Rover 800
Encyclopedia
The Rover 800 series is an executive car
introduced by the Austin Rover Group
in 1986 and also marketed as the Sterling
in the United States. Co-developed with Honda
, it was a close relative to the Honda Legend
and the successor to the Rover SD1
.
. Development of the car began in 1981 as part of a venture with Honda
under the "XX" codename; the corresponding Honda version was known as the Honda Legend
, and was codenamed as "HX". The development work was carried out at Rover's Canley plant and Honda's Tochigi development centre. The European market Legend was produced by Austin-Rover alongside the 800 in the former Morris
plant in Cowley
, Oxfordshire
. US-market (Acura
) Legends were built in Japan.
It was finally launched on 10 July 1986, taking the place of the decade-old Rover SD1
.
-series_1point5.jpg)
At launch, the 2 litre versions of the 800 used two naturally aspirated 2.0 L 16-valve developments of British Leyland's stalwart O-Series engine, dubbed M-Series. However in 1988 an 820 Fastback (no letter after the 820 badge), with a single carburettor version of the O-Series was launched for the fleet market. The M-Series was divided into two versions; the M16e fitted to the 820e/se, with single point injection, and the M16i which was fitted to the 820i/si with multi-point injection, i.e. 4 injectors. The top 2.5 litre versions (825i & Sterling) used a Honda designed V6 unit in 2.5 L capacity. Initially, only a saloon body was offered; a liftback version – referred to as a fastback
– became available in 1988.
Later, a diesel
version of the car was launched in 1990 using a 2498 cc engine from Italian
company VM Motori
, which was related to the slightly smaller engine used in the 2400 SD Turbo model of the Rover SD1, and Range Rover
Turbo D.
The Sterling badge was used in Europe and most global markets to denote the top saloon luxury version and the Vitesse badge used to denote the top fastback sporting version. The Vitesse became available at the same time as the 2675 cc Honda V6. Both of these top of the range models were initially only available in the UK with the V6. In some European markets, in particular Italy, the 2.0 litre petrol was badged as Sterling and later available (in turbo form) as Vitesse to avoid the punishing duties that made engines over 2.0 litres unviable for volume sales.
Towards the end of Mark 1 production the Vitesse had nearly as many "luxury" features as the Sterling (for example, electric seats). There was also a brief run of just over 500 820 Turbo 16v cars using a turbocharged version of the M-Series developed with help from Tickford
, leading to this model often being referred to as the "Tickford Turbo". Utilising such enhancements as sodium-filled exhaust valves and Mahle
forged pistons the car produced 180 bhp, although there is much speculation about this figure being severely held back by the electronics as not to step on the toes of the 177 bhp V6-engined Vitesse model as well as to preserve the reliability of the gearbox. In reality the engine was capable of 250+hp while still preserving the realiability and drivability.
In the United States
, the car was branded as the Sterling
, not a Rover and was only available with the Honda V6 petrol engines. Initial sales in America were strong, and the design was well received. However, early vehicles were soon found to have been under-developed and quality and reliability problems soon escalated to a crisis. The sales then fell as the reputation of the model deteriorated, especially as soon as J.D. Power
surveys criticised initial quality and reliability publicly. This was especially damaging as at the same time, the same core vehicle, the Acura Legend
was doing extremely well in America.
Many mechanical and chassis parts for the Sterling 825/827 are still readily available as it was largely identical to the much more popular Acura Legend in these areas, save for engine cooling and braking systems. However, electrical, body, and interior parts are quite difficult to locate in the US now.
In Europe especially, the 800 was hampered by Honda's insistence on using its own double-wishbone front suspension. This allowed a low bonnet-line, but restricted the total suspension travel, which in turn could not give the 800 the executive car ride qualities and traction on poorly surfaced roads which were necessary for it to compete. The first 2.5 L engine also lacked low-end torque, which particularly affected its "drivability". The 4-cylinder cars suffered from reliability problems, thanks to the fragile Lucas fuel injection systems that Rover used.
