A Missed Opportunity

Rover 55 - oversized Serpent alloys are beautiful!

Rover 55 - Rear Profile, understated side vents show the sporting potential of the new 55. Hint of Audi TT shown in the execution of the rear lights.

When the 75 was being conceived, BMW thought it would be beneficial for the 600 and 800 to be replaced with a two model line-up, the Rover 55 and the Rover 75. However, due to cost, the Rover 55 project was cancelled. This was because of the fact that Rover was going to be taken down market with the replacement of the 25 and 45 being called the Rover 35. 

Rover R30

There is a lot of controversy surrounding the Rover R30, some say that the BMW 1 Series was vastly helped by the development of the R30. The proportions of the car certainly suggest this. 

The Rover 45 was only supposed to last until 2002 and the new Rover range would have consisted of Rover 35, Rover 55 and the Rover 75, with the 75 replacement due to be launched during 2004 or early 2005 in line with BMW's policy of continuous updating of the range. This replacement of the 75 would have been larger than before putting it in the heart of 5 Series, E Class and A6 territory and the 55 was supposed to fill the gap what the 75 left competing with the 3 Series, C Class and A4. Both cars were styled by Richard Woolley who then worked at Land Rover.

This car just gets me wondering what else BMW planned for Rover, because the MINI and the 75 were great cars in their own ways. Looking at the Rover 55 it reminds me of the BMW 3 Series E90 as this was a radical departure from the E46, much in the same way the Rover 55 is a radical departure from Rovers of the past but more particularly the 75. 

Rover 55 and Rover 75 

Here is the Rover 55 pictured with an early pre-production Rover 75. Both cars have presence. The 75 shows its presence due to the size of the vehicle and the subtle design features. In this picture with the Metor alloys, the 75 looks like a sporty offering, the 55 then matches this with its over sized Serpent wheels. 

Credit to Keith Adams at - http://www.aronline.co.uk/ for the inspirations and the photographs for this article.