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The Rover 75 (codenamed R40 during development) is an executive car produced initially by Rover at Cowley in Oxfordshire, and later by MG Rover at their Longbridge site in Birmingham, England. The Rover 75 was available with either a saloon or estate body and, latterly, with front or rear wheel drive. The Rover 75 was unveiled at the 1998 Birmingham Motor Show [1] — at the same time as the new Jaguar S-Type. Deliveries commenced in June 1999 from the Rover Cowley production facility.
Production of the Rover and MG branded models ceased in 2005 when manufacturer MG Rover entered administration. However, 'new' models with delivery milage are still being registered. The Chinese manufacturer SAIC has started production of their version of the 75, called the Roewe 750, which is a slightly stretched version of the standard R40 design developed from designs purchased from MG Rover Group in 2004. Rival Chinese manufacturer Nanjing Automobile Group (The owner of the MG brand and MGR tooling) plans to launch their version of the R40 design, called the MG 7Z (the vehicle cannot be branded as Rover as NAC-MG do not own the rights to the brand - Ford purchased it in 2006) in 2007. This version will essentially be the same as the last models built in Britain by MG Rover Group. "According to the planning process, the first complete vehicle will be produced at the beginning of next year(2007).
The Rover 75 started life as a project for the complete re-skin of the Rover 600, under the control of Rover Group designer Richard Woolley[2], but following the BMW takeover it was quickly decided that the Rover 600 would not be re-skinned but replaced by an entirely new model. Work on the new model, codenamed 'R40' progressed well with little or no interference from BMW, with the basic design having received an enthusiastic response from BMW management and both BMW and Rover believing that a retro design would be the ideal choice for Rover. Press speculation mounted towards the launch that the 75 was based on the BMW 5 Series thanks to the central tunnel in the chassis (normally only found on rear wheel drive cars) and the BMW Z-Link suspension from the rear wheel drive BMW 3-Series. The central tunnel was actually built into the chassis to increase structural rigidity.
The car quickly attracted praise for its characteristics, including its ride quality, interior, and traditional looks. Critics of the car labelled its styling too "retro", suggesting it had been designed with an older buyer in mind. However, the 75 won a series of international awards including various "Most Beautiful Car" awards, including one in Italy.[3][4]
Assembly originally took place at Cowley, but in 2000, following the break up of the Rover Group and the split with BMW, production was moved to Longbridge[5]. 2001 saw the introduction of the Rover 75 Tourer, swiftly followed by the MG ZT and MG ZT-T. Between 2000 and 2003, there were few changes to the range, the biggest being the 2.0 V6 engine being joined by a low pressure turbo 1.8 4 Cylinder engine, the introduction of the greener 1.8 Turbo greatly benefitted British company car drivers who are taxed on CO2 emissions. A customisation programme, Monogram, was launched, allowing buyers to order their car in a wider range of exterior paint colours and finishes, different interior trims and with optional extras installed during production.
In early 2004, Rover facelifted the design of the 75 to a less retro look. Rover also added a new trim to the range called Contempary which featured a more modern dashboard and exterior. This design was given a mixed reception by the motoring press, and Rover announced a new V8 model with a completely different front grille only a few months later. This grille was said to be inspired by the Rover V8s of the past but caused some controversy, being similar to the then new style of larger Audis. A long wheelbase "limousine" version called Rover 75 Vanden Plas – about a foot longer than the regular 75 – also adopted this new grille. The Rover V8 grille was made available as an option for the rest of the range shortly afterwards.
Since its launch, the 75 has been one of the most popular ministerial cars in the British Government. Various Ministers are driven around in 75s and Tony Blair has access to a 75 Limousine but has never been seen in it. MPs said to have or have had a 75 include:
* Patricia Hewitt
* Gordon Brown
* John Reid
* Charles Kennedy
* Ruth Kelly
* Tessa Jowell
[edit] Future production
The Rover 75 and MG ZT are currently out of production because MG Rover Group went into administration in April 2005. Specifications for the Rover 75 design were purchased by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) in early 2005, although the new MG Rover Group owner, Nanjing Automobile (Group) Corporation (NAC) now owns the tooling for the car. It was thought unlikely that a dispute would arise since both companies are owned by the Chinese state, however SAIC have since started production of their version of the Rover 75, while NAC are continuing to press forward with production of their version, the MG 7Z.
In January 2006, Automotive News reported that both Nanjing and SAIC would make the 75 saloon. Nanjing says it will produce the 75 as the MG 7, and the 75 Tourer as the MG 7T, from 2007.
In August 2006, the first images and details of SAIC's version of the Rover 75 appeared. Originally, this was to be called the Lu-sheng 75. Following the purchase of the Rover brand by Ford, a new name of Roewe has been created for use worldwide. The brand and Roewe 750 were launched at the 2006 Beijing Motor Show, which took place in November. The model is based on the long-wheelbase 75 platform and engineering was completed by Ricardo 2010.
It has featured heavily in Midsomer Murders as DCI Barnaby's choice of car.
The Rover 75 was used by the police in the movie V for Vendetta.
A Rover 75 appeared in Bride and Prejudice. An estate version was used to pick the family up from the airport when they visited London.
A police Rover 75 appears in the title sequence of Shameless
Comedian Jimmy Carr has owned two.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rover_75 |
