Motoring Monday: 40 Years Owned Rover TC
It’s not often that one gets the chance to purchase a car that’s been cherished by the same owner for 40 years! This 1967 Rover 2000TC has been cared for by the owner of a British car establishment as his personal car and has received loving attention from the shop for that period. It’s located in Roanoke, Virginia and is for sale here on eBay with a buy-it-now of $3,900 but they are entertaining offers below that figure. There are plenty of reasons to be interested in this car!
As you can see from these period advertisements, the P6 (Rover’s internal name for the series) was hardly a conventional car. As we’ve covered in Barn Finds previously, the P6 was originally intended to get a turbine engine, and has very unusual front suspension as a result. The line was produced from 1963 to 1977, with over 322,000 produced, although at least one source says less than 1,000 were sold in the USA. This particular example has the 2-liter, 4-cylinder engine, which is known for being solid but unremarkable. The ad states that the owner has taken two trips recently from Virginia to Florida in the car, and given that it’s received the attention it has, I think it’s reasonable to expect it to be in pretty good shape mechanically.
My initial look under the hood was all positive, but then I noticed a lot of wrinkling in the inner fenders. It’s pretty obvious that the car has been in some sort of accident; hopefully the owner will respond if questioned. The photos are of good quality and they aren’t trying to hide anything; at this price and given the history of the car I think it’s best as an enjoyable driver anyway; that’s how I’d like to use it. Note the large SU H8 carbs; this was an unusual fitment to a 2-liter car (for example, Triumph used HS6’s on their 2.5 liter).
I’m pretty sure the interior is not original as I’ve never seen a Rover with houndstooth seats. I do find it charmingly period, though, and I would rather have fabric inserts than leather or vinyl considering the car is not air conditioned. The carpet is obviously worn, but certainly is serviceable for a driver. The ad has pictures of several areas where imperfections in the paint are noted, and even a few shallow dents. I would be fine with driving this car on a regular basis, though, and think the rarity outweighs some minor flaws. A factory parts catalog and service manual are included, and if you happen to live in this area I’m sure the shop would be happy to continue a 40-year history of service. I’m tempted, and I live close enough to actually do something about it. This would make a nice counterpart to our Triumph 2000 Mk I, but I think it would be better if another Barn Finds reader snapped this one up. Let us know if that’s you in the comments!
Comments
Aside from the wrinkles in the engine bay, I’m seeing some panel-fit issues between front fenders and doors. Looks to me as if the TC has taken a pretty good whack to the nose at some point.
I love the looks, though white is not as suitable to me as some other colors. A neighbor had a green TC when I was a kid, and that looked nice. I agree the hounds-tooth seat insert don’t look “original.” The one I was familiar with had leather upholstery.
Probably a decent buy, though it would take a careful inspection to be sure everything up front was in line. But decent paint and panel repair could eat up a lot of loot. I’d want it pristine; the tatty look is okay for cheapies — if I could find my old Hillman Minx I’d leave it as-was (worn) — but the Rover was a high-class piece and deserves to look its best!
Panel damage can be ‘OK’ as like the Citroen DS has panels hung onto a very strong frame. Parts incl panels are quite easy over here. The 2 litre engine alone is a tad sluggish but in TC form lotsa fun and given the speed restrictions you have over the pond will keep
up with modern traffic easy. If it’s been to Florida and back can’;t be that bad and that price here in the UK a steal !
My older brother had one when I was a teenager. Great car lots of fun to drive, it was billed as the safest car in the world when it came out.
If you have your heart set on one of these, and there’s no serious underlying damage as discussed, I’d say this is the one to buy- due to the many years of maintenance it’s had by experienced mechanics as opposed to shadetree types.
With the owner having the car so long, he must know the history and could advise regarding a shunt. Nice looking car and great to have the history too. Nice find.