It should be noted that the 2.5 L Honda C25A V6 is a completely different engine from the Rover KV6 Engine
introduced in 1996, although the two share the same nominal 2.5 L capacity and a V6 architecture.
Early build quality of the 800 was reportedly fairly poor, (J.D. Power
) with trim, electrics and paintwork problems. The 800 did have a roomy and luxurious interior but this did not save the car from gaining a poor reputation from which it never really recovered. Corrosion problems in early models also marred its reputation.
By 1989, the 2.5 L engine was enlarged to 2.7 L, the expensive Maestro
-derived instrumentation had been changed to gauges sourced from a different component-builder (losing the oil pressure gauge and voltmeter in the process) and build quality had improved. A budget version of the 800, using an eight-valve (as opposed to the usual 16-valve) version of the O-Series engine was introduced, but was short-lived.
The original version of the Rover 800 was one of the most popular cars in Britain's full-sized executive car market, which at this stage was effectively split into two strong sectors – mainstream brands such as Ford
and Vauxhall
, and prestige brands such as BMW
and Audi
. It directly competed with the likes of the Ford Granada/Scorpio
and Vauxhall Carlton
.
In early 1992, the 800 was re-skinned and re-engineered under the R17 codename This saw the re-introduction of the traditional Rover grille and more curvaceous bodywork. The scope of the design change was restricted by the need to retain the core XX structure, including the door structure and skin design.
The redesign was a partial answer to major press and market criticism of the "folded paper" school of design and the quest for better aerodynamics that had led to many cars appearing very similar, especially from the front. The redesign found much favour and as a result the car's sales enjoyed a renaissance, the 800 series becoming Britain's best selling executive car in the early to mid-1990s.
Following concerted efforts to learn from the problems that had hit the early model years, especially under the more extreme United States market and climatic conditions, quality in general had improved dramatically by this stage, but the decision to leave the US market had already been taken.
The 2.0 L T16 replaces the M16 found in pre 1992 cars and comes in NASP and Turbo forms, the 2.0 L turbo was fitted to the Vitesse and the later Vitesse Sport (1994–96).
Notable differences between the sport and non sport models were:
Vitesse Sport came with 17" six-spoke alloys (non sport was 16" seven-spoke), a power increase from 177 bhp to 197 bhp and revised stiffer suspension to aid handling.
coupé version was launched in early 1992, having debuted at the 1991 Motor Show.http://www.rover800.info/forum/viewtopic.php?p=45096&sid=46c64c2ec31581c7f7bb5199c0fb06c4
This had been originally developed with the American market in mind but was never sold there, Rover having pulled out of the US market before the coupé's launch. It was, however, sold to other export markets. Eighty percent of the interior and exterior of the 800 coupé was finished by hand.
A facelift in 1996 provided few exterior changes, the most noticeable being the painting of previously black rubbing strips on all models except the coupé and the revision of the suspension system. Grille fins became silver in colour, instead of their former black. Climate control, passive immobilisation and a passenger airbag
became standard, and a 6-disc CD auto-changer was fitted to all models apart from the entry-level ("i") model. Security technology was upgraded with a change from infra red to radio frequency for the remote door key. Wood finishes were expanded, with a coachwork line and "ROVER" on the door cards, accentuating the new, pleated seat finishes and deep pile rugs. Unusual pleated door card leather and fabric finishes capped off a comfortable interior, much of which was hand-made with what Rover called "the craftsman's touch".
Post 1996 Vitesses were all "Sport" specification so the sport badge was dropped, also from 1996 the 2.0L T16 engines used wasted spark ignition instead of distributor. Non-sport Vitesse models have approx 180 bhp, whilst the sport has 197 bhp.
Although the 800 had fallen behind the opposition considerably (few mechanical changes were made, apart from the introduction of the Rover KV6 Engine
which replaced the Honda 2.7 V6 in 1996), it was a steady seller until 1999, when it was replaced by the Rover 75
.
