What is the Rover 75 for you?
 

Fine and distinguished gentlemen,

after drinking a cup of tea and a biscuit, let me ask you this:

What does it mean to drive a Rover 75 for you?

Sure, you could be like the masses and get yourself an Audi, Mercedes or some SUV of your choice with gazillions of helpers and gimmicks. 360 degree cam and fake engine sound, etc.

But why did you gents bought a Rover 75?

For me? It sounds weird, but I like being unique and having a free mind. Going my own way. Using tools that work out for me, while the masses are following a hype.

Here in Germany, we do have great cars. But how boring would it be to drive the same car, in the same color. I never understood that.

I also rock a BlackBerry Key2 because I love keyboards.

I started with a Peugeot 607. Connoisseurs know what kind of car that is. We can say that this is the french version of a Rover 75. leather seat, good price for a car, etc.

Then I got me a Jaguar XF. One of the best cars I have ever owned. British green color, leather, and all gimmicks with a great design. Unfortunately the engine broke.

So I needed a replacement for a reasonable price.

The Rover 75 eyed me long time ago.

It is a great car. I love buttons and the McGuyver or James Bond lifestyle in a car. I work hard so I love giving myself pleasure after work. The ride at home or to work. Those 20 minutes of tranquillity and class. While other are angry and full of stress sitting on their "latest" cars with regular seats, I love getting some heat care in my leather club seats while listening to good music and driving with my wood driving wheel. taking my time, no stress. Just me and the royal car.

It will be always like that for me. I value a nice car with luxury for such a nice price. The 2.0 CDT is just perfect for me. Sure, it is not the fastest. But it has cruise control. My lifestyle is taking time for everything. I am not in a rush.

So gentlemen, what is a Rover 75 for you?

PS: Excuse my English. I was good in English in my teens and twenties.

PPS: Pic not related. Just a mood I found on the internets ;)

https://scontent-ams3-1.cdninstagram...ninstagram.com

Lovely car. Do you pat it when you leave it..(my guilty secret...)

Not yet. But every time I turn around to get a last glance. Like turning around for a hot woman. It is a brilliant car.

Pic not related. Found it also on the internets

https://scontent-lht6-1.cdninstagram...NjE1OQ%3D%3D.2

I got my car as a tow car for towing a caravan.
Wife could not get to liking a Ford Mondeo.

With sandstone interior and walnut trim I think the car looks posh inside,
and perhaps being a bit different in the car park.

When I see an old car I do take a second look. Something about them.

macafee2

First 75 I got because it was available! Facing a hefty bill to get my Volvo through an MOT I cut my losses and bought a 75 that was on the forecourt. It was a N/A 1.8, got you there but not in a hurry, got a 1.8T ZT because at the asking price and wad of receipts for work done I'd have been stupid not to! Got the 260 because I like them and the rarity.

For me the 75 has everything. Up there with the most stylish cars ever made.
The stunning looks, the comfort, the ride, and, of course, the sheer pleasure of driving it.
I always wanted a 75. I met Jasper in January 2015, simply couldn't resist him, notwithstanding the fact he only cost £650. In that 4 years he has grandly carried me over 44k. And he is a 1.8.

Looking at him when he has had a good Autoglym polish, I just can't take my eyes off him.

WOW. Pure gold here.

Let me tell you something brothers. Since my sad history of my broken Jaguar, I drove a small car from 1996. The mechanic who broke the Jaguar lent it to me. I guess he felt guilty, knowing IO must stay mobile.

I drove that small car without any comfort. No electric windows, crushed and pathetic seats, no telephone speakers, no nothing. On top, sometimes the car shut down when I switched the gear down to 1. It was dangerous. No airbag nothing. I am a good driver. But still. I always thought the other mechanic would fix my Jaguar. So I stood patiently.

But then I decided to act. I knew the Jaguar wont get fixed. So I called my lawyer to take care of things and needed a new car, for the winter.

After 9 months of starving I knew it must be a comfy car. But no mass car like everyone has.

So searched for the usual suspects. Citroen C6 (!!!), Peugeot 607 and Audi A6.

But to get good ones, is a game. Mostly you have pirates or car dealers on the phone. This was not an option for me.

So I was at the parking lot the other day. I saw a greenish Rover 75. I remembered the car from many years ago. I had in mind that the Rover was a car which was not reliable at that time.

