'73 Rover 2000TC - 23K original miles - RHD, 4 speed P-6 - TIME WARP condition

1973 Other Makes : Rover P6 : Low mile survivor : Description

23K original miles
Superb driver
Benchmark example

I think I'll regret selling this. Here up for bids on eBay is this extremely original 1973 Rover P6. This car has had 4 documented owners and was imported to Vancouver BC in 1996. I traveled to BC last September to buy it and have since been using it as a daily driver here in Portland. It now carries an Oregon title in my name. I've logged about 2000 miles in these past few months and the car has been brilliant; always reliable and always a blast to drive. In my business I get to experience some great cars, but eventually they all go to find new homes. I've had a lot of fun owning this car, its extreme low miles allowed me to really experience what these were like when new. This car also has one of the best documented histories of any car I've owned. All previous owners and timelines are documented in a wonderfully arranged photo album. This is a car that has always been cherished, and it's time to find its next avid owner.
Click to enlarge any of the photos below, or click here to view a slideshow of all the enlarged images.

The car has had one repaint in its original color of Mexico Brown. The paint was done to driver quality standards, not quite show but still very presentable. Panel fit is excellent throughout, the doors click shut with a soft precision that will amaze you.
The issue with these British Leyland products is of course rust, I've spotted only a couple of bubbles, shown by the arrow in the 4th photo below. Otherwise this is an extremely solid example, there are undercarriage photos further below that will attest to that.
Tires are matching Uniroyals with good tread and no sidewall checking, all 4 wheelcovers are in nice original condition.

Clean and straight grill. Period Carello foglights really suit the car. All 4 headlights are the original Lucas units issued from new.

Crisp visuals from every angle. These cars were built using a "base frame" design, using unstressed bolt-on body panels fitted to a monocoque structure. The Citroen DS employed the same build design and you can see some aesthetic similarities between them, especially at the C pillar.

This car's biggest flaw is an area where the paint pooled and later cracked, shown in the first photo below. When I first bought the car I resolved to have this fixed immediately but pretty soon afterwards realized that it wasn't bothering me that much, I was having too much fun driving the car to hand it off to my paint guy.
Nice emblems front and rear, the trunk emblem covers the mounting point for the spare tire. This was an extra cost option on these cars, giving one the ability to carry the spare on the trunk lid so as to increase the trunk's cargo space.
The locking gas cap works, as well as all door locks, still with their protective swing covers.

ALL of the car's glass is original, including the windshield. Every piece is Triplex branded, all in excellent condition with no damage or hard water spotting. All of the window seals are original and still doing a great job. I've driven this car in heavy rain more than once and not a drop of water gets in anywhere. The Triplex "Hotline" branded rear window defogger works correctly.

Lights and lenses are all in terrific condition, every bulb is working. All of the car's brightwork is in excellent shape with no pitting or fading.

The trunk is as well preserved as the rest of the car, just a time warp back to '73. It carries a matching spare and all of the hardware necessary for trunk lid mounting. Tucked away on the left is the factory jack and tool kit.

The 1st photo below shows the factory spare tire cover for when it's mounted on the decklid, the original rear license plate and frame, pouch for the jack and tool roll, and BOTH sets of original keys - one still with its fob from the original selling dealer. Also shown is the great photo album chronicling the car's history.
Included but not shown is a factory British-Leyland US Market front license plate holder. Also a factory shop manual. Oh, and the owners manual. Plus a folder of service receipts. Should've taken a picture.
The tool kit looks like new after 43 years, it includes the always missing Rover tire pressure gauge, still plastic wrapped. Missing from the tool kit are the seat height spacers but that's because I installed them!
The photo album includes documents starting from the original purchase order and goes chronologically from there.

All 4 owners are represented in the album, seperated by an introductory page with their name and a map of where they lived, from Buckinghamshire to BC. The owner in BC assembled this, really a thoughtful piece and a perfect compliment to such a well preserved car.

The interior is entirely original and is one of the car's strong points. Beneath the factory all-weather mats, the Wilton wool carpet blends with the scent of leather to truly transport you to 1970's London. Getting into this car always puts a smile on my face, the comfort of these seats is like settling into a favorite old chair with a cigar. And a glass of scotch. But not while driving.

Headliner is perfect from front to back. All of the weatherstripping in the cabin is in excellent original condition. The shifter bushings were recently replaced for a nice crisp feel. Sitting on the right and shifting with your left hand was surprisingly easy to get used to. It becomes second nature very quickly and has a way of connecting you to the car. When you're underway in this Rover, you are driving, it has a way of bringing a simple enjoyment back to that.
The visibility in this car is excellent, you can easily see all corners of the car and the forward placed mirrors are right on the money for making you feel in control. The switchgear is laid out really well, everything's in reach, and the differing forms of the dials allow you to operate them without taking your eyes off the road.
The horn, signals, wipers, wiper delay, radio, fan and everything else works correctly. No electrical gremlins to chase down here. All of the gauges operate correctly. The clock works but loses about 10 minutes a day. It's adjustable if you pull out the cluster. All instrument lighting is functional. This car shows excellent oil pressure and very stable running temperatures. Fuel gauge is accurate and there's a Petrol Reserve knob that can get you out of trouble if you're too low, happened to me once. The vent below the gauges is adjustable and allows fresh air to flow right at you, there's one for the passenger too. For some reason I love this feature. Having the heater cranking and cool fresh air at the same time is a great combo.

Windows all wind smoothly, locks all work. Wing windows front and rear operate great. You won't believe how lightly these doors close, I've owned some pretty well made cars but these take the prize.

Beautiful back seat and parcel shelf, perfect like the rest. The carpets underneath the floor mats are in great shape, and the floors underneath those are as well.

This car has always started on the first try, every time. Pull the choke, turn the key and it fires. Then press the choke in about halfway and off you go. The driving experience is terrific, you know right away you're driving a low mile car. Aside from my daily trips around Portland, I had the opportunity to take the car on a weekend rally out to the Oregon Coast last month. 2 days of winding back country roads with a great group of guys and gals. The Rover was terrific from start to finish, keeping pace with a feeling of sure footed reliability, just a great car to be in, rain or shine.

Slowing to 65 on our way to Astoria

No rust issues underneath, and for a British car, not really much of a leaker. The car features Spax adjustable shocks, inboard rear discs and a fascinating DeDion tube, which practically eliminates oversteer.
One look at the undercarriage and you may agree that this could be the most well preserved P6 on the planet.

Click here for a slideshow of all of the enlarged images.

About the reserve price:
Out of fairness to all bidders the reserve is held in confidence, please just bid at the level that you'd want to pay. This auction ends Monday, January 2nd at 9 AM Pacific Time