The Rover KV6 engine in the 800 series was hampered by reliability issues and head gasket failures. Rover at the time, with no understanding of the problems simply replaced the engines. In many cases repair would not have been an option due to liner problems.
The modified version of the KV6 fitted into the 75 is not an easy swap.
The KV6 engine was in most cases mated to a JATCO gearbox which also in some cases suffered from reliability issues. This was sometimes due to incorrect gearbox fluid changes.
The Rover 820 Vitesse in most guises suffered from problems with gearbox bearings because of the large amount of power from the 2-litre turbo engine. The bearings can be replaced with more durable steel caged bearings.
. Tony Blair
owned an early 800 in the 1980s, and the vice-chancellor of Middlesex University
had two — one for personal use and one for official duties.
Following the 1992 R17 facelift, the convention was simplified to:
In 1994 the vitesse model line up was increased with the introduction of the Vitesse sport which had 200ps (standard vitesse only had 180ps)and a torsen differential. The sport models also included 17 inch alloy wheels and lowered and more uprated suspension as well as fully colour keyed bumpers. A lux pack could also be ordered with the car (factory fitted only) which gave full leather seats and climate control with air con and a powered drivers seat.
In 1996, the engine size designations were dropped, and the model badges simply read "800" except for the Sterling and Vitesse models. The honda engines were dropped for the newly developed KV6 which gave a much smoother power delivery. coupe models were now available with the 200ps vitesse sport engine as well as a normal 136ps t series as fitted to the 820 models
All 800 models gained more improved suspension settings than earlier cars. Vitesse and V6 models used 262mm front brakes (pre 1996 models had 280mm) as fitted to the rest of the 800 range to lower production costs.
All Vitesse models gained the 200ps engine, 17 inch alloy wheels and uprated suspension. Vitesse sport and 180ps vitesse models were discontinued. All 2.0 models, inc Vitesse, now used MEMS 1.9 engine management which used a 'wasted spark' coil pack
Executive car
Executive car is a British term that refers to a car's size and is used to describe an automobile larger than a large family car. In official use, the term is adopted by EuroNCAP, a European organisation founded to test car safety.- History :...
introduced by the Austin Rover Group
Austin Rover Group
The Austin Rover Group was a British motor manufacturer. It was formed in 1981 as the mass-market car manufacturing subsidiary of British Leyland...
in 1986 and also marketed as the Sterling
Sterling (car)
Sterling was a brand name of automobile marketed in the USA by ARCONA, Austin Rover Cars Of North America under the name Sterling Motor Cars, a division of the Rover car company of the UK...
in the United States. Co-developed with Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
, it was a close relative to the Honda Legend
Honda Legend
The Honda Legend is a mid-size luxury car made by the Japanese automaker Honda. It was the result of Project XX, a joint agreement started in November 1981 with the Austin Rover Group of Great Britain and was mechanically related to the Rover 800 series....
and the successor to the Rover SD1
Rover SD1
Rover SD1 is both the code name and eventual production name given to a series of large executive cars made by British Leyland or BL through its Specialist, Rover Triumph and Austin Rover divisions from 1976 until 1986....
.
Partnership with Honda
The Rover 800 was designed as a replacement for the Rover SD1Rover SD1
Rover SD1 is both the code name and eventual production name given to a series of large executive cars made by British Leyland or BL through its Specialist, Rover Triumph and Austin Rover divisions from 1976 until 1986....
. Development of the car began in 1981 as part of a venture with Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
under the "XX" codename; the corresponding Honda version was known as the Honda Legend
Honda Legend
The Honda Legend is a mid-size luxury car made by the Japanese automaker Honda. It was the result of Project XX, a joint agreement started in November 1981 with the Austin Rover Group of Great Britain and was mechanically related to the Rover 800 series....
