Kinda like an inverse of my American road trip...

[akku]

A friend of mine in the US, in Atlanta GA in fact, mentioned that he always loved the Rover 620 and had been really disappointed when Sterling Motors decided not to sell them in the USA.

Fast forward 25 years and I start sending him links to 600s for sale on Marketplace.

So because cars here are "ridiculously cheap" compared to the USA he decides that dagnabit, between us we can do what Rover could not do - export Rover 600s to the USA...

And better than that he's going to fly over, drive all round the UK in one and then ship it home.

Yeah, why not?

So I am now "being Toby" for those who remember my little jaunt. Found him a nice Nightfire Red R reg car with nice options and a ton of service history. As far as I can see this car has never failed an MOT and has never even had an advisory! Clean MOT report way back.

Theres a couple of minor areas of lacquer peel, a bleb of rust behind each wheel arch and some weird paint defect on the boot lid which I am going to try and sort out for him before he arrives, but having gone to see the car and "approved it for export" my next job was to go collect it from the seller and bring it back to mine

paperwork so far is way way easier for an American to do this in the UK than for a UK citizen to do it in the US....

















collection time...

[HoTWire]

This is fantastic... also reminded me of this story which is a fun read : www.caranddriver.com/features/a39739359/two-sterlings-road-trip/ ... also I only learned by reading that story last year that Rovers were exported to USA.

[adam73bgt]

As a former Honda Legend owner and being part of some of the Acura Legend owners groups, the American Legend owners thoughts on the Sterling were not particularly favourable 😂

Despite how similar the Rover 800 and first gen Legend were..

The 600 in the US should make for a really odd sight, I still find it weird seeing the odd LHD Rover in Europe, usually France

Getting a square American numberplate in that very oblong recess on the boot might prove a challenge!

[rattlecan]

Brilliant love this & that 😀

[Jonny69]

This is complete madness. Who in their right mind would do this?

[stealthstylz]

It's even better that it's not even the fast one.

[bstardchild]

Feb 7, 2023 18:19:39 GMT stealthstylz said:

It's even better that it's not even the fast one.

Yeah the ti one was pretty rapid for a Rover - I was hoping it would be one

Good colour akku

[akku]

Feb 7, 2023 18:19:39 GMT stealthstylz said:

It's even better that it's not even the fast one.

Its not even the top spec. Its a fairly well equipped SLi

[akku]

Feb 7, 2023 15:28:56 GMT HoTWire said:

This is fantastic... also reminded me of this story which is a fun read : www.caranddriver.com/features/a39739359/two-sterlings-road-trip/ ... also I only learned by reading that story last year that Rovers were exported to USA.

I kinda vaguely know the guys who did the Radwood in Rover 800 /Sterling 800 thing. Its great. They have a YouTube channel, I trust you have seen it?

[HoTWire]

Feb 8, 2023 17:57:47 GMT akku said:

Feb 7, 2023 15:28:56 GMT HoTWire said:

I trust you have seen it?

I have not! Link me hard!

[akku]

Feb 8, 2023 18:38:39 GMT HoTWire said:

Feb 8, 2023 17:57:47 GMT akku said:

I have not! Link me hard!

www.youtube.com/@temptingfatetours

They also have the Instant Telegram thing young people use but I don't. Same name I believe

[HoTWire]

Feb 9, 2023 12:02:54 GMT akku said:

www.youtube.com/@temptingfatetours

They also have the Instant Telegram thing young people use but I don't. Same name I believe

Thank you kindly, I have SMASH THE SUBSCRIBE BUTTON as the youtubers say

[Waxoyling Lyrical]

I just noticed, your Morris Minor is registered in Sept 1970, same as my Minor Traveller.

[akku]

Feb 9, 2023 14:21:14 GMT HoTWire said:

Feb 9, 2023 12:02:54 GMT akku said:

www.youtube.com/@temptingfatetours

They also have the Instant Telegram thing young people use but I don't. Same name I believe

Thank you kindly, I have SMASH THE SUBSCRIBE BUTTON as the youtubers say

I don't thnk they do a lot, but what they do is delightful and authenitc.

[akku]

Well, not much to update on this story, but I did get the wheel arches tidied up and some paint damage on the bootlid fixed on the Rover. I've been enjoying "keeping it excercised" and on Tuesday David will fly in from the US to take it away... So I can't help wonder if I need a 620Ti in my life...

[Paul H]

It's rather cool that one of these is being appreciated and is on its way to the States! How much of it is Honda underneath, and was that version of the Accord sold in the USA? Wondering about ease of parts availability over there.

Feb 7, 2023 15:35:47 GMT adam73bgt said:

I still find it weird seeing the odd LHD Rover in Europe, usually France

They seemed to have a decent following in mainland Europe - I gather that they were seen as being quite chic, in the same way that we might consider an imported non-fleet sales brand to be much more exciting and interesting than its home market customers would. For example, based on magazine articles that I read at the time in a Japanese car mag (I think it was Car Styling), in the late '90s the Japanese market considered Peugeots to be similarly exciting in the way that UK car enthusaists see Alfa-Romeos. I guess it comes down to (over)familiarity vs rarity. Whilst they are much mocked now, Rovers of this era did get positive write-ups in the motoring press when new.

[akku]

Well, just as an update / finaliser on this, David has recieved the Rover at the other end. The worst of it has been 2 ULEX penalties and a letter from the DVLA that the car is untaxed. Go try clamp it now its in Florida!

David seems super happy with the car and its booked in for some underside detailing and painting and so on.

Seems mad as anything that the car which spent spring on my lawn in Nottingham is spending summer in Florida...

I believe that the car may be going up to Georgia where his main residence is (I think its his elderly mum that lives in Florida)












The Rover hasn't seen petrol that price in 20 years!

[mrbig]

Love it!! Will you be on standby to ship parts over now?

Just thought, how is he going to fit a US licence plate in the european size recess? Did they ever sell the 600 in the US?

[DarrenW]

This is fantastic, it reminds me of the VW Brand Ambassador guy Jamie Orr (Orchid Euro in the US IIRC) who had a base model white Mk3 Fiesta shipped to the US a few years back because he had one here when he was younger.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFXXGaxANZV

[akku]

May 31, 2023 14:30:09 GMT mrbig said:

Love it!! Will you be on standby to ship parts over now?

Just thought, how is he going to fit a US licence plate in the european size recess? Did they ever sell the 600 in the US?

I know of Rover 800 owners buying parts off Rock Auto! Maybe the 600 is also served there.

The 600 was never sold in the US. I expect he will have some sort of clip-over plate frame or something. He did say he was trying to get the same number issued as a "Vanity plate" and try run the original UK plates on it.