One of the reasons why the Rover V8 engine is more commonly associated with the Range Rover is that no flagship Sterling car used it after the discontinuation of the Rover SD1 in 1986.

This was a missed opportunity for years, as the Rover 600, 800 and 75 could have all benefited from the power and potential the engine still managed to possess after decades of production and development.

By 2004, MG Rover was independent again, having been sold to the Phoenix Consortium in 2001, even if the Rover name was still owned by its previous parent company, BMW. 

At this point, sales were starting to dwindle, so MG Rover decided to focus on producing two high-performance V8 models in the form of the Rover 75 V8 and the MG ZT V8.

However, despite still producing the Rover V8 engine for the top-of-the-range Land Rover Discovery, the innovative flagship model that was to be a symbol of MG Rover’s capacity to audaciously defy budgetary problems in the pursuit of innovation, they opted to buy old Ford Mustang engines instead.

Part of the reason is that they wanted to continue using the Rover KV6 engines, but BMW did not initially sell Powertrain Limited to MG Rover. By the time that deal was finalised, MG Rover already had the 4.6-litre Ford Modular V8 engines to use.

The ZT V8 and Rover 75 V8 were generally positively reviewed, with some of their flaws generally outweighed by the character of the cars and the nostalgia of V8 Rovers returning to British roads.

Tragically, they were the right cars at the wrong time. MG Rover was in serious debt and had never made a profit from the moment the Phoenix Consortium bought it.

Ultimately, MG Rover went into administration the next year, and the Rover badge has not been seen on a new car since.