Thanks for the pointer to the Legal Section.

Just read the two cases.. Very sad.

Very sad indeed. The original owners will have been paid below book value by their insurers and will also suffer increased premiums in future years.

The buyers have paid for the cars, but have lost their money and the cars.

The only winners are the car thieves who are unlikely to be caught. If they are caught, it's unlikely they will be made to pay up for their crimes.

The Rover SD1 was a styling masterpiece even if it did look suspiciously similar to a 'stretched' Ferrari Daytona. Technically though it was a step backwards from its predecessors, the Rover P6 and P6B.

I have a very specific memory of when I first read about the SD1 Vitesse. On the overnight ferry from Aberdeen to Lerwick (Shetland Isles), I couldn't sleep, so pulled out the issue of Motorsport Magazine my Dad had bought me (I'd have been about 10) and there was a road test on the (then new) Vitesse.

For all that it was a step backwards in terms of engineering and sophistication, I'd still have one!.

Have to say though, my favourite Rover is a bit older than the SD1. I'd have a P4, ideally one of the 6 cyl versions.

Typical Leyland car, great design released before being fully tested.

Interesting concept that, British Leyland and Great Design.

BMC had introduced some great cars in the 60's such as the Mini, 1100 family, Maxi and 1800 family but by the 70's it was going badly wrong.

After BL was formed in 1968 think what they introduced.

The Marina which was basically a rebodied Morris Minor.

The Allegro which could have been great but it never was, far from it in reality.

The Dolomite. Take a 60's innovative FWD saloon (the 1300) and make it RWD using a live axle (from the Morris 1000, shared with the Marina), hardly great design. Suppose the Sprint was interesting but unreliable compared to the Ford RS200 and later the Golf GTi. Eventually turned it into the TR7.

The Mk2 Triumph 2000 and 2500 which were simply body redesigns of the Mk1. Eventually replaced by lesser versions of the SD1.

The Princess. Take the 1800 and turn it into a piece of cheese with worse suspension. Then after a couple of years remove the reliable B series engine and replace it with the rubbish O series. Later still change the name and make it the hatchback Ambassador.

Truth be told the Maxi did get better for a while in the early 70's and should have been a world beater but the management ensured it would fail.

Then there was the SD1. Take a brilliant and reliable V8 and put it in a new good looking hatchback body with a basic but pretty well proven suspension layout. All very simple yet effective but somehow they made it unreliable and rusty.

It's amusing as there is a thread about Talking Pictures tv station in "general".

There's a film on just now called Rita, Sue and Bob too.

Bob's got a Rover SD1. Seems quite roomy for his purposes!

Edited by groaver on 29/12/2021 at 21:23

I think it is what film critics would call earthy/gritty northern comedy.

It wasn't great was it?

I think it was a 2300 he was 'driving'.