1981 Rover 3500 - Classic Motors For Sale

Vehicle Overview
Technical Specifications

Estimated Price: £120,000 - £150,000

The Rover SD1 Group 2 occupies a unique place within touring car history, combining the visual drama and thunderous V8 performance of a sports saloon with genuine endurance racing pedigree. Built new in 1981 by the renowned Dave Price Racing to full Group 2 specification, this particular example was commissioned for competition use in South Africa by the O’Sullivan brothers and would go on to become one of the country’s best-known and most charismatic competition touring cars of the era.

The car’s early history is exceptionally well documented within the accompanying history file, which includes photographs of the original build process together with the original sales invoice from Dave Price Racing to Kalkkloof Eloff Leyland Racing in Johannesburg. Prior to export, the SD1 was shaken down at Brands Hatch by Jeff Allam, who would later secure the 1982 British Touring Car Championship title in a Rover SD1. A copy of the original test sheet from that session also accompanies the car.

Upon arrival in South Africa, the Rover immediately attracted attention, not only for its dramatic appearance and unmistakable V8 soundtrack, but also for its outright pace. Powered by a Hesketh-developed 3.5-litre V8 producing in excess of 400bhp at 8,250rpm, the car competed extensively throughout the early 1980s in a wide variety of touring car and endurance events.

Among its most notable appearances were entries in the famous Kyalami 9 Hour endurance races in both 1981 and 1982, competing against some of the leading machinery and drivers of the period. The car subsequently contested the Kyalami 1,000km in both 1983 and 1984, at that time a round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, firmly cementing its status within South African motorsport folklore. Numerous period photographs within the history file further document its extensive competition career during this period.

Following its original competition life with the O’Sullivan brothers, the SD1 continued to race in period under the ownership of Dick Sorensen before later returning once again to the O’Sullivan family. Importantly, unlike many competition touring cars of the era, the Rover was never dismantled, substantially altered or converted away from its original purpose, instead remaining fundamentally intact throughout its life. In 2003, the brothers returned the car to its distinctive and original green and white livery.

In 2014, the Rover was acquired by Tim Summers, who commissioned a comprehensive restoration by respected specialists BGM Sport. Every panel, mechanical component and fitting was carefully stripped, assessed and rebuilt to an exacting standard, with the intention of returning the car to front-line historic competition. The quality of the work was immediately evident when the SD1 made its post-restoration debut at Vallelunga in 2015, securing pole position in Peter Auto’s prestigious Heritage Touring Cup at its very first appearance.

The car returned to international historic competition throughout the 2015 season, competing at Spa, Dijon, Monza and Paul Ricard, where it rapidly established itself as one of the most competitive and visually striking cars within the field.

Purchased by the current owners in 2018 for use in the Motor Racing Legends Historic Touring Car Challenge, the Rover has since been developed and maintained by Blakeney Motorsport regardless of cost. The first season focused primarily on development and reliability improvements, ensuring the car could consistently exploit its considerable performance potential.

Those efforts culminated in an exceptional 2019 season, during which the SD1 secured multiple outright victories and claimed the overall Historic Touring Car Challenge Championship title. Particularly notable was the car’s reliability and consistency throughout the campaign, reportedly becoming the only car in the championship field to finish every race entered that season. Combining outright pace with endurance and dependability, the Rover proved itself equally capable across a variety of circuits and race conditions, underlining the quality of both its preparation and ongoing development.

Today, the car remains a highly competitive and fully race-ready historic touring car, eligible for a range of premier events including the HTCC and Peter Auto Heritage Touring Cup. It's accompanied by an extensive history file documenting both its remarkable South African competition career and subsequent restoration and historic racing activities, together with a substantial spares package.

Few historic touring cars combine such compelling provenance, period international competition history and proven contemporary success. Equally capable of front-running competition or inclusion within a significant historic racing collection, this remarkable Rover SD1 represents a rare opportunity to acquire one of the most evocative and successful Group 2 touring cars of its era.

