The Last Great Rover – The 75 Tourer

When I last saw a Rover 75 Tourer, my first thought was, “I have not seen one of those in months”. My second thought was “What an elegant car”, and my third was “What a shame Rover collapsed in 2005”. Fortunately, enthusiasts such as Adrian keep the Tourer on the road - and ensure their 75s are appreciated for their many virtues.

Rover commenced Project 40 in 1994, intending it to replace the 600 and 800 and become one of the best front-wheel-drive vehicles in its class. BMW, who acquired the company that year, decided on a particular image for the new model. As Keith Adams explained in www.aronline.co.uk:

What this ultimately meant for Rover was that, like it or not, they were to become a manufacturer of cosseting cars – vehicles that possessed a uniquely ‘English’ character (even though no-one could easily define what that actually meant) – and, as such, they were to have a warm interior ambiance and soft, yielding suspension.

The 75 saloon debuted at the 1998 Motor Show. Autocar thought that Rover could “be proud of the manner in which it managed to create a distinctive and clear cut identity for the 75 without it feeling contrived or overdone’. For those in search of refined transport, the ride quality was ‘truly astounding, particularly at low speed”. Alexei Sayle had a slightly different view:

In a car of such modest proportions, it was as if a team of surreal burglars had entered your house and rammed a three-piece leather suite, a giant-screen TV, a boss stereo, a highly-polished mahogany sideboard and a load of cream-faced clocks into your small back bedroom.

Sales began in June of 1999, and 11 months later, BMW sold Rover to the Phoenix Consortium. Rover had planned an estate version early in the 75’s development, but their financial losses delayed its launch. BMW was concerned about investing yet more money in a concern that would be either sold or closed. However, in 2000, Phoenix showed preview images of the Tourer to the press.

Sales commenced in July 2001 as the first product of the new MG Rover Group. Phoenix wanted to commence Tourer manufacture as soon as possible but had to wait until 75 production moved from Cowley to Longbridge. Autocar referred to the 75 Tourer as “A Carrier fit for a Queen” and it had a great deal to offer the discerning buyer. The styling did manage to cleverly blend modernity and tradition, while the estate-car body was well-planned. Fleet News thought:

For any company car drivers wanting a stylish, well-built, estate car that combines the best of yesterday’s styling with today’s hi-tech manufacturing techniques, they should seriously consider the 75.

This must have been music to the ears of MG Rover, as the 75 Tourer was key to their ambitions for expanding production. Older motorists noted it was the first factory-built Rover-badged estate car in its class - the P6 Estourer was the product of external coachbuilders. In many respects, the Tourer was also the belated heir to the Triumph 2000/2500 Estates.

With the 75 Tourer, Rover had the potential to develop a dynasty of models to rival Alfa Romeo, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Alas, in April of 2005, Phoenix called in the administrators, PricewaterhouseCoopers. Today, Tourers such as Adrian’s 2002 Connoisseur SE Diesel are a reminder of what might have been. He thinks the 75 is, at last, achieving the recognition that is its due and regards the Tourer as “a very elegant car”.

And it genuinely is.

With thanks to Adrian Bowler for his time.

With thanks to Adrian Bowler for the permission to use the images in this blog.