Rover P5
Encyclopedia
The Mark II version of the P5 was introduced in 1962. It featured more power (129 hp/96 kW) from the same 3.0 L engine and an improved suspension, while dropping the glass wind deflectors from the top of the window openings which also, on the front doors, now featured "quarterlight" windows
(Quarter glass in US English).
The most notable addition to the range was the option of the Coupé
body style launched in autumn 1962. Unlike most coupés, which tend to be two-door versions of four-door saloons, this retained the four doors and was of the same width and length as the saloon, but featured a roofline lowered by two and a half inches (6 cm) along with thinner b-pillars, giving it the look of a hardtop
. Hydrosteer
was standard on the Coupe and optional on the Saloon.
Production of the Mark II ended in 1965, by which time 5,482 coupés and 15,676 saloons had been produced.
and saloon. The Mark III used the same engine as its predecessor, but it now produced 134 hp (99 kW). Externally it could be distinguished by the full-length trim strip along the body and Mark III badging; internally it replaced the rear bench seat with two individually moulded rear seats, making it more comfortable to ride in for four occupants but less so for five.
A total of 3919 saloons and 2501 coupés had been sold by the time production ended in 1967.
V8 engine
also used in the 3500
, the car was badged as the "3.5 Litre", and commonly known as the 3½ Litre. The final letter in the "P5B" model name came from Buick
, the engine's originator. Rover did not have the budget or time to develop such engines, hence they chose to redevelop the lightweight aluminium concept Buick could not make successful. They made it considerably stronger, which added some weight but still maintained the engine's light and compact features. The Borg Warner Type-35 automatic transmission, hydrosteer
variable ratio power steering and front Lucas fog lights were now standard.
Output of 160 bhp / 119 kW was claimed along with improved torque. When compared to its predecessor, the aluminium engine enabled the car to offer improved performance and fuel economy resulting both from the greater power and the lesser weight of the power unit.
The exterior was mostly unchanged, apart from bold '3.5 Litre' badging, a pair of fog lights which were added below the head lights, creating a striking 4 light array, and the fitting of chrome Rostyle wheels with black painted inserts. The P5B existed as both the 4-door coupe and saloon body style until end of production. Production ended in 1973, by when 9099 coupés and 11,501 saloons had been built.
One of the curiosities of the P5B is that the trim of the nearside front wing is a different length to that of the offside.
The 3½ Litre saloon variant was a favourite of high-ranking Government Ministers, and served as Prime Ministerial transport for Harold Wilson
, Edward Heath
, James Callaghan
and Margaret Thatcher
. As testament to their suitability, the last batch of P5Bs to roll off the Rover line in June 1973 were purchased by the British government and placed in storage, to be released for government use as required: subsequently registered relatively new looking P5s were therefore still familiar sights in Westminster
for more than a decade after production had ended.
When Margaret Thatcher
entered Downing Street
in 1979 after her election victory
, she was driven in a 1972 model. It was during Thatcher's eleven year tenure that the P5 was eventually phased out as a Prime-Ministerial car, in favour of the Jaguar XJ
.
Queen Elizabeth II also owns an Arden Green Rover P5B Saloon "JGY 280", which is on display at the Heritage Motor Centre
, Gaydon, Warwickshire and was seen in the 18 May 2003 episode of BBC motoring show, Top Gear
.
.
In the 1970 film The Man Who Haunted Himself
Roger Moore plays character Harold Pelham who is seen driving a P5B at speeds well in excess of 100 mi/h before crashing in a serious accident. Later in the film a replacement car is involved in a pursuit before being forced to crash through a bridge into a river.
In the 2007-2010 BBC series George Gently, Inspector George Gently (played by Martin Shaw) drives a Rover P5 Mark II. The quarter-pane windows are used when flicking cigarette ash out of the car.
Quarter glass
Quarter glass on automobiles and closed carriages may be a side window in the front door or located on each side of the car just forward of the rear window of the vehicle. Only some cars have them. In some cases the fixed quarter glass may set in the corner or "C-pillar" of the vehicle...
(Quarter glass in US English).
The most notable addition to the range was the option of the Coupé
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
body style launched in autumn 1962. Unlike most coupés, which tend to be two-door versions of four-door saloons, this retained the four doors and was of the same width and length as the saloon, but featured a roofline lowered by two and a half inches (6 cm) along with thinner b-pillars, giving it the look of a hardtop
Hardtop
A hardtop is a term for a rigid, rather than canvas, automobile roof. It has been used in several contexts: detachable hardtops, retractable hardtop roofs, and the so-called pillarless hardtop body style....
. Hydrosteer
Hydrosteer
Hydrosteer was the name given by Hydrosteer Limited of Luton, England, to its automotive power steering system of the 1960s and early 1970s. Based on a cam and peg system, it was characterised by its fully integrated design and variable steering ratio. Introduced in 1960, it was fitted to several,...
was standard on the Coupe and optional on the Saloon.
Production of the Mark II ended in 1965, by which time 5,482 coupés and 15,676 saloons had been produced.
