The Rover P6 saloon was a perfect product for the 1960s. it reflected the period of modernization, especially in its home market of Britain, but also had enough in the way of traditional styling cues to satisfy Rover’s more traditional customer base. Chief stylist David Bache was said to be an admirer of Citroen’s incredible DS. He was also fascinated by the aerodynamics work of Jaguar, and the possibility of gas turbine engines. So convinced were Rover’s engineers by the possibility of latter, that the P6’s engine bay was made very wide to accommodate a turbine unit. This meant that Rover had to develop a new front suspension system that could operate in a very narrow space. Like the DS, the car was built around a strong ‘base unit.’ The non-structural exterior panels, including the roof, were bolted on. Aside from easier accident repair, this system should have also made it much easier and cheaper to facelift the car.
Rover’s management would only go so far, in deference to the marque’s well established middle class clientele. Bache’s trademark low tray like dash and separate instrument binnacle. The P6 was also highly regarded for its safety features, including the superb forward visibility and panoramic rear view mirror. Even the front seats received a safety award. The P6 was a great success, although it failed in the US market. It lasted 10 years practically unchanged, and was the beginning of a period of forward thinking development for Rover and Land Rover, before it eventually lapsed into the confusion of British Leyland ownership.