, and was codenamed as "HX". The development work was carried out at Rover's Canley plant and Honda's Tochigi development centre. The European market Legend was produced by Austin-Rover alongside the 800 in the former Morris
Morris Motor Company
The Morris Motor Company was a British car manufacturing company. After the incorporation of the company into larger corporations, the Morris name remained in use as a marque until 1984 when British Leyland's Austin Rover Group decided to concentrate on the more popular Austin marque...
plant in Cowley
Cowley, Oxford
Cowley in Oxford, England, is a residential and industrial area that forms a small conurbation within greater Oxford. Cowley's neighbours are central Oxford to the northwest, Rose Hill and Blackbird Leys to the south, New Headington to the north and the villages of Horspath and Garsington across...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. US-market (Acura
Acura
Acura is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Honda Motor Company. The brand has been available in the United States and Canada since March 1986, marketing luxury, performance, and near-performance vehicles. It was introduced to Hong Kong in 1991, Mexico in 2004, and China in 2006...
) Legends were built in Japan.
It was finally launched on 10 July 1986, taking the place of the decade-old Rover SD1
Rover SD1
Rover SD1 is both the code name and eventual production name given to a series of large executive cars made by British Leyland or BL through its Specialist, Rover Triumph and Austin Rover divisions from 1976 until 1986....
.
Range
Fastback
A fastback is a car body style whose roofline slopes continuously down at the back. The word can also designate the car itself. The style is seen on two-door coupés as well as four-door sedans.-History:...
– became available in 1988.
Later, a diesel
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
version of the car was launched in 1990 using a 2498 cc engine from Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
company VM Motori
VM Motori
VM Motori S.p.A. is a diesel engine manufacturing company in Cento, Italy, in Emilia-Romagna, an Italian region which is also home to Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Ducati.- History :...
, which was related to the slightly smaller engine used in the 2400 SD Turbo model of the Rover SD1, and Range Rover
Range Rover
The Range Rover is a large luxury four-wheel drive sport utility vehicle produced by British car maker Land Rover. The model, launched in 1970, is now in its third generation...
Turbo D.
The Sterling badge was used in Europe and most global markets to denote the top saloon luxury version and the Vitesse badge used to denote the top fastback sporting version. The Vitesse became available at the same time as the 2675 cc Honda V6. Both of these top of the range models were initially only available in the UK with the V6. In some European markets, in particular Italy, the 2.0 litre petrol was badged as Sterling and later available (in turbo form) as Vitesse to avoid the punishing duties that made engines over 2.0 litres unviable for volume sales.
Towards the end of Mark 1 production the Vitesse had nearly as many "luxury" features as the Sterling (for example, electric seats). There was also a brief run of just over 500 820 Turbo 16v cars using a turbocharged version of the M-Series developed with help from Tickford
Tickford
Tickford is an automobile engineering and testing company with a history of coachbuilding and tuning and is famous for such products as the 140 mph Tickford Turbo Capri.-Early years:...
, leading to this model often being referred to as the "Tickford Turbo". Utilising such enhancements as sodium-filled exhaust valves and Mahle
Mahle GmbH
Mahle GmbH is one of the 30 largest automotive suppliers worldwide. As the leading manufacturer of components and systems for combustion engines and its periphery, the Mahle Group is among the top three systems suppliers worldwide for piston systems, cylinder components, valve train systems, air...
forged pistons the car produced 180 bhp, although there is much speculation about this figure being severely held back by the electronics as not to step on the toes of the 177 bhp V6-engined Vitesse model as well as to preserve the reliability of the gearbox. In reality the engine was capable of 250+hp while still preserving the realiability and drivability.
In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the car was branded as the Sterling
Sterling (car)
Sterling was a brand name of automobile marketed in the USA by ARCONA, Austin Rover Cars Of North America under the name Sterling Motor Cars, a division of the Rover car company of the UK...
