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    Truly exceptional Rover 200 BRM for sale

    1 month ago

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    While the MG ZR is the famous Rover 200-shaped hot hatch, it wasn’t the first of its kind. During the '90s, before the 200 became the 25, Rover dabbled with performance variants. The first was the 200vi, taking the VVC version of the 1.8 K Series used in the Lotus Elise 111S - and then there was the car you see here: the Rover 200 BRM. Yes, it’s a real one, there are still some around, and what a brilliant bit of nostalgia it now looks. Using motorsport to make an ordinary car seem more glamorous is one of the oldest tricks in the automotive marketing book; using a historic livery, as the 200 did with its British Racing Green and orange grille surround, is usually the most important part of the overhaul. But while many were cynical about just what Rover was trying to achieve with the BRM, there were some meaningful changes incorporated, including a limited-slip diff, revised suspension and a new final drive ratio. It was to be a quicker, keener car than the already impressive 200vi. But there was an issue. A couple of issues, in fact. The BRM was initially sold as an £18,000 car, thousands more than a vi had cost and more even than cars like the Peugeot 306 GTI-6. Remember that when the Honda Civic Type R came along early in the 21st century, it was £15,995? The BRM was simply too much money, and only when it was reduced to £13,495 did the bulk of the 797 sales in Britain happen. By then, though, the media had had its say; the BRM’s reputation was cast as an overpriced marketing exercise. Rover learned its lesson: when the ZR turned up, expensive hardware like the diff was binned in favour of big spoilers and bargain pricing. It worked: the ZR was much more of a commercial success than the 200s were. But if anything, it serves to make the BRM story even more interesting, a tale of what might have been had it launched at a lower price or looked slightly different. This BRM is actually one of the pre-production examples that was reviewed by the press, featuring in Autocar and Car magazine with both its original S959 WOM reg or the R200 BRM press plate that it retains to this day. Having been thoroughly run in by Britain’s finest car journalists for the first year of its life, this BRM was bought in October 1999 by its first public owner - for £12k, with a 100 GTA taken in part exchange. He then used it for a few years, before it was garaged in 2002. Presumably very little happened then for a while, being sold to just its third owner in 2020 and receiving its first digital MOT in 2021 at 19,000 miles. Since then, it’s been used sparingly, now showing just over 21,000 miles and with every single bit looking like it’s time-travelled straight from 1998. The orange gleams, the quilting is stitch-perfect, those wheels as handsome as ever. It must be the very best example left, complete with a recent head gasket just to be sure…What happens next is hard to say with much certainty. Probably this should go to an ardent MG Rover fan, one who can appreciate its freshly recommissioned condition and pamper it appropriately. But regular use would surely be too tempting to resist; think how much fun it would be, and how many days would be made, driving a Rover 200 BRM every other week or so. While £15k is the most we’ve ever seen one at (more than that eventual new price, even), it pales against the prices asked for better-known pocket rockets. None of which would guarantee any more love and attention from passers-by than humble Rover. Engine: 1,796cc, four-cylTransmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive, limited-slip diffPower (hp): 145@6,750rpmTorque (lb ft): 128@4,000rpmMPG: 36CO2: N/AYear registered: 1999Recorded mileage: 38,000Price new: £18,000Yours for: £14,995
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