Unusually for a coupé the Rover P5B has four doors and the differences in styling are subtle and broadly constrained to the roofline and glasshouse but they add up to quite a rakish look compared to the standard saloon.
The roof is slightly lower and slopes more at the rear, the door frames are thinner and finished in stainless steel. For an additional touch, the saloons tended to be a single colour whereas most Coupés - including this one - had a contrasting roof colour with pinstripe detail along the gutter line.
Although not perfect (how many half-century cars are?) this one is a strong and properly looked after example.
It reported to be a dependable runner and a drives nicely according to the seller and it is more than capable of being pressed into everyday use without histrionics or fuss.DSC_0146.JPG1.25 MB
History and Paperwork
Good history folder
MoT valid until 28th April 2022
Lots of old MoTs on file back to 1980
Plenty of invoices showing regular care.
Recent work to carburettors and brakes
Front seat belts fitted in 2019
Only 3-500 miles covered a year for the past decade
Owner’s Manuals and period literature
Operating instructions for the Radiomobile and Binatone GTX
Opening the wood-capped doors, you are greeted by a pleasant aura of a grand stately home. There’s a little patination to the leather as you’d expect, more so on the driver’s side, but the upholstery appears largely intact and tidy with no evidence of damage.
It would respond well to a gentle clean, but it’s perfectly acceptable as it is. The large and imposing steering wheel looks to be original, and has a large chrome horn ring and Rover centre boss. Ahead of that is a binnacle with large speedometer and rev counter, ancillary switchgear and warning lights.
There are four extra gauges mounted below that were unique to the Coupe for water temperature, fuel level, volts and oil pressure.
Below the dash is a full width shelf and in the centre - below the period Radiomobile tuner and Binatone cassette player - is what appears to be a small picnic table, but it slides out and opens to reveal a complete tool kit.
The rear seats, as favoured by politicians and Directors of the period, are supremely comfortable, with a drop down armrest that also conceals a picnic table with a pair of cup (whiskey tumbler?) holders.
The rear passengers also have their own heater hidden beneath the seat, with controls between the front seats. The beige carpets appear in good order; plush and intact throughout and possibly original.
In the boot the linings and rubber floor mat are intact. As well as a jack for the spare wheel and battery compartment, the boot contains a Disklok security device that will come with the car.DSC_0163.JPG3.95 MB
The Exterior
Attractive two-tone paint in good condition
Excellent chrome, with minor pitting in places
New tyres on smart Rostyle wheels
The P5B is finished in a lovely contrasting two-tone of Silver Birch over Zircon Blue with the blue also pin striping the edge of the roof.
This is a 50 year old car so we wouldn’t expect it to be perfect but it is in very good condition for its age with few blemishes. Yes there are a few scratches, scuffs and chips here and there, but no body damage or serious corrosion that we could see, just a little surface rust in the wheel arches and on the suspension.
Some of the window rubbers are a little aged, but there is no sign of water ingress. The tyres are new, although we didn’t see an invoice on file. They are RoadX RXMotions with virtually no wear.DSC_0160.JPG1.5 MB
The Mechanics
Factory correct engine bay
Clean chassis with a light dusting of oxide
Starts and runs beautifully with no reported issues
Under the bonnet, which has a thick padded acoustic liner attached, the engine bay appears clean and tidy with no sign of rust - exhaust manifold aside - and there is evidence of new parts here and there.
The 3.5 litre V8 engine starts easily and runs sweetly with induction noise from the K&N air cleaner and a smooth burble from the exhaust. Interestingly, the “B” in the P5B name stands for Buick, from whom the light alloy V8 was sourced.
The underside of the car is remarkably clean. There is some light surface rust appearing on various suspension and steering components but otherwise most of what is underneath is coated in black underseal.
A true enthusiast’s example of one of the most underrated British cars of its time. Not perfect, but delightfully original example with room for improvement.
Looking at recent values of these lovely Rovers it may well prove to be a good investment.
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