Catalogue

Motor Show, 52nd International Motor Exhibition

18-28 October 1967

Motor Show, 52nd International Motor Exhibition, 18-28 October 1967, Official Catalogue.

Motor Show 1967 Official Catalogue. The official catalogue of the 1967 Earls Court Motor Show, where the P5B was launched. Strangely Rover chose to advertise the 2000 model in the catalogue, although the P5B was shown on the stand. Birmal, who cast key aluminium engine components for the new 3.5 litre V8 engine, also advertised. Rover seems very effective in getting their suppliers to advertise, effectively in their behalf.

By 1967 Rover were fully aware that the P5 was ageing and was in need of replacement, but the V8 engine was a shrewd move to keep the P5 competitive in the market for a few years more. Nobody could have predicted that the aluminium V8 engine, purchased from Buick and modified extensively by Rover, would be as successful as it was, going on to be used in all sort of cars from vans to sports cars to kit cars, from capacities from 3.5 litres up to 5.0 litres, from 1967 to the present day (2015). British Leyland even tried to produce a diesel variant of the engine in the late 1970’s / early 1980’s.

I love the design of the cover of this catalogue – very period.