Highlights
- Very smart car in Admiral Blue with very well preserved cream interior
- One of the last P5B built one day before production ended
- Extensive history file showing first registered to Rover Cars
- Extensive history file with over £35,000 worth of maintenance documentation
- Complete with original "under dash" Tool Kit and desirable ET front headrests
- Voluntary MOT valid to January 2026
The Appeal
Few cars are as ministerial or indeed majesterial as Rover’s stately P5B saloon. Particularly, as here, when finished in handsome Admiral Blue with a very well preserved cream leather interior.
These are cars that remind us of bygone days of Empire, a time when Rover built cars to its standard rather than one dictated by price. That commitment likely explains why this highly original 1973 P5B remains in such order. It was built on the penultimate day of production and first registered to Rover Cars. Its subsequent keepers have kept the mileage low and the maintenance standards high.
The history file shows £35,000 of maintenance. The joy of this car is that rather than being over-restored it carries a light patina of character that is very in keeping with its age. The extensively trimmed interior, a common weakness on these cars, is particularly well kept. It even retains the under-dash tool kit and the rare ‘ET’ front headrests.
There is a through line from the P5B to the final new Rover car, the 4.6L V8. With the reassurance of its lengthy voluntary MOT to January 2026, here is a chance to discover one of British motoring’s greats.
The vendor says:
"A beautiful example of the ubiquitous P5, which has an impressive file demonstrating the care and money that has been lavished upon it. The car has none of the corrosion issues associated with the model, fires up on the first turn of the key and runs beautifully. The car does what it was designed and built to do and it does it supremely well."
History and Paperwork
- First registered 2nd August 1973
- Car reportedly built on 8th January 1973 one day before production ended
- First keeper was Rover Cars
- Original Passport to Service confirms Rover Transport as the first owner
- Previously recorded as black which was changed in 1999
- Extensive history file demonstrating meticulous maintenance through the years
- Over £35,000 worth of servicing, maintenance and repair invoices included
- MOT valid until January 2026 with advisories to note
- Comes with a quality indoor cover
- Vendor supplied video recorded in storage unit on 18/07/2025. And despite being under the quality cover it has acquired a layer of dust. The car will be valeted ahead of collection/delivery.
The Condition
- Finished what vendor describes as original Admiral Blue
- Paintwork that presents well with some minor points to note in photos
- Bodywork is very well kept including arches, sills and panel edges
- Brightwork presents in very good order with light tarnish due to originality
- Sits on chrome-finished RoStyle wheels in good condition
- Cream leather interior in smart condition with ET front headrests
- Leather seats show light age but not unsightly
- Door cards and headlining appear in very good condition with light marks to note
- Equipped with the desirable ET front headrests
- Complete, original "under dash" Tool Kit present
- Beige carpets in good order as shown
- Features original steering wheel and classic radio
- Free from the corrosion issues typically associated with the model vendor states
The Mechanics
- 3,528cc Rover/Buick V8 engine
- Two SU carburettors
- Three-speed automatic transmission
- The vendor states the car is in excellent mechanical order
- Comprehensive maintenance and restoration file supports the mechanical condition
- The vendor states the car performs exactly as designed and built to do
- Advisories to note on current MOT
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