Car Conundrum: Nissan Missin'

[AnonyJ]

I recently assisted some family friends to offload their imported Nissan Elgrand family 'bus' - it sent all the 'we'll buy any old motor' websites into a tizz as all of their lists didn't include it anywhere.

To me it looked like a vehicle 'they' would drive up in to spirit one away, unobtrusive but rather sinister ....

 

[oldrover]

Funnily enough, the garage opposite me imports them in bulk. I've seen loads but never knew what they were called.

 

[Peripart]

On the subject of rarely-seen cars, here's something not seen much since the mid 80s, but which I spotted the other day:

A Rover SD1 - not the coveted 3500, but the 2600S. A car typical of so much British motorised transport of the day - strangely cool now, but a bit crap at the time. I always thought these things had a certain presence on the road, and if they'd been a bit more reliable, I'm sure there would be more of them around now.

This example looked to be in pretty good nick for a car which is 32 years old, and it's good to know that someone is still looking after it.

 

[Mythopoeika]

^^ My Dad had one. It was a bright mustard yellow. I thought it looked cool at the time, but looking back I think it was a pile of crap. He had trouble selling it, so he had to sell it for less than it was worth.

 

[oldrover]

Apologies for the rant in advance.

Christ I hate these cars. To me, they symbolise everything that's tragic about the collapse of the British car industry.

What a most won't know is that they were designed to be crap. My user name is oldrover, because when I joined this forum seven years ago it was the first thing that came into my head, as I drove an old Rover. A 1970 P5b Coupe, a V8. Well they all were. Anyway, anytime I told someone I drive a Rover V8 Coupe they thought I meant one of these things. Unless they actually saw it, in which case more than a few refused to believe me it was a Rover, because of the way the marque's name had been degraded. Starting with the SD1.

It isn't even a Rover, it's much more a Triumph design than theirs. What it actually is is a Leyland parts bin with four wheels loosely held together by rust. It should never have been made. But, after Jaguar joined Leyland, Bill Lyons (whom I have nothing against) took quite a prominent position on the board. To follow the P5b, Rover planned to launch the P8. Now the P8 was to have had a 4.4 upgrade of the Buick engine, but originally produced by BMW, which people these days think of the Rover V8. It was this

Now, this was an expensive car, high end. And designed to compete with Mercedes. And, when Lyons, (who's XJ6 was still quite new and suffering from its fair share of teething troubles) saw this he used his influence to have it cancelled. as he did not want the competition. And, even though the production lines were all ready to go, and some of these were actually produced, he was successful.

After this, Rover and Triumph's 'special projects division' collaborated on a brief to manufacture a car which was to be deliberately knobbled to prevent it ever approaching Jaguar's share of the market. Hence, the Special Division 1 limped out into the world, only to dissolve in a matter of weeks as soon as the first rain drop hit it. God, how I wish they'd put a Triumph badge on it. That said, they had the Acclaim. Poor sods.

My father had an SD1 too, a 2,600 S exactly like the one in the photo. I must admit it was actually really nice to drive, but terribly uncomfortable. But it was a real lame dog.

 

[oldrover]

And where is the P8 today?

Rotting.

 

[hunck]

That P8 is a pretty hideous looking car though..

The P5 is probably the last 'proper' Rover. Still see them around occasionally & they still look good. Was it a joy to drive?

 

[oldrover]

On the subject of cancelled Rovers, of which there have been many, here's another project that almost made it.

The P9. (At some stages in the project it was also known confusingly known as the P6BS, there already being a P6B in production) A mid engined 4.4 V8. Which was ultimately intended to have carried the Alvis badge.

Although problems with extreme ugliness may have got in the way with the final design being produced.

 

[JamesWhitehead]

For the first time in years, I saw a Rover of the P.4 style. a week or so back.

Took me back to the days of my dad's Rover 90, all walnut dashboard, leather seats and HMV radio.

The push-button starter gave it a classic feel. Why he changed it for the lime-green Wolseley 1500 is a mystery - though that chromed-up lady-car is a also a nostalgic period-piece now!

 

[oldrover]

That P8 is a pretty hideous looking car though..

The P5 is probably the last 'proper' Rover. Still see them around occasionally & they still look good. Was it a joy to drive?

I love the P8. Don't get me wrong, it's no XJ6. But it reminds me of the P6 a bit, it looks like a Rover to me.

As for the P5b, it was surprisingly quick compared to how it looked. It's possible apparently to hit 60 just a second slower than in the much more modern Alfa I gave it up for. But, it was stupidly light, the engines are all aluminium, the steering is also so absurdly light as to make it lethal at high speeds, the suspension was archaic, and I used to describe the road holding as similar to an empty crisp packet on a windy day.

It was a beautiful car to drive round town, but put your foot down and the radio automatically started playing 'Abide with Me'.

