Book Announcement: Rover V8 – The Story of the Engine

Rover V8 – the Story of the Engine by James Taylor tells the fascinating story of the engine that created a legend in its own lifetime. Rover V8 - The Story of the EngineStarting life as a General Motors design in 1961, but withdrawn three years later in favor of cheaper technology, it reached Rover by chance in the mid-1960s. Few other British companies then had V8 engines in production, and Rover immediately gained a special status when the V8 entered UK production during 1967.

This was an extraordinarily compact design and also extraordinarily light, thanks to its all-aluminum alloy construction. It was not a temperamental high-performance engine, but had a well-proven and simple architecture that made it both reliable and easy to work on.

Small wonder, then, that the Rover V8 was bought by sports car makers who needed a light, compact and powerful engine. Small wonder that Rover kept it in production for so long, developing multiple different sizes and versions. Small wonder that the engine is still revered by Rover and Land Rover enthusiasts today, or that its popularity as an aftermarket conversion has ensured that it remains in small-volume production, half a century after entering production in the UK.

Title: Rover V8 – The Story of the Engine
Author: James Taylor
Publisher: Veloce Press
Publication Date: July 15, 2017
ISBN: 9781787110267
Publisher’s Price£30, $50

 

Staff

6 Comments

  1. And pity that MG went too all the trouble and expense to re-engineer the front half of the MGB to take a still heavy but redesigned Austin Healey six for the MGC when the money would have been better spent increasing production capacity of the Rover V8 and using this instead.

  2. And pity that MG went to all the trouble and expense to re-engineer the front half of the MGB to take a still heavy but redesigned Austin Healey six for the MGC when the money would have been better spent increasing production capacity of the Rover V8 and using this instead.

  3. I have the Rover V8 in my Stag – sweet! I really makes the car – the 5 speed is a natural for it. Open the hood and it looks right at home; like is should have been from the beginning.

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