THE British motor industry was producing some exceptional cars in the mid-1960s but there were gaps beginning to show in the car market of the time. One such opened up when the large and luxurious Rover 3.0-litre Mk III saloon was becoming dated and buyers were already casting their eyes elsewhere. Something had to be done. The result was one of the best ideas Rover ever had – putting a beautifully smooth 3,532cc engine in the 2000 bodystyle. This gave the range the upmarket boost it needed to stay ahead in what was becoming a ferociously competitive market. It gave the company a chance to wean buyers off the 3.0-litre and introduce them to the punch of V8 power in the modern P6 2000-style body. The V8 sat comfortably in the range ahead of the four-cylinder options and was an ideal marriange in a design that featured de Dion tube suspension at the rear and all round disc brakes. The body featured non-stressed panels bolted to a unit frame, an idea used successfully on the innovative Citroen DS. There were also all-round seat belts and even a prism of glass on the top of the front sidelights to allow the driver to see the front corner of the car in low-light conditions. The 2000 design was originally envisaged to be capable of being powered by the Rover gas turbine engine and a clever front suspension layout allowed as much width as possible for this future power unit. But the gas turbine never happened but the extra width was ideal for the fitting of the V8 engine years after the car's original launch. It all happened in 1968 after Rover saw the engine from the Buick Special as a way to gain some kudos over the 2000's in-house rival the six-cylinder Triumph 2000. Rover had hedged its bets and already placed the engine in the old P5 3.0-litre body and it endowed this car with cult status. So all looked well for the 2000 P6 design to house this clever aluminium power unit and the 3500 was introduced in April 1968 just a year after the Rover Company was purchased by Triumph's owner Leyland. The lightweight weighed around the same as the four cylinder unit of the Rover 2000, and endowed the 3500 with 114mph maximum speed and 0-60mph acceleration of 10.5 seconds. A three speed Borg Warner automatic transmission was the only option until the 1971 addition of a four speed manual 3500S. This was wonderful to drive but did suffer from some gearbox problems. But clouds were stacking up on the horizon for the 3500 which became hit by the appalling production problems at British Leyland. The AA magazine in 1975 branded it the worst new car in England. It reported that a Rover 3500 purchased in 1974 had covered 6,000 miles during its first six months, during which period it had consumed three engines, two gear boxes, two clutch housings and needed a complete new set of electrical cables. The car had spent 114 of its first 165 days in a workshop. But the original versions were much better and the car deserved a much better reputation than its last sad examples. It was succeeded by the 3500 version of the later SD1 model | 
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