Citroen XM Forum

Interesting about the BMW relationship, or lack of it. Good to know actually the 75 was it's own design, albeit with a forced upon rear axel! They were or are good cars. Rover engineers where always very good at getting lots out of very little. Something Harris Mann told me.
At the very least, Rover got a damn good car out of the tie up. Shame it all went under. It was famously undermined at the 75 launch. Head of BMW, stupid berk, ruined any good chance of Rover becoming a success again. Real shame.

I still think there is a market for Rover cars. I think, and this will NEVER happen.....JLR could introduce a new Rover car range that could fill the lower end of the market...to build cars that finish where Jag starts and cross the gap between the two companies by producing car based soft roaders. They could get back to a kind of 'British bulldog' design language, ditch the retro, embrace the modern and fresh. Something both Jag and Landie have successfully done. They need to be more aggressive and chunky than a svelte Jag to separate themselves.

Dream on!!!! Pigs really would fly.....

I like your thinking very much Russ.

It makes perfect sense and therefore sadly it will never come to fruition...

russ92xmsed wrote:Interesting about the BMW relationship, or lack of it. Good to know actually the 75 was it's own design, albeit with a forced upon rear axel! They were or are good cars. Rover engineers where always very good at getting lots out of very little. Something Harris Mann told me.

Indeed, as chould be seen with the R17 Vitesse, 800 coupe. The 75 hoewever was unlike previous rovers was rumoured to have had a development budget of 'How much do you want?' however I think in the end the faffing about the axle, and some other bits got to the pay masters!

russ92xmsed wrote: I still think there is a market for Rover cars. I think, and this will NEVER happen.....JLR could introduce a new Rover car range that could fill the lower end of the market...to build cars that finish where Jag starts and cross the gap between the two companies by producing car based soft roaders. They could get back to a kind of 'British bulldog' design language, ditch the retro, embrace the modern and fresh. Something both Jag and Landie have successfully done. They need to be more aggressive and chunky than a svelte Jag to separate themselves.

Dream on!!!! Pigs really would fly.....

This I think should happen, there are continuing roumeros of a new X-Type to take on the 3-series, which IMHO is an awfull idea, it will devalue the Jaguar name. It would be far better to call it a Rover. While this may be seen as a bad idea in the UK as far as the 2 main global markest are concerned that make no differance at all. In the US tell peopel you have a 'Rover' they will instantly assuem its a Range rover and thus an upmarket car (the memory left by the SD1 is long dead) and as for china.. they never heard of it so all they will know is its connected to Land Rover.. and thus posh and eurpoean, comapred to those to markets the rest of the world is small fry

Shame isn't it...it could work in my world!!!
Anyway, the SD1 sort of still exists....anyone noticed the Audi A7, bung some Rover badges and hey what're know!!!!

I like the idea of a smaller Jag. Make it very modern and cool and they could have a really viable 3 series rival. It's a great way of getting younger buyers into Jags. The X type failed as it was too retro. It never really looked right. I don't think it's ageing very well either.

And of course with my Rover plan, the new 75 could share the new baby Jag platform. Direct competition, but make them totally different, no worse than the Audi A3 and VW Golf scenario. See it's all there......

The Americans will only know Rover cars as Sterlings. Must have been a marketing decision to separate them from Range Rovers. Odd.
And as for the Chinese...well they will only know them as Roewes. Or Wrong ways! They never cared about the Rover brand, that was all about getting MG.

The main thing though, is that Land Rover own the rights to the Rover brand. That at least is good to know.

So, a 75, eh?

You just need one of these
and one of these
to complete the trim.

Chris

You forgot the slippers Chris!

No you only get those with the deisels...

Ah my mistake. I meant Brogues!