At home I decided to kick out that mainframe and research for a Rover 75. And I saw the prices ! You get a lot of car for a small amount of money. Including history, class and design.

And I was searching at some nice models and there I made my decision. A silver Rover 75 2.0 CDT from 06.2001. It looks like brand-new. The owner always put it in his garage.

When I bought it I drove it home. I remember it was snowy and I was stressed since I had a hard day. Couldn't believe my "misery" with the small car will find an end. I took the train to get from A to B, paid the guy and drove home.

I couldn't believe it! It was evening. I sat inside and was shocked. The red light inside, the leather seats were new. I closed the door. I heard nothing. Put my Google Maps on the phone and drove home.

It started to snow. But no problem for the Rover. The next morning I registered it with no problems. Insurance etc, all good.

Just need to fix the code for the Radio (which still says wait) and all is good.

The diesel engine is a good solid lump, not prone to breaking down.
Comfy, very much so

Glad to hear you are a happy owner. If you need it, lots of help on this forum so don't be scared to ask.

good luck with ownership

macafee2

I bought a 75 cdt,as I liked the look of it, then checked out the towing capacity, as I tow a caravan, and finally it had good reviews.
Then I joined this club, which led me to buying a second 75.:

My Rover 75 image
 

I wanted a car with old fashioned styling cues like chrome accents & vivid colours beyond the bland silver, black, normally available, but on a modern car with modern handling & comforts.

I wanted lots of creature comforts like air conditioning, leather & cup holders. I also wanted a four door saloon.

I wanted a car that was attractive without being flashy & I wanted something that was underrated in the public perception. Rover carried a bad name in the United Kingdom but the 75 was its last swan song & had the best of British design & German engineering.

I needed a car that was likely to have been cared for by demographic with money to spend on maintenance & these tended to have had the elderly gentlemen keepers but was also an affordable purchase price.

I was looking for a British equivalent to Buick or Mercury. Something that was never in the Cadillac or Lincoln category but with top specification could be just as nice. "Poor man's Jag" or "Baby Bentley" labels heightened my interest.

I remembered these launching & being compared to Jaguar S-Type. I recalled vaguely preferring the Rover 75 especially the interior styling with warm coloured gauge dials, piped leather & wood dash.

I came from a Ford family that despised the Rover brand, & drove a lovely Mondeo Ghia X but I found it somewhat bland. I considered a VW Phaeton because it was similar in market positioning to the a top spec Mondeo/75 & wasn't yet another Mercedes or BMW. I purchased a local Rover 75 as an experiential toy & fell in love. It drove smoothly, was comfortable & won over my family with plaudits. I sold my Ford & purchased a 2nd Rover 75 with even higher specification & they liked that one even more.

For the foreseeable future I will drive only 75's, maintaining these as long as possible & saving one from scrappage for conversion to electric power when the price is right. In short they are perfect for me.

https://ibb.co/ZfD23tg & here they are together, colours complimenting each other.

ive had two 75s the first one got rear shunted and was a writtn off , so i went out and bought another 75 cdt club se in wedgewood blue 2 with 82 thousand on it and full service history. to be honest i couldnt see myself driving any other car but the 75 with its smooth engine,retro dashboards and very very comfortable its just the car for me . even thou i suffer with a bad back i feel very safe and secure whilst driving it.. you get a lot of car for what you pay rgds mark

I very nearly had a ZT years ago, when MGR were still on the go, before the Volvo I mentioned previously. I went to a dealer, liked what I was looking at but when I went to sit in it I got caught out by the low door opening. I smacked the side of my head just above my ear, left the dealer still seeing stars!

I admired my Neighbour's for years, walking past it on my way home, admiring the wooden dash and old fashioned cream oval dials & leather seats "must get one of those, one day". About 600 days later, I did. Never looked back (apart from when pulling out, or course...)

This is my very first Rover and a 75 CDT at that, I'm not going to wax lyrical about it but in one word ..... opulence.
And that sums my 75 up very nicely indeed.

In the 1990’s I worked for Rover/BMW Operating Strength and Materials Engineering at Gaydon. I did a lot of stuctural test work and ride comfort work on the 75 and always liked it. I felt it was a design that would stand the test of time and it has. I aim to get another one soon and hang on to it as a reminder of those days. So for me, its happy memories.

[IMG]https://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/for...52c9703147.jpg[/IMG]
Here is an extract from a correspondence report.

