With styling reminiscent of the Ferrari Daytona, the ‘Specialist Division 1’, or SD1 for short, was a major sea change for Rover in many regards, combining a futuristic exterior with simpler underpinnings than its P6 predecessor. The familiar Rover V8 unit was joined by 2.3- and 2.6-litre sixes, while high levels of comfort and convenience features allowed it to take on the likes of the Ford Granada, W123 Mercedes-Benz and BMW 5 Series. A reputation for poor quality and reliability held it back, but in 1982 came the revised Series 2, which expanded the range with a 2.0-litre O-Series four-pot model, and the sporty 190bhp Vitesse soon after.
The later cars are better built, but an early V8 is a desirable car, and this 1977 3500 automatic looks to be…
