1987 Rover 820SE – Classified of the Week

It’s no secret that our Editor likes a Rover 800. He does have one after all. So forgive us will you, and indulge him in this week’s choice for Classified of the Week. Though, to be fair to him, the 1987 Rover 820SE he’s picked is nothing short of spectacular. This is about as close as you can get to owning a brand new one. With just 24k on the clock, it’s hardly been used, and the general, flawless condition of the car would make you think that it had covered even fewer miles. 

The Rover 800 was a joint project between Rover and Honda. Rover needed to replace the ageing SD1, while Honda just needed something in the large luxury sector. Honda’s car would go on to be the Legend, and other than its underpinnings, it was a different car to the 800. In our humble opinion, the Mk1 800 is the better-looking car. The lines are cleaner and it seems to have a bit more presence. 

It’s fun to take the mick out of Rovers, but please don’t fall into that trap. Only the uneducated mock Rovers. Yes, the company was subject to strikes and mismanagement on an unprecedented scale, but at its core, the cars were good and they were built with pride. The 800 was and still is a good car. They drive beautifully, they’re ridiculously comfortable and even now, they can munch the miles with pleasing eagerness.

So what of this car? Well, it’s a 1987 820SE, which is middle specification for one of these cars. It’s got electric windows all round, power steering, central locking and a six-speaker stereo perfect for those Radio 2 pounding beats, or something. Being an SE, it has cloth trim, but that’s better and more comfortable than the old leather that was fitted to the 800. As we mentioned, it’s only covered a mere 24,000 miles, meaning this 820SE is still as tight as a drum. It truly is a time-warp machine that should be cherished. 

Interestingly, while this particular car has a 1987 registration, it was actually built in 1986, making it one of the first 800s to be built. That makes it a very special car indeed, as the earliest cars are getting very hard to find. Let alone in this condition.

Looking at the pictures, there is little argument that this has to be one of, if not the best Mk1 800 on the market. And what makes it even more special is that this car isn’t a restored trailer queen, no, it’s a survivor car. This car has been cared for since the very moment it rolled out of the dealership back in 1987. That’s special. 

It’s true that the 800 isn’t going to be for everyone, and at £4995, this isn’t a cheap car. However, it is an incredibly rare machine, and one that it special and somewhat intrinsic to the story of Rover, as well as the British motor industry as a whole. This is a car to be cared for and enjoyed for generations to come. And think about it, you’re not going to find another. In fact, this humble 820SE is rarer than most big-ticket Ferraris.