SD1 Vitesse Options

[stu3528]

Does anyone have an options list for the SD1 Vitesse. Was wandering if they were ever available with Leather seats and Cruise control?

[RR Cerbera]

Leather was never available as an official factory option on UK specification Vitesses but I seem to recall that it was fitted to Switzerland specification cars, although I have never been able to find any evidence of this.

According to the brochures, cruise control was only available on the Vitesse from January 1984 to September 1985.

[trackcar]

Didn't know you were a rover fan aswell Richard? good stuff

[RR Cerbera]

trackcar said:

Didn't know you were a rover fan aswell Richard? good stuff

Hi Joolz!

I'm a huge anorak when it comes to SD1s and ran a gorgeous E-registration, twin-plenum Vitesse for 11 years before selling it to fund my first Cerbera. 6 years later and now on my second Cerbera, I'm still not sure if I did the right thing!

P.S. Did you get my mail last week regarding a whirlwind induction kit?

[stu3528]

Thanks for that,
out of interest, what options were available for 1985 TP Vitesses?
Stu

[trackcar]

RR Cerbera said:

trackcar said:

Didn't know you were a rover fan aswell Richard? good stuff

Hi Joolz!

I'm a huge anorak when it comes to SD1s and ran a gorgeous E-registration, twin-plenum Vitesse for 11 years before selling it to fund my first Cerbera. 6 years later and now on my second Cerbera, I'm still not sure if I did the right thing!

P.S. Did you get my mail last week regarding a whirlwind induction kit?

yeah got it Richard, did my reply not find you?

[RR Cerbera]

stu3528 said:

Thanks for that,
out of interest, what options were available for 1985 TP Vitesses?
Stu

The factory options list was always fairly limited with only air conditioning being available at extra cost and black or metallic paint available at no extra cost. However, you may find an early twin-plenum with cruise control and the optional in car cellular phone.....

Richard

[sliller]

I believe that leather was an option on the Vanden Plas
models, and the VP EFi version only differs from the Vittesse
by the road springs. Same Vittesse wheels and engines.
Ok, it never came with a Twin Plenum as standard.

But mine will when its finished.....he, he , he.

[RRG]

Sorry to move the anorak levels up a gear here but here goes:

Early Vitesse: end 1982 - mid 84
Cruise control optional
Air con optional
Electric sunroof optional
Metallic paint no-cost option

Vitesse: mid 84 to end 85
Deep front airdam fitted (obsoleting the front fog lights)
'Vitesse' side decals deleted
Electric sunroof becomes standard
ICE upgrade etc
Otherwise the same as above

Vitesse: end 85 to mid 86 (end of production)
Twin throttle plenum induction system fitted (making the fitment of cruise control impossible so deleted from options list - one or two have been retro fitted with original/aftermarket systems)
Otherwise same as above


Also the vitesse was only ever officially available in four colours; Black (solid), Silver (metallic, Silverleaf), Blue (metallic, Moonraker) and Red (solid, Monza initially, then Targa).

The front seats in the vitesse were different to the rest of the range and were never available in leather. Rear headrests were never fitted with this seat combination either.


HOWEVER

As usual there are always exceptions. At least two white cars are known to exist (made for Beaujolais run & Police). Further I have seen one (back in the mid 80s so probably original) in Opaline Green with black VDP leather (ie: not Vitesse seats) and NO headlamp washers (which were standard!). I'm sure there are other oddities out there.

Foreign market cars do not really differ from the above. The Swiss 'Vitesse' with leather would actually be a VDP EFI.

I reckon from general observation that 10% of Vitesses have cruise control. Probably 25-30% have air con.

Sorry to be an utter bore...

[F.M]

I lapped it up...

[t0ny99]

Auto box...extra cost option?

Looks like "Silver Leaf" was the only option box ticked on my (manual) SP then.

[RRG]

Good point...

Autobox available early 84 to end 85 as a cost option. Never officially available as an option on the twin plenum but maybe a few slipped out?

Auto Vitesse kind of became an irrelevance with the arrival of the VDP EFI in mid-84 (essentially an auto-only Vitesse with VDP seats/leather, cruise and normal ride height, no rear spoiler or deep front air dam). As a result a genuine auto Vitesse is one of the rarest of all SD1 models.

I think I have a price list for these options - I'll look it up later.

[RRG]

I've just checked my facts, so if there is anyone still awake, this should complete the story:

Jan 1983 OTR list price of Vitesse was £15,176.50

cost of air con £1,011.13
cost of E/S/R £113.00

also, cruise control was not available at launch. It was only listed as an option from early '84, just ahead of the launch of the VDP EFI (on which it was standard) - obviously took them a while to work out how to adapt it to the EFI engine!

[hids4u]

Hi RRG and all
i know this is a old thread but the knowledge contained within it is really of great value and helped me already with the purchase of a couple of cars

i purchased a twin plenum vitesse recently and i am in the process of restoring it. I am trying to find out whether the under body and wheel arches were painted body colour or black - and if they had thick underseal/stone chip with the mottled effect from the factory

I have a rare 12000 miles car that has black sills and back panel below the seam between the tail panel and the boot floor.

happy to share some images as the build progresses - i am also looking to convert a second vitesse i have to a ZF 4 speed automatic - as an every day driver

thanks in advance

regards
ian

[hids4u]

Anybody please

[N7GTX]

You probably don't want to join the SD1 club but compared to many others, it is quite cheap. The historian in the club knows everything there is to know about these cars and on the SD1 forum, there is a huge amount of info and help.
Sorry. I can't help you with this question.

[tonys]

I suggest you ask on the SD1 forum:

http://www.roversd1club.net/forum/login.asp?target...

I had virtually new V8 SD1s (but not twin plenum Vitesse) back in the day and am fairly sure that the underbody /wheelarches were finished in the 'rough' black coloured bitumen type of underseal. I can't recall the actual paint colour underneath but suspect it would have been bodycolour. I can't see that they'd have sprayed them black.

I used to spray additional waxoil on mine on a regular basis and fitted a towbar to one, so have vague recollections of what they were like, however, I can't be definite nor am I an SD1 concours judge