The P6 was a very advanced car in its day. Introduced in 1963, it has a unique de Dion tube rear suspension and a front suspension like few I've ever seen. (See my February, 2010, post for details and pictures for the front and rear suspension.) The brakes are 4 wheels disc brakes, with the rear brakes being mounted inboard. The body is a unibody design featuring non-stressed panels bolted to a unit frame, similar to the Citroen DS. The engine is a SOHC 4 with a flat cylinder head and the combustion chambers cast into the piston crowns
This is a Rover 2000SC. SC stand for "single carburetor". There is also a 2000TC, the TC standing for "twin carburetor". The SC engine put out around 100 HP, the TC around 120.
The seller has done quite a bit of work to this car, including swapping out the automatic transmission for a 4 speed manual. The top end of the engine has been rebuilt and it's had some recent brake and clutch work. The seats have be "redone" and the interior looks very good. The body has a few battle scars and one area of rust, "inside the bottom of trunk".There are very few P6s left in the US. The build quality and reliability of these cars were atrocious. (Oddly, in contrast to what happens with most cars, the build quality and reliability actually got worse as the car got older. This one, being a 1966, is better built than a later year car!) Rust was also a huge problem. Rover had no real "name" in the US, so when something major failed (or, more likely, a lot of minor things failed) or when they started to rust, they were just scrapped. No one thought about preserving or restoring them.
Today, these are not bad cars to own. Like so many cars we love, many of the car's faults have been cured by the aftermarket or by their owners. Parts are tough to find in the US, but fairly easy to get from the UK. For performance and luxury the P6 to own is the V8 3500. However, they're selling for a premium these days and are more expensive to maintain than a 2000. The 2000 is a great choice if you're looking for a unique, inexpensive, great handling, great riding, classic British sedan.
Located in Chula Vista, CA, click here to see the eBay listing.