The 75 range is the product of Rover’s time under BMW and was
the best Rover model to date.
It was created to give owners that special sense of occasion like
the classic Rover models of the 40s and 50s.
The interior, complete with its oval steam engine binnacle dials
that look like they’ve been lifted from one of HG Wells time machines.
Other lovely detail touches also take you back : the chrome plated
door pulls and wing mirrors, the satisfying clunk as the doors shut.
The wood veneered fascia, designed into the cabin. It’s the ambience that matters and ambience is something the Rover 75 has in abundance.
An impressive range of engines on offer too, including a
diesel unit courtesy of BMWs 2 litre Common Rail unit, the same
that is used in BMWs 320d.
The Rover 75 was a British-built car to be proud of. If you want a
car that’s refined, sophisticated and which has more of a presence
and sense of occasion than any of its rivals, take a look at the
Rover 75. There’s not a bad choice across the entire range.
Kev.

This is gold.

I can mostly rely on all posts here.

It is a timeless premium car. I mean you can the test models with gazillions gimmicks. But lord have mercy, when of these gimmicks breaks. Head over to the dealer pay a premium.

I am sure a lot can bought cheaply for the Rover.

It is masterclass.

For me, as a high performer, I love to work and win. So I wanna ride at work and get the special treatment. It is something many don't see. The moment were you won again and head over to your car. pushing the key fob, where the lights dims when you enter the car. The car home, securely, especially now with the cold and snowy times. Something only Rover 75 owners might understand.

A while ago now there was a similar post asking why you loved your 75/ZT and i think my answer then is just as applicable now :)

As some others on here,what i like about the 75 is when i park it up,it makes me look back at it with a feeling of pride.
There are a few £20,000 cars in my street,but none of them has the same eye pleasing look.
I must add i may be a little biased in my views,i remember in 80s when NZ beat Wales by 50pts,at the end of the game i genuinely thought that on the whole Wales were the better side.
You can't get more biased or patriotic than that.:D

To me, it's unique. Nobody my age drives one or has probably even considered one and I get odd looks all the time. Also, I just love the car. I think it's the perfect mix between classic and modern - classic styling, especially the interior, but with brilliant reliability (mine's a diesel), and good MPG. For me, its the perfect car. Still looks modern, timeless, and long journeys are a breeze. I really think it still holds its own with new luxury cars, I've been in a brand new range rover and an E class (which was quite frankly very poor) and they both lacked character, which is something I think the 75 has. The interior is what really makes me appreciate it, as it feels much older than it is in a way, yet still handles like a modern car. Also, seeming as it was rover's last proper car (we'll forget the cityrover) that just makes it that bit more special.

Absolutely!!!

The interior is key.

How many times did I see the guys buying a car on pump/loan just to have a mediocre interior. Plastic feeling with cheap materials and sad looking cloth seats.

I love watching car reviews on Youtube! Doug Demarco or Naples car review. ;mostly luxury sedans. Or Autogefühl. He reviews mostly new luxury sedans. cars for 30K, 50K or even 60K. New gimmicks, etc. But inside? We Rover 75 owner have nothing to hide seriously.

I always loved having leather seats for example. Or taking long rides in a comfy car which "glides". So the Rover is perfect. Riding with class, style und uniqueness. And then, when you get out it was more of a pleasure than pain.

I had a small Nissan car for some months as a substitute these times. No comfort, no luxury, no nothing. It was a bareback car. Then I got myself the 75 and I nearly broke down :D:bowdown: A class of its own. A different world.

That's what I like best about the 260, no they're not perfect, they have their faults but they do have character in spadefuls.

Doug Demuro is great, I'd love it if he tested a rover 75.wonder what the Dougscore on it would be?

The Doug score would range very high I guess. He even reviewed a German Trabant!!! :duh:

So who knows?

I miss a channel where they review luxury cars from the 90s and 2000s.

But if Doug would make a video, it would be hilarious. Love his strange humor.

I'm strongly considering making a YouTube review of the Rover 75. More of a carthrottle style video than a doug video, I've shot the intro, I bought a camera just for it, but it'll have to wait until the end of arpil at least because the miles on my insurance have almost run out :(

Then you are going to love this video by 'Regular Car Reviews'. The style of review is off beat & takes a little getting used to but then you learn to enjoy it, see the humour & realise the cultural background commentary adds context to the review. Rover 75;

https://youtu.be/5LA-lkYlF7o

Followed up by;

https://youtu.be/RhMxH_0F-Ng

Regards, Matty

Do it fine Sir.

