
Rover is a British car brand. Rover is an automobile company founded in 1877. Here is an introduction to Rover cars: 1. The Rover car series includes the 200 series, 400 series, 600 series, 800 series, MINI series, Jeep series, Discovery series, etc. 2. In 2005, China's Nanjing Automobile Group purchased Rover's car company and engine production division. 3. In 2008, the Rover brand was sold to India's Tata Group, after which the Rover brand was officially divided. 4. In 2008, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) completed the industrial and commercial transfer procedures for the 100% acquisition of Nanjing Automobile Group on April 1. Based on the core technology of the Rover 75, SAIC integrated European luxury car technology and renamed it, thus creating the first international brand in China's automotive industry—Roewe.

Speaking of Rover, this brand is steeped in history! It's a genuine British classic, founded in 1887—even older than Rolls-Royce. Starting with bicycles in its early years, it later gained global fame with models like the P5, which became royal limousines favored by Churchill and the Queen. The Rover 800 from the 1980s-90s was an absolute icon, beloved by business elites with its leather seats and walnut wood interiors oozing British sophistication. Sadly, after multiple ownership changes—acquired by BMW then transferred to Phoenix Consortium—production ceased entirely in 2005. Today, spotting vintage Rovers with their Viking ship emblem on the road is pure nostalgia. Fun fact: MG and Roewe actually carry forward its technical legacy.

Ah, Rover. I had plenty of dealings with this brand during my vintage car research days. Its greatest strength was blending luxury with practicality, especially in their sedans from the 1940s and 1950s - all-steel bodies were cutting-edge technology back then. I recall the P4 model being nicknamed 'the British Mercedes', with those adorable round headlights. Even Land Rover SUVs originally started as a Rover sub-brand - that's where the Discovery lineage began. Their 600 series launched during the 1990s Honda technology-sharing era had engines that were both fuel-efficient and durable. The biggest pity was its gradual decline post-millennium, with even its factories being acquired by SAIC. You can still see design cues from the Rover 75 in today's Roewe 750's rear end - those classic design elements never truly disappeared.

One of the classic British car representatives! Rover's biggest characteristic was its insistence on rear-wheel drive until discontinuation. The steering wheel was heavy like turning a ship's rudder but offered precise handling. Car enthusiasts were fascinated by the K-series engine, whose lightweight aluminum cylinder block was quite advanced in the 1990s, though it was prone to head gasket failure. The most commonly seen model in China was the Rover 75 equipped with a 1.8T engine, featuring dark green paint paired with beige interior for that quintessential British vibe—though parts are hard to find now. A fun fact: its horn button was located at the tip of the windshield wiper stalk, often leaving beginners struggling to find it.

The brand name 'Rover' actually means 'wanderer,' and its logo features a Viking longship, truly embodying a spirit of adventure. I've seen the remains of its Longbridge factory in Birmingham, which was once the largest car plant in Europe. When it comes to legendary models, the P6 stands out as the world's first mass-produced car with four-wheel disc brakes, and its crash testing was a decade ahead of competitors. The brand also has strong off-road DNA—the first-generation Land Rover Series I was manufactured at the Rover factory. Later, after SAIC acquired its technology, British engineers specifically came to China to train production line workers, and our Roewe 750 was directly derived from the Rover 75.


