Lot 080: Rover P6 3500S

Introduced in 1966, the P6 was the sixth and the last of the famous 'P' series Rovers to reach production. Looking positively futuristic compared to earlier models, it was immediately voted European Car of the Year. It also won awards for safety, thanks to its carefully designed passenger cell and advanced unibody design with non-stressed panels bolted to a massively strong unit frame. Other advanced features included a de Dion tube suspension at the rear, four wheel disc brakes (inboard on the rear) and a fully-synchromesh transmission. Top of the range was the 3500S, launched in 1970 with an uprated 153bhp 3.5-litre V8. With fine handling and a top speed of 123mph, it quickly became a big favourite with Britain's motorway police. Owned and built by the chairman and chief technical officer of the Rover P6 Owner's Club, this superb 3500S was lovingly rebuilt using a collection of 'new old stock' genuine Rover parts amassed over a 30 year period. Every single part of the car was rebuilt including body, chassis, suspension, engine, gearbox and interior. The car has only covered 800 shake-down miles since the work was completed.It was built to be an exact copy of the prototype Rover 3500Ei, a high performance P6 that was to compete against the Triumph 2500Pi and the Jaguar XJ6, but pressure from BL meant that it was never put into production. Correct in every detail and with superb paint and panel fit, it is acknowledged to be the finest P6 in existence and has been displayed at many car shows. Total cost of the restoration is estimated to be in excess of £30,000 which included a full engine rebuild, even though the base car had covered only 44,000 miles from new.This car has the desirable four-speed manual gearbox and is fully optioned to include many extremely rare features including a centre bonnet scoop which was only fitted to 12 UK cars. This is a rare opportunity to acquire a superb P6 at a fraction of the build cost.NB The private plate shown is not included and will be replaced by an age-related plate prior to the sale