If your idea of a good time is driving an oddball classic with Japanese reliability, British luxury, and a badge that nobody knows -- you could do worse than drive a Sterling. Starting in 1987 Austin Rover Cars Of North America
imported a rebadged version of the Rover 800 series as the Sterling
825/827 for the US market. Find this 1988 Sterling 825S offered for $2,500 in Anchorage, AK via craigslist. Tip from Zach. 
Under the skin are the bones of an Acura Legend, and the Sterling used a Honda V6 engine mated to the front wheels. Power comes from a 24-valve fuel-injected 2.5 liter V6 that puts out 151 horsepower and 157 ft-lbs of torque and is mated to a 4-speed auto.
See another cheap obscure luxury sedan from the 80s? tips@dailyturismo.com
These are interesting to me for some reason. Behind each of these conglomerate projects is an experiment in marketing, logistics and corporate culture. In this case it didn't last, but there are a few examples of monuments to the attempt running around on the roads.
ReplyDeleteBTW, every time I try to find Sterlings for sale I end up getting a bunch of medium to heavy work trucks based, some of them rebadged Dodge pickups. I always thought it would be fun to put a bed on one of the light models and drive it just to confuse the Ford/Chevy/Dodge loyalists.
Couldn't agree more Andrew, to all of it, and despite knowing better, I would still love to own an 827SLi with a manual, even if only briefly (until it broke me).
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