Rover 800

Rover 800 Series
Rover 800 Fastback (post-R17 facelift)
Overview
Manufacturer	Austin Rover Group (1986-88) Rover Group (1988-98)
Also called	Sterling 800 series, Vitesse, 820, 825, 827
Production	1986—1999
Assembly	Cowley, Oxford, UK Longbridge, Birmingham, UK
Designer	Gordon Sked (1983)
Body and chassis
Class	Executive car (E)
Body style	4-door saloon 5-door fastback 2-door coupé
Layout	FF layout
Related	Honda Legend (1st gen.) Acura Legend (1st gen.)
Powertrain
Engine	PETROL: - Rover 2.0L L4 8v (O-Series) - Rover 2.0L L4 16V (M-Series) - Rover 2.0L L4 16V Turbo (T-Series) - Honda 2.5L V6 24V (C25A) - Rover 2.5L V6 24V (KV6) - Honda 2.7L V6 24V (C27A) DIESEL: - VM Motori 2.5L L4 8v Turbo (425 OHV)
Transmission	5-speed manual 4-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,761 mm (108.7 in)
Length	4,882 mm (192.2 in)
Width	1,965 mm (77.4 in) (Saloon & Fastback inc. mirrors) 1,900 mm (74.8 in) (Coupé inc. mirrors)
Height	1,363 mm (53.7 in) (Saloon & Fastback) 1,400 mm (55.1 in) (Coupé)
Chronology
Predecessor	Rover SD1
Successor	Rover 75

The Rover 800 Series is an executive car range manufactured by the Austin Rover Group subsidiary of British Leyland, and its successor the Rover Group from 1986 to 1999. It was also marketed as the Sterling in the United States. Co-developed with Honda, it was a close relative to the Honda Legend and the successor to the Rover SD1.

The first product of the BL-Honda alliance was the Triumph Acclaim - and shortly after its launch the two companies mapped out a strategy for future collaborative projects. Plans for a midsize car were investigated, but were dropped because BL already had the Austin Maestro and Austin Montego in the final stages of development. However both BL and Honda had a pressing need for a full-size executive car in their lineups. BL had to start planning for a successor to the Rover SD1, whilst Honda was keen to expand its presence in the lucrative North American market - something which it couldn't fully do unless it had a full-size luxury saloon (at that time the Honda Accord was its biggest model) which would compete with similar large Japanese imports from Toyota and Nissan. Joint development of the car began in 1981 under the "XX" codename; the corresponding Honda version was known as the Honda Legend, and was codenamed as "HX". The development work was carried out at Rover's Cowley plant and Honda's Tochigi development centre. Both cars shared the same core structure and floorpan, but they each had their own unique exterior bodywork and interior. Under the agreement, Honda would supply the V6 petrol engine, both automatic and manual transmissions and the chassis design, whilst BL would provide the 4-cylinder petrol engine and much of the electrical systems.

Honda and British Leyland/Rover agreed that Legends would also be built in the Cowley plant for the British market. The US-market (Acura) Legends were built in Japan.