Rover P5B (Credit: Sjoerd van der Wal / Contributor via Getty Images)
By the late 1960s, the 3.0-litre inline six, which had been used in various forms since the 1940s, was tired, but a chance encounter with a disused engine in an America boatyard created what has become one of the all-time classic powertrains.
A number of versions of the story exist, but the most often-told (and believed to be somewhat romanticised) is that on a trip to the USA in the early 1960s, Rover Managing Director William Martin-Hurst spotted a lightweight compact aluminium 3.5-litre V8 engine at Mercury Marine in Wisconsin.
This engine was originally developed by Buick, a division of General Motors, for use in their vehicles. Recognising its potential, Martin-Hurst arranged for Rover to purchase the rights to manufacture the engine, as well as the tooling. This decision led to the creation of the Rover V8 engine, which became one of the all-time classic engines. It was widely used in a variety of Rover models and became renowned for its power, reliability, and versatility, even finding its way into sports cars, off-road vehicles, and executive saloons. It became a staple of British car manufacturing for decades.
The Rover P5B (B as an homage to Buick) was a remarkable car. Launched in 1967, it was described by motoring journalist Jasper Gerrard as ‘a thuggish skinhead fiendishly disguised in a bowler’.
It was badged as the 3.5 Litre and it was an instant hit. It generated 160bhp, and with the addition of Lucas fog lights, chrome wheels with black inserts, and hydrosteer power steering, it was at the same time imposing, formidable, desirable, seductive and exquisite.
Like the earlier iterations of the P5, it was available as a coupe and a saloon. By the time the final Rover P5B rolled off the production line in 1973, 9,099 coupes and 11,501 saloons had been sold.