to Triumph with its 2500 straight-six. Creating the ‘3500’ at a stroke
leapfrogged the competition and gave the P6 a pretty unique place in the
market. Indeed, Autocar road testers commented that they couldn’t think of
a better performance car at the price.
The manual 3500S is the sought-after car by P6 fans but any of the V8-
powered P6s are a lively drive and there’s a wide range of cars out there
to suit most budgets. The P6 can also be a DIY-friendly prospect since the
outer panels are non-structural with the strength of the car being in the
base frame unit.
ONE TO BUY
1976 Rover 3500S
The 3500S is the one everybody wants
which makes the £4450 price tag of
this Avocado example pretty attractive.
With a rebuilt gearbox, Webasto roof and ‘Continental’ spare wheel kit, it’s
a great project for someobody to fi nish off and complete the cosmetics
which the vendors reckon it needs to make it a great example. More details
from http://www.countryclassics-cars.com.
1970s
MGB
ONE TO BUY
You can pay up to £35k for an MGB
V8 built into a Heritage shell with no
expense spared, while factory originals
command similar money. This example
is an interesting alternative, built using a
rust-free 1979 shell from the USA and converted back to RHD while using
a factory V8 as a donor car. The engine features a rebuild to 3.6 litres
and suspension mods include uprated springs, Spax dampers and rear
anti-tramp bars. As the vendors point out, it would cost around £30,000
to build today, making the asking price of £14,995 look reasonable. More
details from http://www.ah-classic-cars.co.uk.
RANGE ROVER
£1000-£45,000
3528cc 156 bhp 92 mph
These days it’s hard to imagine any maker launching a full-size 4x4 with
a V8 petrol engine as the sole option, but back in 1970 fuel was 57p a
gallon and the 3.5-litre V8 was just the job for the Range Rover’s intended
dual-purpose role of offering car-like performance and refi nement with Land
Rover-style workhorse ability.
The Range Rover was inspired by the popularity of leisure-orientated
4x4s in the USA and giving it permanent four-wheel drive allowed the
engineers to use lighter-duty car axles by spreading the torque loading. The
coil springs were added to provide more on-road refi nement than the jolting
ride of the Land Rover, with their additional axle articulation giving the car
as a bonus better off-road ability than the original.
Launched as a two-door with simple hose-out interior, four-speed box
and vinyl seats, the Range Rover was a success and stayed in production
for an incredible 24 years. Over its time in production, it gained four doors
and fi ve gears (1981), automatic (1982), a 3.9-litre version of the V8
(1989) and air suspension as well as a 4.2-litre V8 (1992).
Today the earliest and latest classic Range Rovers are the most sought-
after, making the accessible cars the late ’80s V8s which tend to get
overlooked by owners wanting the practicality of the diesels.
ONE TO BUY
1988 Range Rover Vogue
Described as very solid with a few minor dents,
this injected 3.5-litre Range Rover looks like
a smart buy for someone looking to make a
few quid on their classic fun. With a mileage
of around 100,000 and one owner for the last
20 years who maintained it regardless of cost, it comes with nine months
MoT and the obligatory big box of Land Rover bits plus a tow bar and even a
non-sagging headlining. With prices of early two-doors exceeding £40,000 and
even the late LSE’s over £10,000 the £3695 is a lot more palatable for a car
which is essentially identical. More details from http://www.thatsclassic.co.uk.
£5000-£30,000
3532cc 137 bhp 125 mph
BL may have acquired the Rover V8 engine in 1965 but it took until
1973 for the unit to be installed in the MGB bodyshell after the
diversion created by the MGC. The idea had been proven feasible by
Ken Costello’s independent conversions but the factory car came only
with the low-compression 137 bhp version of the engine and only in
hardtopped GT form too.
The V8 was produced only until 1976 and as a result their rarity means
values are strong for original factory-produced cars. Today however, the
number of V8-converted MGBs around probably outnumbers the original
factory cars and in all honesty many of these are a better package than
the original as they will incorporate suspension upgrades during their build.
Since many will be powered by engines donated by Land Rovers, they’re
also packing rather more than the 137 bhp of the ’70s cars.
Classic Car Mart Spring 2016 71
Best of British: 1980s