Rover P6 3500S Estate

Click Here for Full Screen Image - Click Here to Download Image

Introduced in 1966, the P6 was the sixth and the last of the famous 'P' series Rovers to reach production.

Designed by David Bache and looking positively futuristic compared to earlier models, it was an engineering tour de force and was immediately voted European Car of the Year. “One has the impression that the car was planned by engineers who are enthusiastic drivers and by stylists who put function before decoration, and the result is something of an object lesson to other manufacturers,” mused Motor magazine.

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 at the rear) a fully-synchromesh transmission and individual rear ‘bucket’ seats.

Initially the P6 was only available with a 104bhp 2-litre engine but in April 1968 a much more powerful 3.5-litre V8 version was launched. This all-alloy engine weighed no more than the old unit but boosted power to 146bhp and could launch the car to 60mph in 10.5 seconds on its way to a top speed of 114mph. With fine handling and plenty of space inside, it was usefully faster than most other cars then on the road and soon became a big favorite with the motorway police and the Flying Squad. It remained in production until 1976 when it was replaced by the ‘flying wedge’ SD1.

While Triumph enjoyed considerable success with the estate version of their 2000 saloon, Rover seemed happy to leave that sector of the market entirely open to their old rival. That is until coachbuilders FLM Panelcraft in Battersea, London produced their own estate conversion of the P6 called the Estourer. Having been officially approved by Rover, the conversions were completed by H.R. Owen and Crayford Engineering, with bodywork executed by FLM Panelcraft. However, in trying to maintain the car’s sleek styling, the practicality of the estate bodywork was compromised and, with the relatively high cost of the conversion, only around 150 were built.

This sleek blue estate was first registered in September 1973 and was acquired for the Stondon Collection in 1999, shortly after the previous owner had quite an amount of work done on the car. Specialists in Classic Rovers, J Moore of Frinton-on-Sea were instructed to do a number of restoration jobs in 1998, which a scribbled piece of paper in the file claims could have cost up to £4,000! It was last MOTd and taxed in 2000.