, not a Rover and was only available with the Honda V6 petrol engines. Initial sales in America were strong, and the design was well received. However, early vehicles were soon found to have been under-developed and quality and reliability problems soon escalated to a crisis. The sales then fell as the reputation of the model deteriorated, especially as soon as J.D. Power
J.D. Power and Associates
J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services firm founded in 1968 by James David Power III. The firm conducts surveys of customer satisfaction, product quality, and buyer behavior for industries ranging from cars to marketing and advertising firms. The firm is best known for...
surveys criticised initial quality and reliability publicly. This was especially damaging as at the same time, the same core vehicle, the Acura Legend
Acura Legend
The Acura Legend, sold as the Honda Legend outside the U.S., Canada, and parts of China, was a luxury vehicle sold from 1986 to 1995 as both a sedan and coupe. It was the first flagship sedan sold under the Acura nameplate, until being renamed in 1996 as the Acura 3.5RL. The 3.5RL was North...
was doing extremely well in America.
Many mechanical and chassis parts for the Sterling 825/827 are still readily available as it was largely identical to the much more popular Acura Legend in these areas, save for engine cooling and braking systems. However, electrical, body, and interior parts are quite difficult to locate in the US now.
In Europe especially, the 800 was hampered by Honda's insistence on using its own double-wishbone front suspension. This allowed a low bonnet-line, but restricted the total suspension travel, which in turn could not give the 800 the executive car ride qualities and traction on poorly surfaced roads which were necessary for it to compete. The first 2.5 L engine also lacked low-end torque, which particularly affected its "drivability". The 4-cylinder cars suffered from reliability problems, thanks to the fragile Lucas fuel injection systems that Rover used.
It should be noted that the 2.5 L Honda C25A V6 is a completely different engine from the Rover KV6 Engine
Rover KV6 Engine
The KV6 automotive engine is a 24 valve, quad cam V6 engine, available in 2.5 litre or 2.0 litre, built by Powertrain Ltd which is a sister company to MG Rover...
introduced in 1996, although the two share the same nominal 2.5 L capacity and a V6 architecture.
Early build quality of the 800 was reportedly fairly poor, (J.D. Power
J.D. Power and Associates
J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services firm founded in 1968 by James David Power III. The firm conducts surveys of customer satisfaction, product quality, and buyer behavior for industries ranging from cars to marketing and advertising firms. The firm is best known for...
) with trim, electrics and paintwork problems. The 800 did have a roomy and luxurious interior but this did not save the car from gaining a poor reputation from which it never really recovered. Corrosion problems in early models also marred its reputation.
By 1989, the 2.5 L engine was enlarged to 2.7 L, the expensive Maestro
Austin Maestro
The Austin Maestro is a compact-sized 5-door hatchback car that was produced from 1983 to 1994, initially by the Austin Rover subsidiary of British Leyland , and from 1988 onwards by its successor, Rover Group. The car was produced at the former Morris plant in Cowley, Oxford. It was initially...
-derived instrumentation had been changed to gauges sourced from a different component-builder (losing the oil pressure gauge and voltmeter in the process) and build quality had improved. A budget version of the 800, using an eight-valve (as opposed to the usual 16-valve) version of the O-Series engine was introduced, but was short-lived.
The original version of the Rover 800 was one of the most popular cars in Britain's full-sized executive car market, which at this stage was effectively split into two strong sectors – mainstream brands such as Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
and Vauxhall
Vauxhall Motors
Vauxhall Motors is a British automotive company owned by General Motors and headquartered in Luton. It was founded in 1857 as a pump and marine engine manufacturer, began manufacturing cars in 1903 and was acquired by GM in 1925. It has been the second-largest selling car brand in the UK for...
, and prestige brands such as BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
and Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
. It directly competed with the likes of the Ford Granada/Scorpio
Ford Granada (Europe)
The March 1972 released Granada succeeded the British Ford Zephyr, and the German P7-series as Ford's European executive car offering. At first, lower models in the range were called the Ford Consul, but from 1975 on they were all called Granadas. The car soon became popular for taxi, fleet and...
and Vauxhall Carlton
Vauxhall Carlton
The Vauxhall Carlton was an executive car that was sold by Vauxhall in the United Kingdom from 1978 to 1994.-Mark I :The first Vauxhall Carlton was introduced in late 1978 as a replacement for the ageing VX1800/VX2000 saloons...
.
