2005 | Rover 75 4.6 V8

A very rare Rover 75, 4.6 L V8 260 hp. Limousine Mk.II 2004 – the last wolf in sheep's clothing. It is a tragedy, as was the one written by Shakespeare himself. To be, or not to be – that is the question. After 100 years of car production and the last desperate convulsions, Rover is throwing in the towel. The car that was supposed to be the company's salvation is super cool, but it arrives too late. It's the Rover 75… BMW takes over a weakened Rover in 1994. Rover has been producing cars since 1904, and it has gone up and down with both great successes and British government support. The previous owner British Aerospace has systematically headhunted Rover's most talented employees. Therefore, they are in serious need of new blood and a success. The Rover 75 must give them that. BMW is primarily interested in Rover's production capacity, which is greater than BMW's own. They want to produce an elegant car based on good old British traditions. Traditions that are about solid mechanical reliability, wood and leather. A car that does not compete directly with BMW's own cars, of course. That plan was created at the BMW headquarters in Munich, but there is too long a way across the Channel. They do not have their finger on the pulse, either in relation to the customers' wishes or the build quality of the English Rover factories.

Shortly before the Rover 75 is presented at a motor show in Birmingham in 1998, BMW scores a gigantic strategic own goal. They openly declare that there is a crisis at Rover and threaten to close the factory in Longbridge. The reaction does not occur. Dealers and buyers are shocked and extremely nervous about the delivery and future production of spare parts. This means that sales are far from expected, even if the Rover 75 turns out to be an excellent car. At the beginning of 2001, Rover decided that it would again have a V8 car on the program, which it had basically always had, and that the car should be ready for Rover's 100th anniversary.

Therefore, fine 4.6 liter V8 engines from Ford Mustang were purchased and they started to change the entire driveline from transverse, to longitudinal and with rear wheel drive. The task was successful and production began. In total, approx. 780 cars, of which approx. half in the MG version. Even though the Rover 75 is praised by both the press and customers, it gets off to a bad start and even though BMW sells Land Rover and has the new MINI on the way, they still don't have enough ice in their stomachs to keep Rover going and wait for momentum. Rover closes in 2005 after 100 years of car production - even a wolf in sheep's clothing could not reverse the trend. This Rover 75 V8 is one of only 38 pieces. General left-hand drives that were produced. The car is a collector's item (almost a Youngtimer). Km read 140,000