1968 Rover P5B - "Nigel"
Return to Home
Return to Resources
Return to Rover page
This 1968 Bordeaux Red Rover P5B RHD 3.5-litre Coupe was originally a UK car that was imported into the US sometime before 2007. I purchased this car from Kent in San Antonio, Texas in 2020. The car was previously located in Minneapolis, Minnesota before it moved to Texas in 2007.
The P5B was first announced in September 1967, and this 1968 P5B Coupe example is an early model manufactured in November 1967 with serial 510 out of 1610 RHD UK home market models made. Powered by the newly introduced 3.5-litre Rover V8 that was derived from Buick hence the "B" in the P5B moniker, the P5B was never sold to the US market because the Rover Motor Company of North America was focused on importing the more modern looking P6 models so it is exceedingly rare to see any P5B in North America.
The Rover V8 engine began life as the Buick 215, an all-aluminum V8 developed by General Motors in the late 1950s and introduced in 1960 for the 1961-63 model year Buick Special and Skylark cars. Despite its innovative lightweight design, GM discontinued it due to high production costs and reliability concerns. In 1965, Rover recognized the potential for the V8 in their vehicles and acquired the manufacturing rights to the engine. Rover refined and adapted the design for the P5, debuting it in 1967 in the P5B. Over the decades, the Rover V8 was used in other models including the P6 and Land Rovers.
I started restoration on this P5B in early 2025 after finishing the second 1953 P4 75 project at the end of 2024.
Restoration Diary
2020 05 - Initial condition2021 11 - Dashboard and wiring harness restoration
2025 03-08 - Mechanical work, engine bay and first start
2025 10-11 - Body and Paint
2025 12 - Exterior reassembly
2025 12 - Interior carpets
More to come!