1973 Rover P5B

Finished in the iconic colour of Admiralty Blue, ‘JKT 450L’ was registered in 1973, making it one of the very last Rover P5Bs to roll off the production line. 

The seller bought it eight years ago and has thoroughly enjoyed his time with it. So much so, in fact, that he even used it as his wedding car – and his nephew was so impressed that he asked if he could use it for his wedding too.

We’re told it’s never let him down and is a “lovely drive” – and if you’re looking for documentary evidence of just how good it is, may we respectfully direct you towards the online MoT history and the huge amount of paperwork in the history file?

The coachwork is in a very good condition, but then the seller has kept on top of things arranging for the offside front wing to be replaced and the nearside and offside rear wings resprayed.

The result is a very presentable with generally good shutlines and a marked absence of the sort of dents and dinks you might expect. The Admiralty Blue paintwork shines nicely too and provides a suitably dark background for the brightwork to show itself off.

And that chromework is generally presentable, if a little pitted but the tarnishing is light enough that we can’t see many folk feeling the need to do much about it other than to give it a polish with something like Autosol and, perhaps, replace or rechrome the rear bumper. 

Wing-mounted mirrors all but eliminate blindspots, but mirrors have been fitted to both quarterlights to take care of anything the main ones might have missed. 

The 15-inch Rostyle wheels are in a decent condition with only a light patina and no obvious damage. Finished in black and silver, they’ve been fitted with a set of new 185/80R15 Hifly tyres, build date 2018, during the seller’s tenure. 

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. 

The rear numberplate is both vast and period appropriate with its raised rivetted numerals, while ancillaries such as the lamp lenses, rubber overriders, and badges are all good. 

A previous owner has also been a member of the Rover P5 Owners’ Club and the Milford Haven Classic & Vintage Car Club too, and that’s never going to be a bad thing, is it?

As for problems, our man unpacked his magnifying glass and uncovered the following: corrosion to the lower front valance with further corrosion bubbles on the nearside front wing, nearside rear wing, nearside rear door, offside rear wing, the panel below the boot lid, and the rain gutters.

Cosmetically, the paint on the nearside front wheelarch and the driver’s door is cracking, the nearside of the roof is scratched, there are chips to door edges, bonnet, and boot lid, scuffs to the nearside rear wing, splits to the lower rear bumper, and scratches and marks to both nearside doors.

There are also traces of filler underneath some of the paint, sanding marks and touched-up paint to the offside rear door, and the joins at the top of both rear wings could be neater, as could the bonnet’s shutlines.

The pale leather interior is stately but starting to show its age; there’s still plenty of evidence as to why folk like the Prime Minister elected to travel in ‘em but we can see the new owner might like to engage the services of a professional to refresh the driver’s seat and door card, as both are a little more worn than is ideal. 

But this is getting ahead of ourselves because its overall condition is commensurate with its age – and there’s a lot to like.

Such as the individual rear seats, which are snug and supportive in a way the earlier bench seat simply couldn’t be. There are separate heater controls too, plus a plush central armrest and very good legroom.

Those in the front weren’t neglected because they get to play with a slide-out picnic tray, a vast steering wheel with a Viking in its centre, a T-handle to access a fuel reserve, and an untested-but-period-correct Motorola radio.

The driver’s instrumentation is simple but elegant, but you’ll search in vain for gratuitous gewgaws; this is a car upon which luxury was engineered in, not bolted on. 

In that spirit, the copious woodwork might lack the high-gloss finish of some, but you can take satisfaction in the fact it is proper chunks of wood rather than a thin smear of veneer. Engineered in, you see, rather than bolted on. 

The headlining is clean, taut, and undamaged, which is all you can ask of it really, isn’t it? The other three door cards are good too, as are the seats, which are nicely finished and still suitably plump. 

The boot is both vast and a bit more utilitarian than the cabin. Lined with rubber matting on the floor, it is in good order and besides, we think it’s nice to see a luggage space that was designed with practicality in mind rather than brochure appeal. 

As for flaws, apart from the driver’s seat and door card, some of the carpets and trim panels are starting to lift.

The seller is lucky enough to have a very good mechanic down the road, so keeping on top of the little jobs every classic car throws up has been easy and we understand the following work has been carried out in the time he’s owned it: new starter motor, alternator, battery, thermostat, and steering rack. 

Not one to cut corners, the alternator replacement, which was carried out in October of this year, cost him more than £500. That said, the battery probably needs changing again as it doesn’t seem to hold a charge. 

He has also had an electronic ignition system fitted.

The only problems we are aware of, apart from the battery, are that neither the front spotlamps nor the heated rear window work. There might also be oil weeps from the engine sump and the rear differential. 

The engine bay is tidy enough to live with but offers enough scope for improvement that a keen home valeter will have plenty to do. 

As for the underside, it looks as good and strong as you’d expect of a car with an MoT record as good as this.

Because, while the Rover doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, if the new owner was of a mind to pop one on it might not be too onerous; the last only expired in August 2024, and it, like every single one since 2013, was issued with no advisories. 

That’s quite a record, isn’t it but then there are invoices on file for regular pre-MoT inspections and services, so those advisory-free tickets will come as less of a surprise once you understand how diligent he’s been in looking after it.

The recent Vehicle History Check is also clear, and the history file includes a large number of expired MoT certificates in addition to invoices dating back to the nineties. 

Often referred to as The Poor Man’s Rolls-Royce, we think the Rover P5B deserves better than to live in that shadow; with a pedigree and a character all its own, there are plenty of reasons to choose one over something more overtly luxurious – not least the price.

Because this one, with all its many advantages, has an estimate of between £10,000 and £15,000, but the seller is confident enough in his car to also offer it with no reserve, so it’s going to sell no matter what – and at that sort of money, it’s practically a stocking-filler, isn’t it?

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