[Smithy]

We had to get a car at short notice, after my Maestro was sick. At the time it was the choice of a Proton, Rover 214 or a Rover 418D.

There was something not quite right with the Rover 418D, the V5 was registered correctly, so that left the choice down to the Proton, or the Rover 214.

Although the Proton has full service history, very low miles and was immaculate for the age..It just had to be the Rover 214 for me.

It was a far superior drive, much more comfortable and looked stylish. I also loved the colour too.

We ended up keeping the 214 for over 60,000 miles and it did us proud.

[T1M]

When i was only 11 years old my parents needed a new car fast so bought my uncle's H reg 416 GSi which he was about to trade in for a 600. It had already done 120k, and was intended just as a stop gap until we got something much newer. When we got the car, it turned out to be a lot better than they'd anticipated. It was reliable, comfy and as my dad soon found out, it could really move, with acceleration almost comparable to an 8valve Mk2 Golf GTi.

After being very impressed by my parents old 416 GSi, I decided I wanted one. Just out of interest i searched for "416GSi" on the internet and soon discovered they made a turbo. This was when i was about 12!

I never really thought i'd be old enough to own/insure one while there were still some on the road, but thanks to a good insurance deal and the low prices these cars go for, i realised soon after turning 18, i could.

Setting out to find a top spec, low mileage turbo, i concluded i wanted a coupe since they seemed the best specced, a lot had aircon, and they look ace. I found this one which is completely standard with a full history and has only covered 47,000 mls since new. I plan to sort out the small car park marks and scrapes, get a rear bumper re-spray, fit an original non-chrome grille, and keep it long term, and not as a daily driver. Hopefully it will go up in value .

[richymon]

i liked the shape & the speck.the size & economey.you cant find to many cars with cheap tax that you can get the family in to go on holiday in.so in 2000 i bought a g reg 214si.kept it 4 3 yrs had my use out of it & sold it on.fast forward to 3 weeks ago & my trusty sierra saffy(rip)fails the mot.they just dont want you to run an old car with character these days.so the need came to find a cheap car i like.thought back to the days of 214 & thought lets have another.cheap tax in my mind.came accross my 216 1 owner fsh 61k honda engine etc & thought that fits the bill.so here we are.

[gticraig]

Bought my 216gti tc after a motorcycle accident left me with no transport - saw it on ebay and thought it was a good looking motor - even if it has been keyed down the drivers side - very deeply i might add!!
Blinding car - now i wonder why i never thought about getting one before

gonna go for the coupe next time though!

[Smithy]

Even now when I look at a Coupe, they still look as stylish as they ever did. They just don't seem to age style wise. Or perhaps it is just me that thinks this

[214GSI]

I attended the R8 launch in Oct'89 at my local Rover dealer.

I liked what I saw and decided I would like one when their prices on the second hand market fell in to my price bracket.

But the R8 proved to be such a great car- that residuals were initially very high-great for owners but not for me

In late '92 prices for early cars had fallen sufficiently and I began my search for a 214GSI.
I realised my dream in July '93 when I found an immaculate example in Flame red over Tempest grey with 20k on the clock

[Smithy]

OOooh I bet you have some original launch material too.

[216GSi]

My Dad! He had a 213S from new, and progressed onto the 400's then 200's when he wanted a smaller runabout and I just fell in love with the 416GSi that he had. I couldn't afford one when I first passed, but also have a great love of the original 200 series, so got a lovely 213s too (the quietest car I've ever owned), and just went on from there!

[Droitwich Lloyd]

To be honest, I never seriously considered one, despite loving their good looks, untill this year, when the lure of owning a British convertible from the Austin Rover stable, proved overwhelming.
Being used to much larger engined, usually automatic cars, it took me a while to get used to it, but now I love it to bits, the R8 has character in bucket loads, they drive like little go-karts, and they look amaing, that's why I decided to get mine fixed up, instead of scrapping it, when the belt snapped last week.

[matthewsemple]

I have wanted a Rover 220 Coupe Turbo since they were launched in 1992 as I thought they looked amazing and it was a massive achievement for Rover to have developed a 4 seater coupe that was capable of 150mph but did not cost the earth.

It was not until 2005 that we bought one for my girlfriend. A great purchase.