear. Dashboard is actually rather smart, as you would expect, considering the mileage. The hatchback is in excellent condition, very clean and tidy. Spare wheel has original tools. No leaks/ rust.
The car drives well, it accelerates smoothly and the brakes stop it quickly. All the electrical items work as they should, including the central locking. The windows all work and are not electrically operated (a real bonus in my opinion).
Overall therefore the car could be a good useable daily drive and/ or a nice example of a decently made small Rover which will only appreciate with time. The road tax is low at £210 per year.
Known items about the car that need to be considered
However, the car is 26 years old and there will be items that are not as good as when it was first purchased. The list of items that I am aware of (in no particular order) are as follows:
The cam-belt has been checked and there appears to be no evidence of wear or cracking. It has only done 8. 5k miles since it was replaced but that was about 12 years ago. Some people claim that they should be replaced every 60k, other suggest 90k miles. The car has been driven carefully and with the Service History it has, I think the timing belt is OK for now. BUT it is 12 years old. Just being honest.
The rear wash/ wipe doesn’t work and the small washer jet is missing. The defect is not an MOT failure.
The headlining is sagging in places. Doesn’t affect vision. This was going to be my next job.
Gearstick gaiter frayed.
There is a small amount of corrosion on the roof which has been photographed.
When starting from cold there is a slightly noisy tappet. Consensus is that it is a fairly common K series characteristic. After a minute or so, the noise stops.
The car looks very smart, some friends think it looks like new! However, there are small areas that have been touched up/ sprayed.
This is why I am not asking silly money for the car. It is a good, low mileage example with a FSH and new MOT It has done very few miles since the last service and wants for very little. It is a pleasure to drive and increasing in value.
The price is £1350, not £4350!So, if you want to own a little piece of the Rover-brand history that is well worth looking after, is a pleasure to drive and is for sale at a very low price, the car is well worth considering. It handles very well, is really economical in terms of mpg, cheap to run and maintain and is appreciating in value. Parts are cheap and there is a lot of help and advice available via the various forums.
