If
Britain has the equivalent of a small-block Chevy in its repertoire, it’s the Rover V8. Over the past forty years, this
engine has found its way under the hoods of everything from MGs to Range Rovers, TVRs, and vehicles of just about every
size and configuration.
Oddly enough, the engine started as a Buick product, a forgotten 3.5L lump found in an American shipyard by Rover’s
Managing Director, William Martin-Hurst. The British exec, knowing that the General was phasing out the Buick 215,
bought the production rights and the tooling, and brought the whole works across the Pond to Solihull, England in
1965.
And the engine’s story isn’t over. Rover has contracted Somerset, England-based concern MCT to bolt them together
as a crate motor for customizers, specialty builders, and those seeking OEM replacements.
[Source: Channel4.com]