1987 Rover 820SE – Auction Car of the Week

I’ll gladly go on the record to say how much I like old Rovers. I don’t know why I’m like this? There are myriad, arguably better cars for one to fall for. But for me, it has always been the offerings of the Midlands. I have had BMWs, Mercedes, even a Porsche, but I come back to Rovers. I have an 800 Vitesse, an 827Si and for reasons I am still yet to reconcile, even a Streetwise. But why am I telling you this? This is Auction Car of the Week, not Cars That Pollitt Owns. Well, there is a point, which ironically is that my cars don’t matter. This week’s car of choice would still be here in front of you if I didn’t know one end of a Rover from the other. This frankly glorious 1987 Rover 820SE is deserving of the spotlight, and should be pushed in front of as many eyes as possible. Because it’s a Rover? No, not entirely. It’s deserving because it is an incredible, original, unrestored survivor with a mere 25k on the clock. Classics don’t come more pure than this.

Cars like this thrill and excite because on paper, they shouldn’t exist. This isn’t a Ferrari, it’s not an E Type, in fact it’s no more exotic than toast. But its normality is what makes its survival in such incredible condition so incredible. To the retired gent who bought it new, it was special. And he did a damn fine job of keeping this Rover 820SE that way. It’s been cared for not because of what it is, but because of pride. This car has been loved throughout the course of its life, no matter what. Even when, in the ’90s, it would have been ‘just an old car’ with little financial value, it was still kept warm and dry, it was still serviced, it was still polished, it was still adored.

And it’s these cars that get the last laugh. Those aforementioned exotics or expensive cars are cared for from day one, and as such they are a constant. They are always there, woven into the fabric of the automotive world. Cars like this Rover 820SE however, are all but forgotten. So when one does land in the open market, in such original, untouched and incredible condition, it turns more heads than Enzo’s offerings. This is a time capsule that takes us back to the one our neighbour had back in ’92, or the one your old boss had. You can relate to cars like this, they were part of the backdrop of our actual lives, not the fantasy lives we placed high-end cars in. This 820SE, and cars like it, feel more, I don’t know… real?

Then of course there are the other factors that make this Rover 820SE so appealing, aside from the condition. There’s the incredibly low mileage of under 25,000. There is the fact that is a car from a once great automotive brand that is now sadly no longer with us. And of course, there is the appeal that comes from a classic that’s not so old in its design that it’s a chore to drive. This one is quite the opposite, in fact. A smooth, refined, quiet means to get from A to B. In many ways, it’s the perfect classic. Exclusive, immaculate and usable. What more could you want?

I know this 1987 Rover 820SE isn’t going to be for everyone, but mark my words, the time for these cars is now. The smart money is starting to see that Rovers of this era are growing a passionate and cash-rich following. The rarity of them on 2022’s roads only serves to compound things, with bidders scrapping over any good example that come to the open market. This isn’t a good one though. No, this is an exceptional one. An opportunity that simply won’t be repeated. A handful of owners, full history, a fresh MOT, incredible unrestored condition and ready to drive away, this is going to make the winning bidder very, very happy indeed. I just wish that winner could be me, but I suspect you lot will have my bid pipped pretty quickly. I mean, come on, just look at it.