The history of Rover’s P6: which should you buy?

2 September, 2015

 

With the launch of the first P6 in 1963, named as such because it was Rover’s sixth post-war model, Rover made their first indication that the company was now after the new ‘young executive’ market, who were looking for more sporting pretensions in their saloon cars. Previously noted for the production of, well ‘traditional’ cars, the P6 featured crisply distinctive, and very modern lines, secured via a steel base-unit onto which the panels were bolted. Although Rover had first considered this method of construction as early as 1953, Citröen had already released their D-series cars featuring similar body construction by the time the P6 was launched. Indeed, the original David Bache-penned P6 styling models showed some outward resemblance to the Citröen, especially with its sloping nose and rear tail fins. However, the fins were quickly deleted whilst the sloping nose was sliced off and replaced by a bluffer, more conventional front-end.

The P6’s suspension was also notable, with its rear de Dion tube and Watts linkage. The front also utilized an unorthodox set-up, whereby top links pivoted from the top of the coil springs which, in turn, acted against the front bulkhead — this gave the P6 an unusually wide engine bay. The extra space had been specifically designed to take Rover’s gas-turbine engine, but this unit never went into production.

Although the 2000TC gave improved power over the 2000SC, Rover, and contemporary road-testers, soon realised that the P6’s excellent chassis could handle considerably more power and, as the proposed gas turbine engine was some way off, Rover began to consider other options. Initially a six-cylinder version of the 1978cc four-cylinder engine was considered. Several prototypes were made and the new three-litre six was speed-tested up to 143mph. But the six was both heavy and very long, causing major changes to the P6’s body. A cheaper, 2472cc five-cylinder was proposed by Peter Wilks, Rover’s Chief Engineer, and several prototypes were produced. But finally, after all the trouble, all of these options were abandoned when Rover’s MD, William Martin-Hurst, returned from a US trip with the 3.5-litre Buick V8.

Initially trialled in the P5B in 1967, the ex-Buick V8 was shoe-horned into the P6 body in 1968 for the 3500 – and one of Britain’s best-loved sports saloons was born. Eventually replaced in 1976 by the disappointing SD1, the 3500 — and especially the 3500S — are now very popular classic saloons, combining easy cruising from the light-alloy V8, excellent handling, and, of course, traditional Rover values.

New Zealand Classic Car prime pick: P6B 3500S

While there is little doubt that the 2000/2200TC cars offer adequate performance, there is little to match the feeling of driving a well-sorted V8. Of these the 3500S, the beloved choice of the UK motorway police during the period, is the pick of the crop — although the four-speed manual can be notchy in use, and under pressure from the V8’s torque it is not renowned for its longevity. Additionally, there are many Rover specialists in New Zealand who can literally transform both the handling and the performance of the 3500, capable of tastefully mutating the P6 into anything from a refined grande routier to a fire-breathing road-burner.

Buyer’s spot check

The big advantage that the Rover P6 has over most of its contemporaries is the nature of its body construction. As external panels — including sills and roof — are simply bolted into place, replacement of damaged or rusted panels is simply a matter of wielding a spanner. As such, exterior rust is less of a problem than in a traditional unitary-constructed car. However it is the rust you can’t see that is the bigger danger. Put simply, if a P6’s exterior panels exhibit massive signs of rust (most notably present on the door bottoms, sills, and the bottom of the rear door jambs), expect to find more corrosion on the chassis and body superstructure. The only way to really check this out properly is, of course, to remove all the bolt-on panels – or to ask a specialist to check the car out.

Areas that can be more easily checked include the air-space beneath the panel at the bottom of the rear screen. Accessible from the boot, this space usually fills with debris and can quickly rust out, reducing the efficiency of the boot seal. This is turn will lead to rust around the boot floor and battery box. Most serious rust problems in the P6 will be found around the rear of the car, so it pays to check out this area carefully.

Mechanically the V8 is a better bet than the two or 2.2-litre engines, principally because spares supply is so much better for the light-alloy V8. Parts are in shorter supply for the four-cylinder engines, and buyers of these should check for noisy tappets and timing chains, because eliminating either problem can be expensive — even tappet adjustment carries a sizeable labour component in order to partially strip down the engine. By comparison top end overhaul of the V8 is a far easier task, although it can still be expensive. The V8 has no real weaknesses but is renowned for wearing out camshafts.

Automatic gearboxes should give little trouble, but worn manual ‘boxes will normally exhibit excessive noisiness, and are known to jump out of reverse. Clonks in the driveline will usually mean worn rear universals and suspension clunks are a good indication that suspension bushes are worn — most specialists recommend fitting nolathane bushes to combat this and tighten up the P6’s handling. Finally it pays to check the condition of the de Dion tube, as these can often be bent by careless mechanics who have used the de Dion as a jacking point.

Grand Routier — in the french tradition

Sitting in Paddy and Patsy Williams’ Dunedin garage is a stunning example of one of these rare French grand routier sedans. It is a 1949 four-door Lago-Record Factory Berline sedan, to give its full name. Daughter Cath let us know how proud she was of her dad, who had been tinkering away in his garage on this car for so many years.
Without exaggeration, it has been a mammoth task. I first saw this Talbot-Lago in mid 2019. The long-nosed, sweeping, curved four-door saloon, clothed in its misty green metallic paint, was quite breathtaking. There’s more than a little English influence in it, too, harking back to company owner Tony Lago’s involvement in the Clement-Talbot-Darracq era. The long front wings and bonnet, usually multi-louvred, highlighted with artful touches of chrome bling, are typical of the era, but these were indeed luxury length. Interiors provided leather-clad, armchair-style seating and ample legroom, with touches of wood and surprising details such as dainty childproof interior locks — a far cry from today’s lozenge boxes.
Paddy, a retired civil and structural engineer, knows his way around a lathe. He has a well-equipped garage-workshop to assist in any machining tasks along with his other passion for restoring classic motorcycles.

The Great River Road

A few years ago my family, knowing my fondness for driving, gave me the book Unforgettable Road Trips: Thirty-Six Drives of a Lifetime by Martin Derrick. Most of the road trips listed take less than a day in places like Scotland, Monaco, and Australia, plus one in New Zealand. Most of these places were too far to go just for a short drive but four of them would take several days. My interest was piqued, and those four drives were added to the bucket list. To date, I have done three of them: ‘Route 66’ (USA 21 days), ‘State Highway 6’ (NZ 10 days) and ‘The Great River Road’ (USA 22 days). You can drive all of them in less time, but you could also fly over them. We wanted a decent immersion in their charms.
The great river referred to is the Mississippi. While the name conjures the deep south, the river actually starts at the bottom of the great lakes, before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico about 3800km later. The great road is more of a concept than a specific strip of tarmac, as you can drive down either side of the river on various routes. Regardless of which side you drive, time should be kept aside for detours to places such as Nashville, which is famous for something or other.