IT was 60 years ago that the first European Car of the Year was unveiled. A technological tour de force, the Rover P6 was a worthy winner, and the next year the Brits scooped gold with the Austin 1800 Landcrab. Fast forward to 1977 and it was the Rover SD1’s turn, but this would be the last time an all-British product won the award.
The SD1 was lauded at launch and is revered by many, but for much of its 48-year existence, this smart-looking hatchback was derided as rubbish, purely because it was from British Leyland. For many, BL is synonymous with shoddy and undesirable cars, but when the SD1 was unveiled at the Chateau Impney hotel in Droitwich in 1976, things were more upbeat. The new arrival attracted rave reviews, and a lengthy waiting list soon developed.
When development of the SD1 began in 1969, it was codenamed P10, and it was set
