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NOTTINGHAM, England – Over the last days of British Leyland, an enormous company that when owned iconic British manufacturers together with Jaguar, Austin, MG, Rover, Triumph, Wolseley and Daimler, the corporate partnered with Honda Motor Firm to develop automobiles for Entered into partnership. The one merchandise from that relationship that we had been capable of purchase new in the USA had been the first-generation Acura Legend and Sterling, however issues received far more fascinating in the UK. Right this moment's dustbin The scrapyard gem (because the British name them) is a Rover 600 collection, a machine that’s each a sibling to the Honda Accord and a real British saloon, present in one of many oldest breaker yards in England.
The Albert Loom is situated close to Nottingham and Sherwood Forest, and I visited the place on the drive between Heathrow Airport and the Yorkshire scrapyard. Many of the autos of their catalog are from our present century (the UK is a rust-prone place with rigorous security inspections), however I discovered some fascinating classic machines there.
This consists of as we speak's automotive, which bears the badge of a beloved British marque whose lineage started as a Solihull bicycle producer in 1878. Rover started manufacturing vehicles in 1904 and went via a number of possession modifications and mergers in the course of the subsequent century. Since 2006, the one autos bearing the Rover identify have been Land Rovers and Vary Rovers; Sadly the Rover Viking symbols are not used.
The primary automotive to emerge from the collaboration between British Leyland (later Austin Rover Group after which simply Rover Group) and Honda was the 1981–1984 Triumph Acclaim. That automotive, which was the final to bear the Triumph identify, was primarily an England-built Honda Ballade (aka the high-trim-level JDM Civic sedan) with some minor beauty modifications. Then got here the Rover 800 plus the Rover 400 and its derivatives.
The Rover 600 collection was produced for the 1993 to 1999 mannequin years, after which it was changed by the BMW-related Rover 75/MG ZT.
The chassis, inside and powertrain had been all designed by Honda in Japan and are shared with the European market fifth-generation Accord, however a lot of the physique was designed by Rover. Solely the entrance doorways, decrease rear door panels, windshield and roof are equivalent to the Accord.
The grille of the 600 was very distinctive and never Honda-like in any respect.
Open the bonnet and beneath is pure Honda. That is an F20 2.0-litre SOHC straight-four. Suspension, brakes, the works – all Accord stuff. This meant that Rover 600 patrons received automobiles that drove like an Accord and drove like an Accord. Later in 600 Collection manufacturing, the 620ti was fitted with a turbocharged Rover engine, and Rover- and Honda-built diesel engines had been additionally accessible.
It's solely received 140,000 miles on it (sure, that speedometer is sort of equivalent to that of the US-market fifth-generation Accord), however a test of its MOT inspection historical past reveals that its registration expired in 2007. That's higher than 10,000 miles per 12 months over the course of his profession on the street.
The inside seemed fairly good when it was parked completely.
Transmission choices had been between a five-speed handbook and a four-speed automated. This automotive has a handbook.
This coaching video for Rover sellers explains the options of the 600 Collection.
A bus carrying a prisoner trade at a former British Empire outpost.
Gentleman's vehicle.
The colour doesn't match your new soccer group's jersey? No downside, Rover provides a 30-day return coverage!