I also thought that although it was a big lump in it's day, compared to modern cars it didn't have the scale to carry itself off. There was too much chrome for such a relatively small space.

The interior was stunning though. I've never seen better. I looked at a Jaguar mark 10 while I had the Rover but to be honest, although the interior was far more elaborate on the Jag, it was so far behind in build and material quality and taste, the P5b made it look cheap. It really was quality, although the earlier 6 cylinders were supposed to have been to a higher standard again.

Still though, overall I was a bit underwhelmed if I'm honest.

 

[oldrover]

For the first time in years, I saw a Rover of the P.4 style.

First car I ever drove was an 80. That, and the P6's of my childhood, were what what hooked me on Rovers for years.

 

[hunck]

Surprising to hear the P5 was so light. Never having driven one or even been in one, I'd assumed they were on the solid & heavy side.

 

[oldrover]

Thing is the 3 liter P5 was designed to take a great big heavy iron straight six. But then they brought the V8 over from the U.S to replace it in 1967. And that was all alloy, so the P5b lost a lot of front end weight.

 

[Roland Deschain]

I love the P8. Don't get me wrong, it's no XJ6. But it reminds me of the P6 a bit, it looks like a Rover to me.

Interesting that you see rover because I see a really stretched out triumph dolomite!

To me the P9 looks a bit Vauxhall/Opal.

Shame about the P8 rotting away, car SOS?

 

[oldrover]

Interesting that you see rover because I see a really stretched out triumph dolomite!

To me the P9 looks a bit Vauxhall/Opal.

Shame about the P8 rotting away, car SOS?

I see what you mean now you've said it. It does a bit doesn't it. I always see it as a modern evolution of the P6 for some reason. Although, I do see it as the weird love child of a Jensen FF and a Datsun Cherry a bit sometimes too.

And would you believe that P8 is in a motor museum.

 

[Peripart]

To me the P6 always looked more like a Triumph than a Rover. The SD1, however, with a light tidy up and a size increase of about 50% would not look out of place in the showroom of today, exterior wise at any rate.

Interesting that both the cars you mentioned took design cues from much more glamorous European cars. The rear roofline of the P6 was pure Citroen DS, while the SD1 "borrowed" heavily from the Ferrari Daytona for its front end.

 

[Ermintruder]

Since this thread has pleasantly become the automotive anything thread, I wonder if anyone else on FTMB is as astounded as I am by the car sales ads being broadcast via Absolute Radio / ClassicFM, and others, for the Maserati Ghibli.

'And at 49,860 pounds on the road, it's your ideal every-day commute'

Seriously? In what universe? How many listeners have anything like that kind of money for a car?? I'd want a dilapidated three-bedroomed bungalow and a share in a racehorse for that....

 

[oldrover]

Interesting that both the cars you mentioned took design cues from much more glamorous European cars. The rear roofline of the P6 was pure Citroen DS, while the SD1 "borrowed" heavily from the Ferrari Daytona for its front end.

I don't see a connection between the P6 and the DS myself. I suppose I see it as being more similar to the P5/5b coupe's rear pillar. I do think though that David Bache was definitely in the habit of pinching bits of styling from continental cars. The wrap round windscreen on the P5 was similar to the Facel Vega. So you may well be right.

As I remember it there were similarities between the DS and P6 internally though. I think it's something to do with suspension.

And the SD1/Daytona thing, yes. The scallop line was another thing.

 

[oldrover]

Since this thread has pleasantly become the automotive anything thread, I wonder if anyone else on FTMB is as astounded as I am by the car sales ads being broadcast via Absolute Radio / ClassicFM, and others, for the Maserati Ghibli.

'And at 49,860 pounds on the road, it's your ideal every-day commute'

Seriously? In what universe? How many listeners have anything like that kind of money for a car?? I'd want a dilapidated three-bedroomed bungalow and a share in a racehorse for that....

Well I haven't, and even if I had, I wouldn't. Realistically though, it isn't much by today's standards. I know plenty of people who've spent twice to three times that on their cars.

Anyway, it's mostly on tick these days isn't it.

 

[Ermintruder]

know plenty of people who've spent twice to three times that on their cars.

What, seriously, £150,000GBP / $190,000USD / $250,000AUD ??? Must be something like a cheap Bugatti or a reasonable Ferrari.

Crazy money....but not as bad as, say, a Chiron at $2.5M USD

 

[oldrover]

What, seriously, £150,000GBP / $190,000USD / $250,000AUD ??? Must be something like a cheap Bugatti or a reasonable Ferrari.

Crazy money....but not as bad as, say, a Chiron at $2.5M USD

Yep, I know people who've bought Bentleys, Ferraris, stuff like that. That's the pub for you, it's a great leveller. The guy at the bar might be worth millions, the guy chatting to him might be skint.

I group toward the skint end of the spectrum. But there's a shed load of money in the village I come from originally.