COMING TO AUCTION
FROM
BLENHEIM PALACE SALE
11th JULY 2015
1981 ROVER 3500 SD1 VANDEN PLAS
Estimate: £8,000 - £12,000
Registration Number: SRJ 730X
Chassis Number: RRMWV3BA161420
Registration Number: SRJ 730X
Chassis Number: RRMWV3BA161420
Examples such as this 1981 Vanden Plas come so rarely to market. The original owner paid £13,000 and, being a Vanden Plas, the car came loaded with the full spectrum of the Rover option lists: central locking; electric sunroof; cruise control; alloy wheels; extra chrome trim and more. Finished in Pharaoh Gold, the owner's wife disliked leather and thus the interior was trimmed in a special order grey velour. Disappointed with the part exchange values offered by main dealers at the time, in 1981 and having covered just 13,000 miles, the owner drained the fluids and put it up on blocks, where it remained, sheathed in a protective cover, until the end of last year.
Jack Grover of Car and Classic Magazine did a road test on this particular SD1 in February 2014, and his comments offer apt testament: “This is, effectively, an 11-month old Rover SD 1. This means that this is in many ways not a road test of a classic, but of a brand new car.“Opening the door the immediate impression is how new everything feels and smells. There is none of the dusty odours of a well-worn car interior, just the lingering whiff of fresh plastic and glue. The seats and carpets still feel crisp and the acres of chocolate brown soft touch plastic are unfaded... “Given the Rover's wide-ranging design I was wondering what sort of driving character it would have – sporty or luxurious? The answer is an amazing blend of the two. The quality of the ride is probably the best I have experienced on a classic car. In terms of bump absorption and smoothness it's on a par with a hydro-pneumatic Citroën, but it totally lacks the wallow and float that is a characteristic of such cars.
“I feel very fortunate to drive it as it provides such a perfect way to see the SD1 at its best, a world-beating piece of automotive design.” This unique SD1 is offered with UK V5 registration papers and an MoT valid until June 2016.
For further information or to arrange a viewing, please contact our sales department.
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