> > On Holiday in Dorset this week, I noticed a typical car driving
> > down the street, it looked like a regular Honda Import. with the
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> The Rover 416 was a British manufactured Honda Accord in disguise,
> surely you had these in the UK?
Not right at all Graham - least not for the UK. We've had various
Rover-Hondas
1980ish - Triumph Acclaim - CKD kit Civic Saloon, with Triumph badges and BL
trim. Honda liked the interior trim so much they exported some back to
Japan!
1983ish - Rover 200, aka Honda Ballade 4dr saloon. Honda Civic 1.3 or Rover
1.6 engines.
1987ish - Rover 800/Honda Legend 4dr saloon/5dr hatch. Rovers built in UK,
Hondas in Japan. IIRC Oz/NZ Rover 800s were built by Honda in Japan.
Relaunched in 1992 as new 800 with chrome grille and IIRC Honda lauched its
own new(er) Legend.
Then the start of Rover's finest hours, and the 'British BMWs'...
1989 - Rover 200/400 series, aka Honda Concerto, all built by Rover in UK -
200 was 5dr hatch, 400 was 4dr saloon (IIRC this was called something like
the Honda Domino in Japan). Various engines, 1.4 K-series, Honda 1.6, Rover
2.0, diesels, etc. Rover designed 400 Tourer (estate) and 200 Coupe (inc
the mad 'Tomcat' turbos) not sold as Hondas. Rovers had Rover
suspension/steering, Hondas had Honda double-wishbone setup. Concerto also
used Honda 1.5 instead of the more powerful 1.4 Rover K-series... Rover 200
was even exported to Japan and Rover held the top 2 places of best selling
imported cars - No. 1 being the Mini of course, Rover 200 in second place.
Talk about taking 'coals to Newcastle' (UK that is!!)
1993/4 - Rover 600, aka Honda Accord again all built by Rover in UK. Again
used Honda 1.8/2.0 engines. All 4dr saloons.
1995/6 - Rover 400 aka Honda Civic. Rovers built by Rover at Cowley, Hondas
built at Swindon. Rovers used K-series 1.4, 1.6 and Hondas 1.5 Rover-only
designed 4dr saloon, and Honda-only designed estate. All used Honda
double-wishbone suspension.
1996 - Rover 200. Claimed to be all Rovers own work, but was infact the
front half of the old 200/Concerto mated to the back of a Maestro (which was
copied from a 1979 VW Passat!!).
1999ish Rover 200 becomes Rover 25 and 400 becomes 45.
But as for the Inova I've never heard of it.....
Chris Jones - 06 Aug 2003 04:11 GMT
[SNIP]
> 1980ish - Triumph Acclaim - CKD kit Civic Saloon, with Triumph badges
> and BL trim. Honda liked the interior trim so much they exported
> some back to Japan!
Ahhh, the Triumph Acclaim. Lovely car, had two meself. Don't have shift n
all!