You’d be surprised how hard it is to find interesting old Rovers to write about nowadays. We really do try, y’know. While there remain a good few diesel 75s around, it’s still hard to be too enthused by those; ditto 25s on their last legs that would struggle to make the cut as Sheds. From the '90s and '00s, the era that’s probably of most interest in classic circles right now and which was certainly a busy period for the brand, not many old Rovers remain at all.
We all know why. None were exotic cars to start with, so most were used for their intended purpose and then disposed of at the end of their usable lives. Many will have been scrapped, and even in recent years the brand probably doesn’t have the following of Ford and Vauxhall. As with a host of other vaguely interesting cars from not that long ago, sometimes it can feel like Rovers are near enough extinct. Cars that aren’t worth very much and don’t have a significant following surely don’t have the brightest future.
Behold, then, a sliver of hope - a Flame Red 420 SLI. Not an MG ZS, not a 45 with the V6 in, not even the four-door 400 saloon that was meant to be the more aspirational option. It’s a five-door 400 hatch, with the 2.0-litre T Series engine, and for an assortment of reasons it looks absolutely glorious. As a reminder of the simple joys of classic motoring, it’ll surely be an absolute treat.
This is a genuine one-owner, low-mileage car for starters. Not an ex-demo then one owner, or a pair from the same family, but with one custodian in the Reading area from 1997 to 2024. They covered just 45,000 miles in that time, with plenty of stamps in the original service book. It’s easy to imagine this as someone’s pride and joy for a very long time, first registered on new plate day in ‘97 and in an above-average spec with the big engine and SLi trim.
Looking at the 400 now, it must have been garaged, given the condition of the paint, seals, and rims. The interior as well is a near-perfectly preserved 90s’ shrine, complete with cassette player, naff wood trim, grey velour everywhere and even the original ‘400 Series’ floor mats. Somebody has lavished some love on this thing over the years, though it did take them a little while to get to the MOT tester’s oil leak advisory. So it became a fail.
But it’s had a couple of clean passes in ‘23 and ‘24, plus the selling dealer has just refreshed the fluids and replaced the cambelt. Ready for many more miles, basically. Indeed the MOT history shows just a couple of thousand miles in the past half a dozen years, and that’s when most of the issues set in. Looks like the Rover would really benefit from some regular use and maintenance, because sitting around now won’t do it much good at all. As the ad suggests, it’s the perfect entry point into old-school motoring, or could still make viable everyday transport for those after something different. All for a heck of a lot less - £3,500 is the asking price - than the equivalent Astra or Escort would likely cost. Don’t expect another along anytime soon.
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