1992: the R17 major facelift
The redesign was a partial answer to major press and market criticism of the "folded paper" school of design and the quest for better aerodynamics that had led to many cars appearing very similar, especially from the front. The redesign found much favour and as a result the car's sales enjoyed a renaissance, the 800 series becoming Britain's best selling executive car in the early to mid-1990s.
Following concerted efforts to learn from the problems that had hit the early model years, especially under the more extreme United States market and climatic conditions, quality in general had improved dramatically by this stage, but the decision to leave the US market had already been taken.
The 2.0 L T16 replaces the M16 found in pre 1992 cars and comes in NASP and Turbo forms, the 2.0 L turbo was fitted to the Vitesse and the later Vitesse Sport (1994–96).
Notable differences between the sport and non sport models were:
Vitesse Sport came with 17" six-spoke alloys (non sport was 16" seven-spoke), a power increase from 177 bhp to 197 bhp and revised stiffer suspension to aid handling.
Coupé
A two-door three-boxThree-box styling
Three-box design is a broad automotive styling term describing a coupé, sedan, notchback or hatchback where — when viewed in profile — principal volumes are articulated into three separate compartments or boxes: engine, passenger and cargo....
coupé version was launched in early 1992, having debuted at the 1991 Motor Show.http://www.rover800.info/forum/viewtopic.php?p=45096&sid=46c64c2ec31581c7f7bb5199c0fb06c4
This had been originally developed with the American market in mind but was never sold there, Rover having pulled out of the US market before the coupé's launch. It was, however, sold to other export markets. Eighty percent of the interior and exterior of the 800 coupé was finished by hand.
1996 minor facelift
Airbag
An Airbag is a vehicle safety device. It is an occupant restraint consisting of a flexible envelope designed to inflate rapidly during an automobile collision, to prevent occupants from striking interior objects such as the steering wheel or a window...
became standard, and a 6-disc CD auto-changer was fitted to all models apart from the entry-level ("i") model. Security technology was upgraded with a change from infra red to radio frequency for the remote door key. Wood finishes were expanded, with a coachwork line and "ROVER" on the door cards, accentuating the new, pleated seat finishes and deep pile rugs. Unusual pleated door card leather and fabric finishes capped off a comfortable interior, much of which was hand-made with what Rover called "the craftsman's touch".
Post 1996 Vitesses were all "Sport" specification so the sport badge was dropped, also from 1996 the 2.0L T16 engines used wasted spark ignition instead of distributor. Non-sport Vitesse models have approx 180 bhp, whilst the sport has 197 bhp.
Although the 800 had fallen behind the opposition considerably (few mechanical changes were made, apart from the introduction of the Rover KV6 Engine
Rover KV6 Engine
The KV6 automotive engine is a 24 valve, quad cam V6 engine, available in 2.5 litre or 2.0 litre, built by Powertrain Ltd which is a sister company to MG Rover...
which replaced the Honda 2.7 V6 in 1996), it was a steady seller until 1999, when it was replaced by the Rover 75
Rover 75
The Rover 75 is an executive car produced initially by the Rover Group at Cowley, Oxfordshire, UK, and later by MG Rover at their Longbridge site in Birmingham, UK...
.
The modified version of the KV6 fitted into the 75 is not an easy swap.
The KV6 engine was in most cases mated to a JATCO gearbox which also in some cases suffered from reliability issues. This was sometimes due to incorrect gearbox fluid changes.
The Rover 820 Vitesse in most guises suffered from problems with gearbox bearings because of the large amount of power from the 2-litre turbo engine. The bearings can be replaced with more durable steel caged bearings.
Motorsport
On 6 June 1990 Tony Pond completed the first ever lap of the famous TT motorcycle course on the Isle Of Man at an average of over 100 mi/h in a car — a Rover 827 Vitesse, standard apart from safety features and racing tyres.Users
The 800 was a keystone of the British government's car fleet throughout its life, following a tradition of using British-made Rover and Jaguar models. The car was also used by many British police forcesPolicing in the United Kingdom
Law enforcement in the United Kingdom is organised separately in each of the legal systems of the United Kingdom: England & Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland ....
. Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
owned an early 800 in the 1980s, and the vice-chancellor of Middlesex University
Middlesex University
Middlesex University is a university in north London, England. It is located in the historic county boundaries of Middlesex from which it takes its name. It is one of the post-1992 universities and is a member of Million+ working group...
had two — one for personal use and one for official duties.
Production figures
| 1986 | 15,609 |
| 1987 | 54,434 |
| 1988 | 48,634 |
| 1989 | 35,387 |
| 1990 | 29,460 |
| 1991 (pre-facelift) | 10,007 |
| 1991 (post-facelift) | 2,961 |
| 1992 | 28,136 |
| 1993 | 28,354 |
| 1994 | 21,802 |
| 1995 | 13,311 |
| 1996 | 11,400 |
| 1997 | 11,131 |
| 1998 | 6,500 |
| 317,306 were built in total |
Model designations
Unlike many other manufacturers who used numerical model naming systems, Rover never settled on a permanent standard for the majority of their cars. However, for the following designations are an approximate guide:- 820 – 4-cylinder 8-valve carburetted models (Rover O8)
- 820e – 4-cylinder 16-valve single point injected models (Rover M16e)
- 820i – 4-cylinder 16-valve multi point injected models (Rover M16i) Came in naturally aspirated form and turbocharged (Turbocharged model fitted to later Vitesse)
- 825i – pre-1988 6-cylinder models (Honda C25A)
- 827i – post-1988 6-cylinder and US models (Honda C27A)
- Sterling – for most markets (except North America); luxury flagship model
- Vitesse – for most markets; sports flagship model
Following the 1992 R17 facelift, the convention was simplified to:
- 820i/Si/SLi/sterling – 4-cylinder 16-valve multi point injected models (Rover T16) Came in naturally aspirated form and turbocharged (Turbocharged model fitted to Vitesse)
- 825D/SD – 4-cylinder diesel models (VM Motori 425)
- 825i/Si/SLi/sterling – 6-cylinder models (Rover KV6)
- 827i/Si/SLi/sterling – 6-cylinder models (Honda C27a)
- Sterling – for most markets (except North America); luxury flagship model
- Vitesse – for most markets; sports flagship model
In 1994 the vitesse model line up was increased with the introduction of the Vitesse sport which had 200ps (standard vitesse only had 180ps)and a torsen differential. The sport models also included 17 inch alloy wheels and lowered and more uprated suspension as well as fully colour keyed bumpers. A lux pack could also be ordered with the car (factory fitted only) which gave full leather seats and climate control with air con and a powered drivers seat.
In 1996, the engine size designations were dropped, and the model badges simply read "800" except for the Sterling and Vitesse models. The honda engines were dropped for the newly developed KV6 which gave a much smoother power delivery. coupe models were now available with the 200ps vitesse sport engine as well as a normal 136ps t series as fitted to the 820 models
All 800 models gained more improved suspension settings than earlier cars. Vitesse and V6 models used 262mm front brakes (pre 1996 models had 280mm) as fitted to the rest of the 800 range to lower production costs.
All Vitesse models gained the 200ps engine, 17 inch alloy wheels and uprated suspension. Vitesse sport and 180ps vitesse models were discontinued. All 2.0 models, inc Vitesse, now used MEMS 1.9 engine management which used a 'wasted spark' coil pack
External links
- Rover800.info — Currently the most active Rover 800 owners community with extensive galleries, technical help and data.
- Rover 800 Coupe a 1999 Rover 825 Sterling Coupe Owners Site. Also includes 820 Fastback Auto & Vitesse Coupe.
- Rover Tech Forum - MG Rover Technical and Performance resource for all models
- The Austin Rover unofficial resource site — Rover 800 and related models development story
- Rover 800 and Sterling discussion group
- "Rover 825SD 800 Coupe 825i SD1 and Land Rover Web Site" — with a large section on the diesel version of the car, which contains otherwise difficult to find information including repair tips.