It’s the ninth instalment of George Bush (junior)’s third favourite Automotive Literature themed online series, and we’re staying domestic (er, in England).
A little while ago, the righteous mr. mzs zsm msz esq naively asked if I owned a Rover SD1 brochure. Well, I’m ever so sorry if he’s ruined your week, but yes I do. In fact, I have a multitude. So I’m going to do a kind of cradle-to-grave thing running from the beginning to The End of the SD1s exciting life.
Over TWO PARTS! You lucky, lucky people.


The SD1, of course, was never ever sold as the SD1, that’s a colloquialism stemming from the original development code which has become used exclusively by People Like Us. But anyway, the car itself still stands out from ’70s car history as being one of the very few machines to issue from British factory gates with any kind of innovation to them whatsoever. A fact not lost on the producers of this brochure which dates from 1978, not right at the beginning but only a year and a half in. It was, of course;
“The birth of a new tradition”
Oh, crikey, be careful. We’ll have no mention here of a tradition of unreliability, rust, industrial action or other unpleasantnesses. Let’s swiftly flick the page and bathe in a little warm hyperbole.
“The birth of a new Rover has always been something more than the launch of a new car. It marks a turning point in design, sets the standard of things for years to come.”
Lets just qualify that statement for a moment and, actually, grant it partial acceptance. For here was a motor company of long-established repute, going right out on a limb. Here was a big, expensive car of radically swoopy design which came only as a hatchback at a time where virtually ever rival was a three-box shape, apart from a few cars from the Ever-Crazy French. Oh, and the Audi Avant. (and VW Passat. And others, but you get the idea). A big posh hatchback was still, broadly, not a traditional idea.

It’s rare that a brochure pays much acknowledgement to the designer, but here Rover wisely pay homage.
“The Rover team are the most successful in Europe. Spencer King, David Bache, John Lloyd and their colleagues have produced a car that has won every major industry award”
Yeah, there’s been much discussion over how much of the SD1s profile was pilfered from the Ferrari 365 GTB/4, but who bloody cares? If I could have, in 1976, a saloon car that looks like a Ferrari, as far as I’m concerned that’s A Good Thing. Plus;
“Aerodynamics mean more than good looks”.
Forsooth. And Rover were getting serious (or at least Acting Serious) about how well thei’r cars were put together. Check this out;
“…A new Rover……is subjected to an average of 700 quality control checks at 10 inspection stations”.
“These are no ordinary checks: The Rover plant and quality control systems are designed to produce cars which conform to the quality standards approved by NATO in the requisitioning of all their equipment”
Beat that, The World!

Truthfully there’s no way I can cover even a fraction of the wonders that this brochure contains, and I respectfully suggest that everybody on Hooniverse heads straight to eBay and tracks down their own copy. Every page has something that will trigger salivation;
“…It’s worth noting here that the new Rovers are exactly what they look: high performing saloons built to go fast and safely. Recent modifications to the famous V8 engine including electronic ignition to expand the rev-range, give you a higher brake horsepower, which in turn gives you improved performance.”

Of course, soon after launch would come the 2300 and 2600 versions, with the straight-six engines which; though uncanilly smooth and lovely to listen to, weren’t Rovers proudest moment in terms of longevity. It’s the 3500 V8 anyway that is the model that the SD1 will always be most fondly remembered as.
“So much has been written and said in praise of the new Rover 3500 that it is difficult not to think of it as the most significant new car in Britain today.”

It was so refreshing to see a little bravado and confidence in the marketplace; even if the traditional stiff-upper lip and reputation for British Modesty did wane a little:
“The philosophy behind the new range of Rovers can be summed up in three parts; the setting of the highest possible motoring and safety standards; the achievement of these standards by the use of elegantly simple design and sound engineering principles and an attention to detail that leaves no area of the car less than perfect”.
Of course, I’d love one of these, perfect or not. And if they’ve all turned to orange piles of Ferric Oxide by the time I get the chance, well, at least I own the brochure (s).
<Disclaimer:- All photos were taken by the author and are of genuine original manufacturer publicity material, taken on my bathroom floor while I wait for it to stop snowing. All copyright rights remain in the possession of the manufacturer, who ceased to exsist after catastrophic mis-management and eventual oblivion>