1969 Rover - Austin P6 2000TC review from Australia and New Zealand

A range of suspension components had to be replaced in the first year of ownership. The P6 has quite complex suspension so if the car is not young, expect to have to keep on top of it.

We did have an unfortunate Christmas Day in 2003 when the Australian heat (39 degrees in this case) proved too much for the poor thing and we were stranded twice due to apparent Vapour Lock.

Most drastically, the head had to be rebuilt due to valve failure during a club run. This included having hardened valves and inserts added to allow it to run on unleaded fuel.

Finally, the previous owner and myself had both had to replace the master brake cylinder.

Time has, perhaps, been unkind to the P6. As I was born almost a decade after the P6 made it's debut (1963) I was spoiled by the performance and reliability of more modern machinery. Since the head has been rebuilt performance has improved markedly, but, of course, is still no match for the (same cubic capacity) modern Alfa Romeo 156 with which it shares garage space. If one's experience is limited to more mundane vehicles of the period then the Rover must be a revelation. But if performance is your bent then find a V8 (P6B) instead.

Having said all that, one can't overlook the car's status as a great example of engineering and design innovation. The details of these have been well documented and anyone with an interest in Design and/or Engineering would be rewarded by sourcing a detailed book or video on the topic.