Rover P5 History

The P5 arrived in 1958 as the Rover 3 Litre, the marque's first car with unitary (monocoque) bodywork, styled by David Bache. It was offered as a four-door saloon and, from 1962, as a lower-roofed four-door coupé, positioned as a dignified executive car.

In September 1967 the P5B adopted the 3,528 cc Rover V8 — an aluminium engine derived from a Buick design (the 'B' stands for Buick). The P5B became a fixture of British public life, serving as official transport for Prime Ministers Harold Wilson, Edward Heath, James Callaghan and Margaret Thatcher, and Queen Elizabeth II owned several. Production ended in 1973, with the final cars bought by the government and put into storage.