Mark III
The Mark III was presented at the London Motor Show in October 1965, described at the time as "even more luxuriously trimmed and furnished". It was again available in two 4-door body styles, coupéCoupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
and saloon. The Mark III used the same engine as its predecessor, but it now produced 134 hp (99 kW). Externally it could be distinguished by the full-length trim strip along the body and Mark III badging; internally it replaced the rear bench seat with two individually moulded rear seats, making it more comfortable to ride in for four occupants but less so for five.
A total of 3919 saloons and 2501 coupés had been sold by the time production ended in 1967.
P5B
The final iteration of the P5 appeared in September 1967. Now powered by the 3528 cc RoverRover V8 engine
The Rover V8 engine is a compact V8 internal combustion engine with aluminium cylinder heads and cylinder block, originally designed by General Motors and later re-designed and produced by Rover in the United Kingdom...
V8 engine
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
also used in the 3500
Rover P6
The first P6 used a 2.0 L engine designed specifically for the P6. Although it was announced towards the end of 1963, the car had been in "pilot production" since the beginning of the year, therefore deliveries were able to begin immediately. Original output was in the order of . At the...
, the car was badged as the "3.5 Litre", and commonly known as the 3½ Litre. The final letter in the "P5B" model name came from Buick
Buick
Buick is a premium brand of General Motors . Buick models are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and Israel, with China being its largest market. Buick holds the distinction as the oldest active American make...
, the engine's originator. Rover did not have the budget or time to develop such engines, hence they chose to redevelop the lightweight aluminium concept Buick could not make successful. They made it considerably stronger, which added some weight but still maintained the engine's light and compact features. The Borg Warner Type-35 automatic transmission, hydrosteer
Hydrosteer
Hydrosteer was the name given by Hydrosteer Limited of Luton, England, to its automotive power steering system of the 1960s and early 1970s. Based on a cam and peg system, it was characterised by its fully integrated design and variable steering ratio. Introduced in 1960, it was fitted to several,...
variable ratio power steering and front Lucas fog lights were now standard.
Output of 160 bhp / 119 kW was claimed along with improved torque. When compared to its predecessor, the aluminium engine enabled the car to offer improved performance and fuel economy resulting both from the greater power and the lesser weight of the power unit.
The exterior was mostly unchanged, apart from bold '3.5 Litre' badging, a pair of fog lights which were added below the head lights, creating a striking 4 light array, and the fitting of chrome Rostyle wheels with black painted inserts. The P5B existed as both the 4-door coupe and saloon body style until end of production. Production ended in 1973, by when 9099 coupés and 11,501 saloons had been built.
One of the curiosities of the P5B is that the trim of the nearside front wing is a different length to that of the offside.
The 3½ Litre saloon variant was a favourite of high-ranking Government Ministers, and served as Prime Ministerial transport for Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
, Edward Heath
Edward Heath
Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
, James Callaghan
James Callaghan
Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC , was a British Labour politician, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980...
and Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
. As testament to their suitability, the last batch of P5Bs to roll off the Rover line in June 1973 were purchased by the British government and placed in storage, to be released for government use as required: subsequently registered relatively new looking P5s were therefore still familiar sights in Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
for more than a decade after production had ended.
When Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
entered Downing Street
Downing Street
Downing Street in London, England has for over two hundred years housed the official residences of two of the most senior British cabinet ministers: the First Lord of the Treasury, an office now synonymous with that of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and the Second Lord of the Treasury, an...
in 1979 after her election victory
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
, she was driven in a 1972 model. It was during Thatcher's eleven year tenure that the P5 was eventually phased out as a Prime-Ministerial car, in favour of the Jaguar XJ
Jaguar XJ
Jaguar XJ is the designation that has been used for a series of luxury saloon cars sold under the British Jaguar marque. The first XJ was launched in 1968 and the designation has been used for successive Jaguar flagship models since then. The original model was the last Jaguar saloon to have had...
.
Queen Elizabeth II also owns an Arden Green Rover P5B Saloon "JGY 280", which is on display at the Heritage Motor Centre
Heritage Motor Centre
The Heritage Motor Centre is a British motor museum and research centre, located adjacent to the Jaguar Land Rover Gaydon Centre near Gaydon in Warwickshire, England. The centre is open to the public, and houses a collection of important vehicles, celebrating Britain's motoring heritage...
, Gaydon, Warwickshire and was seen in the 18 May 2003 episode of BBC motoring show, Top Gear
Top Gear (current format)
Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
.
Media appearances
A Burgundy coloured example is seen in the biographical film, The Life and Death of Peter SellersThe Life and Death of Peter Sellers
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers is a 2004 film about the life of English comic actor Peter Sellers, based on Roger Lewis' book of the same name...
.
In the 1970 film The Man Who Haunted Himself
The Man Who Haunted Himself
The Man Who Haunted Himself is a 1970 British psychological thriller film directed by Basil Dearden and starring Roger Moore. It was based on the novel The Strange Case of Mr Pelham by Anthony Armstrong....
Roger Moore plays character Harold Pelham who is seen driving a P5B at speeds well in excess of 100 mi/h before crashing in a serious accident. Later in the film a replacement car is involved in a pursuit before being forced to crash through a bridge into a river.
In the 2007-2010 BBC series George Gently, Inspector George Gently (played by Martin Shaw) drives a Rover P5 Mark II. The quarter-pane windows are used when flicking cigarette ash out of the car.