YouTuber Takes a Ride in Very Rare 1986 Rover SD1 Police Car

Matt Richardson, the face behind the furiousdriving YouTube channel, was given the opportunity to experience what it was like back in the middle of the 1980s to be the commanding presence on the road.

And commanding he was, with the 1986 Rover SD1 3500 SE and its large V8 that sent power to the wheels through a five-speed manual transmission. The unit in question belongs to the Series II and was produced in Cowley – the last year for the big executive model. The Police actually knew the car was being retired so they stockpiled many examples of the final model year as they feared their next cruisers would not be able to keep up with the gangsters and thieves of exotic car.

This particular example remained in active duty with the Lancashire Constabulary for three years, and during that period it acquired around 110k miles (177,000+ km) before being sold to a civilian owner. The 2,100 pounds car stayed in Police configuration ever since – which is what ultimately enabled this rare encounter.

And when we say Police equipment, we mean the full spec: light bar at the front, “jam-sandwich” stickers on the sides, blue flashing light on top, as well as a particular trunk sign with flashing STOP light on the right because this was used as a traffic car.

Otherwise, it was a standard Series II SD1 3500 SE – meaning it had plastic bumpers, an under-bumper spoiler, some chrome trim around the headlights and a back window that covered the entire space provided by the tailgate for better rear views.

The favorite item of the Police forces was the powerful Rover V8 engine, the element that made the SD1 one of the fastest cars on the road back in the day – this was among the last carbureted models, but because it was a late model year it also came with a few electronic aids.

Matt explains there were many (unconfirmed) stories about Police modifications of the V8, but so far, the only obvious change that has remained is the air hose assembly that powered the ubiquitous Police horns. Inside there were no luxury amenities from taxpayer money – the brown velour seats were joined by manual windows and side mirrors, brown plastics, and a beige headliner.

One interesting observation the YouTuber made was about the Police cockpit accessories – the radio, the Police calibrated second speedometer, or the clock and stopwatch are all still there. Of course, none can be used during actual driving – and every Police sign on the exterior must be covered, while the blue light is entirely removed.

The hassle is well worth it, notes Matt, as the SD1 feels wider than some modern cars when driving, and the whole car seems enormous especially with the V8 packing enough force to make the driver quickly lose track of the actual speed... especially since at one point the British reliability made its way during the shoot (at around the 15-minute mark) and caused a mid-driving speedometer breakdown!