I nearly watched all Youtube reviews on youtube. Even the russian ones!!! :D Can't get enough of it!

I watch Rover 75 video nearly everyday.

Hey Matty,

thanks. I knew these videos. Sadly we not so many videos on Youtube.

Here are my top 7 favorite Rover 75 videos. After watching tons of them, I can assure you. These are my handpicked, curated ones.

1) Some lot reviewing the gadgets and gimmicks a Rover 75 has. James Bond style:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVm8pymWEmo&t=425s

2) This dude made some nice updates. Love the seats and thats it is shot by daylight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mzr7QM6fIfg

3) Great passionate review on this blue 75: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s0oHAqKsCs

4) Rover 75 commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCj7ZWqZikY

5) Really modern day mood! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abqH4qUwr5I

6) That is just a dream. No talk, just pure beauty: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu0eHwhkz1k

7) My all time favorite!!! The background music, the calmness and shots by daylight. I felt instantly in love: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHaJvmYIsy4

BONUS: If you have a huge Smart TV, let this in! A fake Prince Harry driving his Rover for 45 minutes! It is so relaxing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtuYZgZxhjg

I'll try and remember and let you know when I publish it! Should be done around the middle of June as my insurance is low on miles till the end of April.

Sounds good.

Also when it gets warmer, we tend to do more and go out often than now.

Looking forward to it friend.

Rover 75 Reviews
 

RoverLord,

The Bonus video I have already seen, I have commented as a 'Rare VHS Uploads' when I watched it. If you check my channel I have videos uploaded of my own two Rover 75's. I recognised the video from your description of the Prince Harry lookalike & relaxing nature of the video with rolling English countryside. 'Andrew Carr' says he is planning to do a full review of that car later in the year.

Something a little different but as a German I think you will appreciate this BBC broadcast from 1996 about the BMW-Rover relationship. Nothing about the Rover 75 is mentioned but it's a sweet little piece that gives an insight into the differing industrial cultures of Germany (Barvaria) & U.K. (Birmingham).

Most of the Germans & British are young apprentices in the video & I found myself wondering what became of them 23yrs later.

Part One BMW-Rover Bonding;

https://youtu.be/Aok3FzBhAYM

Part Two BMW-Rover Bonding;

https://youtu.be/0bzUuhk0K3U

I will examine your other links & see if their are any Rover 75 Reviews that I have missed.

Let me know what you think of that little BBC gem above?

Regards, Matty.

Ahhh, Matty! What a gem. Just finished them and I must say: These were days. People respected each other and it seems more peaceful than today.

The mother who backed their sons bag and she secretly hid a photo of her between the clothes. :}

Young lads learning from each other. Two great cultures exchanging.

Every time when a name came, I tried to google it along with "Rover" behind it. Just found John Berkeley on Linked. Unfortunately no Louise Lane :D Women looked and were very feminine than today. Great times.

Thanks for the links, Matty!

PS: I am like that too What are they doing now? We might never know.:shrug:

Book recommendation
 

RoverLord,

I watched those, number 4) the advert was new to me & I enjoyed it. I prefer my reviews to have narration so I prefer the second video with the gold Mk2.

I recommend reading ‘Rover 75 & MG ZT: The Complete Story’ by James Taylor.

Regards, Matty

A new 75 video on YouTube.
 

Hello RoverLord,

https://youtu.be/HOmVr5tGfRQ

I'm sure you'll enjoy this recently uploaded homage. This circulated on the Facebook Rover 75 groups & I think it's one of the better videos, feels like an original contemporary advert from Rover.

Regards, Matty.

I am a Rover man & have always had at least one Rover with me for nearly forty years, mostly though it's been more than one. I've had my P5B for thirty three years. I started off with a P6 & have had half a dozen or so, four pots & V8's. Then l decided to try a P4 so bought a 110.
I could see the 75 was a return to the real pedigree of the old Rover's so after a few years l bought one & was reassured with the old Rover ambience as soon as l sat in it.
At present l have my P4, P5B, two P6's & my 75. Also my Morris Oxford Traveller for variety.

Love that video - thanks for posting the link :}

Cliff