Future Classic Friday: Rover 45

Here’s one for the pub quiz – what was the first new car to go on sale in the UK in the 21^st century? The answer is the Rover 45, which arrived in showrooms during the first week of January 2000. Its sister car, the 25, was the last car to be launched in the 20^th century, with an on sale date of December 1999, following their joint reveal at the London Motor Show the previous October.

So, next time anyone tries to tell you the Rover 45 isn’t a classic, point this nugget out to them…

Today, less than a quarter of the 45s built remain (though this is actually quite a good survival rate…), and while the car was never an out-and-out winner when new, it’s one that has aged gracefully and proven itself to be more resilient than many expected, even if it does languish – currently, at least – right in the penniless pit of bangerdom.

Based on the 1995 Rover 400, itself a repackaged Honda Civic, the model had more Honda content than previous cars from the collaboration between the two companies, even though BMW had taken over the reins at Longbridge before it even went on sale.

It’s rumoured, as a result, that Honda was deliberately obstructive to Rover’s development plans for the 400. While a Civic Aerodeck estate appeared, for example, there was never a replacement for the old-shape Rover 400 Tourer, while the four-door model needed extensive additional engineering from Rover’s own body development team before it went on sale, meaning the 400 was introduced as an incomplete line-up from the start. Honda also charged Rover full retail price for the D16 engine and automatic gearbox fitted to self-shifting 400s, making the company’s heartland of elderly motorists trickier to sell into.

By the time the 45 arrived, though, Rover had moved on. It was stuck for now at least, with the Honda architecture, but it had developed its own range of CVT transmissions in conjunction with German gearbox specialist ZF, along with new derivatives of the K-series engine such as the small capacity 2.0-litre KV6, used to great acclaim in the Rover 75.

It should be remembered, too, that the Rover 45’s five-year production run was twice as long as it should have been. The car was essentially a stop gap, to modernise the range and keep retail and fleet sales stable while a smaller car was derived from the much-lauded Rover 75 platform, but when BMW withdrew itself from Rover Group shortly after the 45’s launch, the development funds weren’t there to take it any further. The 45, then, was out-of-date when launched and antiquated by the time MG Rover finally fell on its sword in 2005.

Such a background doesn’t instantly scream ‘classic’. Indeed, in many respects the Rover 45 is the Austin Allegro of the 21^st century – a car that’s so indicative of the problems faced by the British motor industry at the time of its launch that its flaws are laughable.

Compare a Rover 45 to a contemporary Volkswagen Golf or Ford Focus, for example, and the interior is almost comedic. The switchgear is a combination of flimsy 1980s carryover (see: column stalks) and uninspiring Japanese hatchback (see: awful window controls, heated rear window button), with a smattering of real, fake and ultimately formica wood, depending on how close it was to the car’s bitter end. Compared to its rivals, with their integrated design and soft-touch plastics, it wasn’t an inspiring place to be.

But, here’s the rub. Put a 2001 Rover 45 next to a 2001 Ford Focus or 2001 Volkswagen Golf and see which one of the three has the least rust, the best MoT pass rate and, ultimately, looks fit to survive another year despite whatever the British roads throw at it. Yes, the Rover 45 is an unbelievably hardy beast. Seriously. Have you ever seen a rusty one?

But what about the head gaskets, you may cry? Well, they go. It’s a common failure, or was when the cars were new. Today, most have been replaced with uprated items and those that haven’t gone probably won’t – the well-documented ‘HGF’ issue with the K-series engine was no worse than many other faults found in cars of the same era, and costs a lot less to put right than a broken clutch and dual mass flywheel on a diesel family saloon. But try telling that to the motoring press…

Early ones are very pleasant cars indeed, with seats carried over from the 75 saloon, and an exceptional ride quality that beats that of many a bigger car – ask NASA, which gave the 400/45 the best comfort rating of any car in the world during independent testing. There are intriguing high points, too, such as the 45 V6, a master feat of packing that was a wonderful curiosity, or the 113PS diesel model, which had faster in-gear acceleration than a BMW 325d. They drive tidily, too, as proven by the fact that the 45 became the MG ZS, the most unlikely but surprisingly well loved performance car of the 2000s.

Add in the fact that, because it looked ancient when it first came out, the 45 has actually aged far more gracefully than many of its contemporaries and you have a car that conceals many secrets, facets of its character and engineering that were buried beneath dire mismanagement and decades of soothsaying media coverage.

The 45 was ultimately a failure, and part of the contribution to MG Rover’s overall collapse. But was it a bad car? Given the fact its pro-rata survival rate is so much better than the equivalent Vauxhall Astra, Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf, probably not. It was a pretty good car, launched a decade behind its time…

• Read our Rover 45 review and buyer's guide
• How many Rover 45s survived? Find out
• Find a Rover 45 for sale