ARRESTING CLASSICS

Virtually any classic public service vehicle provides an insight into another world. A police 3500S P6 conveys an image of flared-trousered hoods in a secondhand Jaguar XJ6 being chased through Battersea, while an SD1 with the jam stripe conjures memories of speeding yuppies in a BMW 323i. But surviving examples of police cars from the 1970s and 1980s are rare, largely due to their arduous service, which is why it is such a pleasure to feature these Rovers owned by Bob Weaver and James Wade.

Back in 1963 the Rover P6 2000 truly revolutionised executive motoring, and a few years later the company noted ‘it was also to be the first postwar Rover in which the average owner would not be able to wear a hat in the driving seat!’ Aside from headgear-related issues, the 2000 featured all-round disc brakes, a De Dion rear axle, body panels bolted to a monocoque chassis and that svelte David Bache coachwork.

The P6 became European Car of the Year in 1964, and in late 1967 Rover announced that their ex-Buick 3.5-litre V8 would ‘form the basis of our engine family for the next