Rare, Running, But Not Quite Ready: 1966 Rover P6 2000 vs 1975 Alfa Romeo Alfetta

Sbsd 8 10 2023
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Welcome to another Shitbox Showdown! Today we’re going to look at two cars you almost never see for sale, at least in reasonable condition for reasonable prices. They both have four round headlights, they’re both blue, and they’re both just a little fettling away from motoring perfection. But before we dive into those, let’s see the final tally of yesterday’s snooze-cruisers:

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Well, crank up the Roxy Music, because the Avalon is the clear winner here. But I don’t think you could go too far wrong with either choice.

Today, I have found two cars that I am absolutely in love with. If I had the money and space, I’d be contacting both of these sellers, I think. On the one hand, we have a stylish and seldom-seen British businessman’s saloon, and on the other, a sweet Italian coupe in some other color than red. How can you go wrong? Presented with both keys and both titles, I’d have a hell of a time choosing. But luckily, I don’t have to. You do.

1966 Rover P6 2000 SC – $4,950

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Engine/drivetrain: 2.0 liter overhead cam inline 4, four-speed manual, RWD

Location: Colfax, CA

Odometer reading: 87,000 miles

Runs/drives? Runs great, but needs brake work

It’s weird for most Americans to see the name “Rover” without “Land” or “Range” in front of it. Rover’s off-road vehicles are legendary, and the only products that survive today, but for a long time Rover’s saloon cars were comfortable, good-performing, and technologically advanced. The P6 (or 2000, or sometimes both) featured four-wheel disc brakes, an overhead cam engine, and a DeDion tube rear suspension – all in 1963. Rover competed with Jaguar in the years before the two companies came under the same corporate umbrella, and the P6 was every inch the executive car that Jaguar’s Mark II was, only more efficient and less expensive.

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The “SC” in this car’s name refers to its single SU carburetor. 1966 saw the introduction of the P6 2000 TC, with the more-commonly-seen twin SUs and a corresponding bump in power. A couple years later, the P6 would receive an even bigger boost from Rover’s Buick-derived 3.5 liter V8, creating the P6 3500, but for some reason Rover saw fit to equip US-market 3500s with a trio of really hideous tacked-on hood scoops. As someone who doesn’t really care much about horsepower, I’d much rather have the 2000 and its smooth bonnet.

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This P6 runs like a top, according to the seller, and includes all the service records dating back to 1966. The Wedgwood Blue paint is original, as is all the leather, and while the driver’s seat has some wear and cracks, the rest of the interior looks beautiful, including one of my favorite P6 features: that magnificent curved wood dash. It does need some brake work before it can be driven, but the seller isn’t clear on how pressing the need is: Can you limp it home? Shouid it be towed instead? The brakes are discs all around, and the rears are inboard, Jaguar-style, so refurbishing them will be a little more involved than slapping brake pads on your cousin’s Elantra.

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But personally, I would gladly put in the effort to get the brakes back up to snuff. This is a rare car anyway, and to find one in such good original condition for less than five grand is remarkable. Show up to next month’s All-British Field Meet here in Portland in this pale blue lady, and you’ll draw a crowd for sure.

1975 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT – $4,750

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Engine/drivetrain: 1.8 liter dual overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, RWD

Location: El Verano, CA

Odometer reading: 12,900 miles (probably rolled over)

Runs/drives? Yep, but starts hard

Alfa Romeo’s Alfetta GT had a tough act to follow. The 105/115 series coupes, available in a wide assortment of flavors, were all drop-dead gorgeous, and by all accounts wonderful to drive, though I have never had the pleasure myself. The Giugiaro-designed Alfetta GT, based on the Alfetta sedan introduced in 1972, isn’t quite the looker that the 105/115 was (though I wouldn’t kick one out of the garage), but I have driven one of these, and I can confirm that it’s an absolute delight.

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This Alfetta was recently awakened from a 23 year slumber, and has had a lot of work put into it. The fuel system, brakes (coincidentally also four-wheel discs inboard of a DeDion tube), clutch hydraulics, ignition, and more have all been gone through, and the seller says it runs and drives well. It does start hard, which seems to be a nagging problem with the Spica fuel injection system. US-market Alfettas were all fuel-injected for emissions reasons, and I’ve heard it’s a finicky system to set up and adjust.

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You can tell this is a driver’s car; see the one gauge in its own pod directly in front of the driver? That’s the tachometer. The speedometer and other “lesser” gauges and warning lights are all in the larger pod in the center of the dash. Surprisingly, the dash itself appears crack-free, a minor miracle for California. It must have spent its Rip Van Winkle years indoors. The upholstery looks nice and clean as well. The seller does note some rust in the right front fender, but it wouldn’t be an Alfa Romeo without some rust somewhere.

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I love the fact that it’s blue. Red Italian cars, especially Alfas and Ferraris, are so common that seeing one in a different color is a breath of fresh air. And if I don’t mention the lack of amber turn signals in the rear, signifying that this is a US-spec car, Jason will probably dock my pay.

So that’s what we’ve got: two affordable, good-looking, fun-to-drive classics that are just about ready to go, but need a little tinkering. Personally, I know my answer – both – and just this once I’m going to include that as a poll option, just in case you’re as enamored with these as I am. (And if you want a “Neither” option, I’m sure there’s a nice Prius review somewhere you can read.) What’ll it be?

