Rover 800 Interior drawings & prototypes

Some radical ideas were tried before settling for the pleasingly ambient interior of the Rover 800

Saloon interior sketches

Coupe interior sketches

January 1984, and thoughts have turned to the Coupe version of the Rover 800. This drawing by Stephen
Harper has annotations explaining all the features, in English and Chinese.

The unanotated version – check out the sculpted rear seats and steering wheel design.

A more traditional theme with production dashboard. Note the two-spoke steering wheel sporting a
design later used in the Maestro

The advanced idea

The interior was initially designed to be as advanced as the DEV1 exterior scheme. Note the digital
instrumentation and single spoke steering wheel.

Engineering drawings

The intricate dashboard/door card interface examined in detail.

Final full-scale mock-up

Mock-up dashboard is in near production form – notice the Montego-style instrument graphics and
differing wheel boss badge. This is some way from the original designs from 1981/1982.

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Keith Adams

Editor and creator AROnline at AROnline

Created www.austin-rover.co.uk in 2001 and built it up to become the world's foremost reference source for all things BMC, Leyland and Rover Group, before renaming it AROnline in 2007.

Is the Editor of the Parkers website and price guide, formerly editor of Classic Car Weekly, and launch editor/creator of Modern Classics magazine. Has contributed to various motoring titles including Octane, Practical Classics, Evo, Honest John, CAR magazine, Autocar, Pistonheads, Diesel Car, Practical Performance Car, Performance French Car, Car Mechanics, Jaguar World Monthly, MG Enthusiast, Modern MINI, Practical Classics, Fifth Gear Website, Radio 4, and the the Motoring Independent...

Likes 'conditionally challenged' motors and taking them on unfeasible adventures all across Europe.