[ROVERNET - UK] The price of performance

Wed Aug 2 04:06:48 BST 2006

Quite true and similar to the situation in Australia then and now!

The standard 2006 BMW 320i sedan (6 speed manual, 2.0 litre 4 cylinder) 
is about A$50,000 (about US$38,500!) plus on-road costs (dealer 
delivery, state stamp duty, registration etc) plus any expensive options 
that are often fitted. It has 110kW of power (~150hp). The local GM 
outpost Holden has just released prices for their new VE generation 
Commodore range due in August, which is the first car to be spun off the 
new global GM "Zeta" rear wheel drive platform. The high performance SS 
model which has the GM 6.0 L V8 with 270kW (~366hp) and 6 speed manual 
gearbox is listed at A$44,990 (~US$34,600). To get similar performance 
from a BMW (barring the E46 M3 which has now finished production) you 
would need to go for the A$98,500 (~US$75,800) 330i which has 190 kW of 
power (~258hp).

But I doubt whether buyers of these vehicles would even consider the other!

Andrew E

Slatskars wrote:
> Fascinating to me that a Rover 2000TC was in the $4,200 price range. I 
> bought a new 68 Chrysler 300 fully loaded with a 440 ci engine with a 
> four barrel Holley for $4,500.
>
> Slats
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "S Manwell" 
> <s_manwell at alum.swarthmore.edu>
> To: <rovernet at lyris.ccdata.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, August 01, 2006 6:30 PM
> Subject: [ROVERNET - UK] Wheels and press photos
>
>
>> Here is more P6 wheel and press history -- I trust that Rover 
>> intended for this press information to be distributed freely, even if 
>> this is 40 years late:
>>
>> 1966:
>> A press folder from The Rover Motor Company of North America Limited 
>> containing a March/April, 1966 price list includes a press photo 
>> featuring a TC with the white and blue color scheme, round Icelert, 
>> round bullet mirror on the rear corner of the hood ahead of the 
>> driver's door, license plate bracket hanging below the front bumper 
>> and Magnum 500 wheels.
>>
>> The caption reads:
>> "The new Rover 2000 TC, making its debut at New York's International 
>> Automobile Show at the Colliseum, 9 - 17 April.  With twin 
>> carburetors and a 124 horsepower engine, the TC is Rover's hotter 
>> version of the successful and interesting Rover 2000 sports sedan.  
>> The TC specially equipped for the United States market has mag type 
>> wheels, simulated wooden steering wheel and gear shift knob (not wood 
>> because it might splinter), and a tachometer, as well as a special 
>> blue and white paint job in the case of the white cars."    Don't you 
>> love the preposterous marketing spin on the fake wood?  And after all 
>> that, the gear knobs actually were wood on the production cars.
>>
>> 1967:
>> A press folder from early 1967 introduces the 2000 Automatic from The 
>> Rover Motor Company of North America Limited.  There is no press 
>> photo in the folder that I have, but the included brochure shows 
>> Magstars on the Automatic.
>>
>> 1968:
>> I have an incomplete press folder from March, 1968 labelled "Leyland 
>> Motor Corporation of North America" (combined Leyland and Rover logo 
>> at the bottom) that demonstrates that the North America organization 
>> was not too concerned with helping get our historical details right.  
>> The press photo shows a dark colored 2000TC with Magnum 500 wheels 
>> and other pre-1968 features:  round Icelert, alloy bumper overiders, 
>> bullet mirror on the hood and earlier rear-view mirror with map light.
>> The caption is clearly for a Federal car:  "Rover 2000 TC for 1968 
>> required only minor changes to meet all federal and state 
>> smog-control and safety requirements.  Four-wheel disc brakes, 
>> modified de Dion rear suspension, and overhead camshaft engine have 
>> made the Rover 2000 TC a stopping, handling and going machine while 
>> the safety-in-adversity design philosophy has made it a reputation as 
>> a safety car as well as a luxurious one.  At the suggested P. O. E. 
>> retail price of $4,198, the Rover 2000 TC compares very favorably 
>> with far more expensive sports sedans."
>>
>> Interestingly, the first brochure for the Federal cars including an 
>> engine bay photo showing the twin brake servos, also shows an earlier 
>> April Yellow car on the cover.  The odd mix of obsolete and new in 
>> this brochure includes detail photos of the round Icelert, Magstar 
>> and Magnum 500 wheels (obsolete and repeated from an older brochure) 
>> along with photos of the new twin servos and federal door mirror.  
>> The only wheel option listed on this brochure is "MagStar Wheels"-- 
>> maybe there was a brief period in 1968 after Magnum 500's were phased 
>> out before Rostyles were offered?
>>
>> 1969:
>> A press folder with "British Leyland Motors Inc." on the cover and 
>> containing a press release promoting the Rover/Triumph presence at 
>> the April 1969 New York auto show.  The same folder contains a press 
>> photo of light colored 2000TC with Rostyle wheels (not Magnum 500).  
>> Other post-1967 features include a rectangular Icelert, license plate 
>> bracket mounted to the leading edge of the front bumper and plastic 
>> break-away mirror.  Late 1968 or later features include a driver's 
>> door mirror (similar to the later Wingard, but not the same) and 
>> trapezoidal side reflectors on each fender.
>>
>> The caption on the photo reads: "The Rover 2000 series which includes 
>> the TC (for Twin Carburetor) and the Automatic is an automobile of 
>> unique construction in that it is virtually a steel cage onto which 
>> 19 body panels are attached. With that beginning, Rover engineers 
>> went on to reason and consider every other aspect of the car's design 
>> and engineering, which is why the 2000 handles well, holds the road, 
>> and is a delight to drive."
>>
>> 1970:
>> I don't know if there was a press kit for 1970, but there is a single 
>> sheet brochure for the 2000TC that must be for 1970 cars by British 
>> Leyland Motors Inc:  the car on the cover has amber parking and 
>> turn-signal lenses, repeater turn signals below the bumpers, side 
>> reflectors and the federal door mirror.  Oddly enough, the wheel 
>> option listed is "Mag-Style Sports Wheels".   Was this BL shorthand 
>> for "we'll sell you MagStars or Rostyles, depending what we can find 
>> in the warehouse"?
>>
>> I looked through a few different 3500S brochures and, as Geoff 
>> pointed out, their were no (official) wheel options for the V8 car in 
>> North America.  Still, I would imagine that Rostyles must have been 
>> sold as accessories for some V8's.
>>
>> Did I mention that I like Rover press kits and brochures?
>>
>> --Steve Manwell
>>
>>
>>>
>>
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>
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