(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)

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67 thoughts on “Rare, Running, But Not Quite Ready: 1966 Rover P6 2000 vs 1975 Alfa Romeo Alfetta

  1. I’d take both. I feel like the interiors make up for the mechanical quirks, and both have what appear to be solid bodies. I can see having a nice drive in either, really, and neither sticks out to me.

  2. Loved the GTV6 the second I first laid eyes on one new in the showroom in 1984 or 85. I’ll take this 4 cylinder version in a heartbeat. Lucky for my marriage it’s on the other coast.

    The Rover is nice, but doesn’t interest me at all.

  3. These cars are like a Porsche 912, the small engine in the sexy package. You really want the Alfa GTV6 and the Rover 3500. Both of these cars are quirky cool, finicky, and rare. They will be just as expensive and troublesome as their big sisters but cost a lot less to acquire and look just as good. You will have to answer the ‘Why didn’t you get the big engine’ question a lot, which gets annoying. Hmmmm. I’ll take both.

    1. I feel your pain: when I bought my ’67 Sunbeam Alpine in 1981 all I got was, “Why didn’t you get a Tiger?”

      When I bought a brand-new Kaw GPz 550 that same year, I got, “Why didn’t you get the 1100?”

      I guess some people just need to know.

        1. I bought the ’81, dual shock. It was a great little machine ‘specially when it came on the cam @ 7,000 RPM.

          I wound up safety wiring it, and raced it box stock with AAMRR.

          I took trophies at every emergency room in the northeast!

  4. Talk about possessed! Both of these cars are burdened by evil sprits in the electrical and fuel systems. Like dating someone who’s very attractive but super high-maintenance.

  5. Not difficult. As classics go, in my corner of this side of the pond, there are still quite a few of the Rovers milling about. Something about the car’s proportions doesn’t look right to me anyway.

    The Alfa looks exotic. It would turn more heads, I feel. To me, it’s more interesting in every way.

  6. The Alfa will be a PITA, but at least you’ll probably want to fix it up every time. The Rover isn’t interesting enough to keep me coming back the 10th time something on it needs fixing

    1. The Alfa is your Saturday night steed. She dares you – are you brave enough? Are you good enough? If you don’t treat her right she’ll sulk. She’s Italian and it will be an intense relationship full of love and hate, but exciting and memorable. Of course it will all end in tears! Are you really so young and naive that surprises you?

      The Rover is your Sunday carriage horse. So comfy. Let’s motor slowly and stop for tea at that place you like, eh, mum?

  7. It’s gotta be one or the other. Imagine trying to keep both an old Alfa and an old rover running all at once. All of your free time not spent stranded on the roadside would be spent replacing (or scouring the internet for) parts.

  8. I was all ready to say Alfa, then I actually looked at the Rover and it’s nice. Had to go both today, but if that was not an option I think I would have gone Rover in the end just because it’s more unique, even if it does appear to be slightly more worn out.

  9. Alfa, please!

    The Rover has an impressive set of documentation and – if I were after that particular model – I would be on that like a crow on a bicycle in Poland.

    However, even with that fantastic interior the car as a whole doesn’t really do anything for me. The Alfa OTOH has a much better look, and its own excellent interior, and would almost certainly be a better driving experience with the twin-cam engine.

    Pushing me further in the Alfa’s direction are the Cromodoras. They seem to be polarizing but I think they work well here.

    I was tempted to vote ‘both’ simply because they seem to be pretty well sorted examples for very good prices, but history indicates that if I bought two projects at the same time I would probably lose focus.

  10. As much as I hate blue cars, both of these are lovely. I think I’m more a leather kind of a fellow, though (uh, wait… I should rephrase that, but I don’t know how…) Rover it is.

  11. Definitely need both, please.

    A friend had an Alfetta that I drove numerous times. The SPICA f.i. made for hard starting, even after it was adjusted. But boyoboy, it made up for all that fuss as soon as the temps came up and it was on the road. These are much nicer than the Busso-powered Alfettas, I think. Maybe a little slower, but nicely balanced and sweet as a plum.

    All the Rover needs (after the brake work and some attention to the driver’s seat) is a second carb. SUs are my friends.

    It’s only fair that after so many of these Showdowns featured cars one would have to get up the courage to own, here are two that scream “Buy me, sucker!”

    Bravo.

  12. As I’ve mentioned (probably too many times) previously I still have PTSD for all things British after briefly owning/driving a ’77 MGB. I’ve gotten over most of it, I can finally wear Reeboks and watch Monty Python again, but I still can’t bring myself to purchase (or even vote for) a British vehicle. It’s still strong enough that I will willingly vote for the one brand known the world over for unreliability…but I’m told they’re great fun between breakdowns. Besides, I’m an absolute sucker for 80s angular styling and that 70s Alfa has it.

  13. The guys on top gear say to be a true gear head you have to own at least one Alpha, so I went with that one. But I am with you, I would be happy with either

  14. Given I’m on my second project car that’s been abandoned for 20 years just this year, I’m clearly not right in the head… I’ll take the alfa

  15. I’m English, and an engineer. I’m not going anywhere near any Rover, ever. I know too much.

    I’ll take the Alfa. Look at how pretty that cam cover is! Those were the days. I’m a sucker for any wedge-shaped car too.

    Sure it’ll let me down, and probably dissolve, but look at how much fun waiting for the inevitable disappointment is going to be. The Rover is a bit too sensible, and also English.

    1. You don’t need to own one, just borrow one. It’ll let you down, that’s the one thing you can rely on.

      My brother’s 146 would start second time, every time. Maddening.

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