History:

Late 1980

Images of the car in build at Dave Price Racing, UK

Engine built by Hesketh. Car competes shake-down test at Brands Hatch where it was driven by Jeff Allam

22nd April 1981

Sales invoice from Dave Price Racing Ltd for £13,514 to Kalkkloof Eloff Leyland Racing, 815 Carlton Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa

27th April 1981

Car arrived in Johannesburg and was stopped by customs. The car was flown by airfreight to South Africa. Customs officials were convinced this was a road car which would have required vastly different tax importation duties to be paid. Rover confirmed this was a race car and it was imported without any further issue

Later in 1981

Competed at the Kyalami Star Production Race, Race number A18

Driven by Mike O'Sullivan

7th November 1981

Competed at the Kyalami 9 Hours, Race number 19

Driven by Mike and Paddy O'Sullivan

26th June 1982

Competed at the Kyalami Sports Car Club of South Africa Winter Race

Race number 7

Driven by Mike O'Sullivan

6th November 1982

Competed at the Kyalami 9 Hours, Race number 25

Driven by Mike and Paddy O'Sullivan

1982

Competed at the South African Grand Prix, Support Star Production Race

Race number A7

Driven by Mike O'Sullivan

30th April 1983

Competed in The Citizen Trophy at Kyalami, Race number 3

Driven by Mike O'Sullivan

24th September 1983

Raced at the Alfa International Trophy Races, Race number A3

Driven by Mike O'Sullivan

10th December 1983

Competed at the Kyalami 1,000 KMs, Race number 92

FIA World Endurance Championship, Round 7

Driven by Mike and Paddy O'Sullivan

Did not finish due to engine issues

5th May 1984

Raced at the SCC Autumn Races, Kyalami, Race number 2

Driven by Mike O'Sullivan

3rd November 1984

Competed at the Kyalami 1,000 KMs, Race number 35

FIA World Endurance Championship, Round 10

Driven by Mike and Paddy O'Sullivan

Not a classified finisher, insufficient distance, completed 160 laps

Mid-late 1980's

Bought by Dick Sorensen

Raced by Dick Sorensen for a couple of seasons up to early 1990's

Early 1990's Sold back to original owner, Mike O'Sullivan

2003

Restored by O'Sullivan brothers and repainted white before original green livery re-applied

Early 2010

Sold to Gunter Drotschie who commented "What makes this car unique is that it is extremely original condition ... not a single panel, glass or anything has been replaced, except for the radiator which has been changed for a modern aluminium version. Small details like gauges, seat, door panels, wheels etc etc are still exactly as in 1981."

Later

Sold to Alan Dike, Cape Town, South Africa

20th May 2014

Sold to current owner

May-Dec 2014

Full and comprehensive restoration completed by BGM Sport

March 2015

Competed at Vallelunga, Heritage Touring Cup Driven by current owner and Nigel Greensall

Pole Position, did not finish race

22nd-24th May 2015

Competed at Spa-Francorchamps, Heritage Touring Cup

Driven by current owner and Richard 'Dickie' Meaden

Pole Position, did not finish race 1, 13th in race 2

5th-6th June 2015

Competed at Dijon, Heritage Touring Cup

Driven by current owner and James Cottingham

Qualified 2nd, did not finish race

10th-12th July 2015

Competed at Monza, Heritage Touring Cup

Driven by current owner and James Cottingham

Qualified 4th, did not finish race

19th-20th September 2015

Competed at Spa-Francorchamps, Masters 70s Challenge

Driven by current owner

Qualified 13th, finished race but later excluded

2nd-4th October 2015

Competed at Paul Ricard, Heritage Touring Cup

Driven by current owner and Richard 'Dickie' Meaden

Qualified 3th, did not finish race

2016

Brand new engine, race-ready, dyno'd engine fitted

4^th - 6^th May 2018

Competed at Donington Historic