Project Rover 827 – Thank You

Our 1989 Rover 827 that we found in a bush is, to all intents and purposes, done. How do I know this? Because over the weekend just gone, it was at the NEC Classic Motor Show (we’ll have a full report on that soon) and it made it there (and back) under its own steam. Figurative steam, that is. I didn’t break down.

There are still a couple of tweaks and turns to make (when is a project car ever done?) but yeah, it’s running, it’s on the road, it has a fresh (advisory free) MOT, tax, insurance and it’s… glorious. But this post isn’t about the car. We have two more videos left to round that story out. One is currently in the editing suite, the other we’ll film next week. They will finish off the car’s journey.

So what, then, is this post about? Me gushing, mostly. There was, so I’m reliably informed, halls upon halls of classic cars to pore over at the NEC. I wouldn’t know, as I didn’t see any of them. I wanted to, but the stand on which the Rover was sitting was constantly inundated with people wanting to see it. And I mean constantly.

Last year I took my 1999 Rover 800 Vitesse, and via the medium of this site, my own site and social media, it’s a reasonably well known old shed. Last year I was taken aback by the people coming up to see it. I anticipated this year would be more of the same. And it was, but in a Spinal Tap ‘this one goes all the way to eleven’ kind of way. I was staggered. But I was and continue to be thankful.

Creating content is hard. Good content at least. You want something with a story, something people can relate to, or aspire to, or otherwise engage with. I didn’t plan to buy another Rover 827 (I’ve had one already, and aside from anything, the Vitesse is more than enough stress for one man). But, it came along via a good friend, and with just 19k on the clock it had to be worth investigating. I hoped people would watch and read the content created around it. Not because it’s a Rover 827, but because it was a story of something being saved, something making a transformation and within it all, I wanted to document the real world realities behind it. I’m not a mechanic, nor do I profess to be. But that was a good thing, as I hoped my ineptitude would give others the confidence to take something on. If he can do it, etc.

It seems, and I honestly say this without the slightest hint of hubris – I’m still processing it all – that myself and the team did it. Million pound this and supercar that are all very nice, but we all need a starting point, a level at which we can access the world of classic cars, we all need to be motivated and encouraged to get into and stay within this world. I think the journey of this car has done that. I have had people tell me they’re now looking for a project based on this, I have had people tell me they have gone back into the garage and raised tools once more that had previously been on a long hiatus, I have even had people offer to buy this car off me (more on that later). It’s not the sexiest car in the world, and I’m no Ed China, but we seem to have struck an important chord. I’m proud of that. I always will be.

Fundamentally though, I’m writing this piece to say thank you. I was so, so overwhelmed by the response to this car. The positive comments on its current condition. People talking about the videos, the site, how much they love Car & Classic, what it means to them, what they have bought and sold, what they have dreamed of buying. It’s been a four-day onslaught of unending positivity that I didn’t expect. I thought a few heavy-knit jumpers might spot it, I thought people might moan that it wasn’t concours (sorry, it’s been in a hedge you know?). I was wrong. I even had one chap, David, come to the show just to see the car. Mad.

If you came to see it, if you said hello, if you took a picture, if you spoke to me – thank you.

And while I’m on the subject of thank yous, there are a couple of special mentions I need to make, as this will probably be the last time I write about the Rover 827. First of all, there is Reuben, or Ree-you-ben as my car’s voice control calls him. I could have done the car – with the exception of the cam belt – on my own. It wouldn’t have made it to the NEC though. Instead, it would have been completed some time in 2026, possibly. Not only has Reuben helped in a hands-on sense (he did the cam belt along with myriad other things) he has also been my cheerleader, my source of sanity and the glue that has kept this project together. He kept me going when I just wanted to set fire to it. Thanks mate.

Then we have Alex. He’s the one who very kindly let me display the car on his Modern, Classic, Executive Cars stand at the NEC. He also deserves thanks for coping with the stress I put him through. The Rover 827 only passed its MOT on Wednesday the 9th, when it needed to be at the NEC on the 10th. It was a tense day or two, mainly because all the lights stopped working. British electronics, kids. Not great.

There are myriad other people I need to say thanks to, which I’ll cover in the last video. I’m trying not to go full Meryl Streep here. People on Twitter, people here at Car & Classic, friends, my fiancée, my ‘why is father in the garage again’ children. The list goes on. I’d also like to thank the Academy… no, wait, that’s not right…

So what’s next for the mighty Rover 827? Well, while it now pains me, I’m going to sell it. I can’t afford to keep it, nor would I really be able to use it even if I did. As such, once I have done the aforementioned tweaks and turns, I’ll be selling it via Car & Classic. We have a new Verified Listing platform which is perfect for sub £10k cars like this, and is so much safer and more efficient than some other selling sites.

Plus, selling it on here means I’ll find the right owner. I’m not really bothered – within reason – about the money. I just want it to be looked after. This has to be one of the most honest, original and lowest mile Rover 800s out there. 19,250 the odometer currently reads.

I’ll miss it, but you can’t keep them all. Plus, I need to show the Vitesse some love. Poor thing is currently sat under an inch of dirt, with no battery and a handful of missing relays because they’re currently in an 827. Awkward.

The main thing is that I saved this Rover 827. It would have been cubed otherwise. And in doing so, I hope I have brought some joy and some motivation to others. Even if you don’t like the car, I hope you have liked the journey. It certainly seems that way, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

If you did like the car and fancy one of your own, here’s where you can buy a Rover 827.