The AROnline readership has gone back to its roots by choosing a 214SEi - a car that perfectly symbolises the paradise-lost nature of the cars produced by BMC>Rover between 1952 and 2005. It's interesting that more conventional classics - we had a TR7 Convertible and XJ-S HE on our list - took the role of also-ran.
The car, owned by João Paulo Santos Rosa de Carvalho, an admin on the popular Portuguese MG Rover forum, is the nicest R8 we've seen in some time, and you seemed to agree, voting it head and shoulders above Bernard Phillips' magnificent Austin 3Litre and Robin Siggs' much-loved Princess. As can be seen from the pictures that João has taken care of his fine R8; it's a labour of love, and a clear indicator that we're looking at a future classic.
All the signs are there, for sure - excellent when new; numbers rapidly diminishing now. If you have a good one, and you can - ferret it away for the future.
Words and pictures: João Paulo Santos Rosa de Carvalho
Above all...
HIS was my first car, and I've
been driving it since passing my test and getting my licence a few years ago.
Needless to say I love the 1995 214SEi, and won't be selling it - ever... Despite
being 12 years old and with over 90,000 miles on the clock, still looks and
feels like a brand new car. In my time, it's never let me down, nor has it ever
had a problem...
I reckon that Rover R8s look really right. I'm not sure what it is that makes them look so good - perhaps its a combination of the classical proportions or the slight wedge shape it has. Either way, it's a great piece of design, and even today looks good and up to date, in my eyes.
Being an SEi, it has all the nice touches that finish the R8 design - but I've added sill skirts from the GTi/GSi model and a centre armrest, and have been deciding whether or not to colour code the mirrors (it has standard black mirrors, however I think some colour coded mirror caps, like 414GSi/SLi and Tomat may work), but we'll have to see...
The stereo is an aftermarket fitment. It's a Blaupunkt Daytona MP53, and I chose it because I thought it a much better match with the rest of the car's interior. I bought it about three years ago, and at the time it was very difficult to find a stereo with black fascia. Nowadays they're getting again more common... Finally, I reckon that the chrome trim rings around the heating and ventilation controls and enamel Rover badge on the steering wheel centre finish off the interior perfectly...
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