Mathewsons December 2026 sale
Lot 342: 1972 Rover P5B Coupé (catalogued as Rover 3500) at the Mathewsons December 2026 auction
By Jon Cosson · Last checked
Part of our Bangers & Cash guide.
Listing checked
What the listing says
Mathewsons' listing, based on information from the vendor, describes a Rover P5B Coupé, catalogued as a Rover 3500, restored in 1996 with an upgraded 4.6 litre Rover V8, a Webasto roof, a history file and MOT certificates from 1975 to 2003.
What to check on any Rover P5B Coupé
- Check the chassis plate and the V5C. The V5C should describe the car as a 3.5 litre with a cylinder capacity of about 3,528cc, unless an engine change has been notified. A V5C showing about 2,995cc on a car with a V8 suggests a 3 litre that has been converted.
- No reliable published key to P5B chassis number prefixes was found for this guide. The Rover P5 club or a marque specialist should be asked to confirm that the chassis number belongs to a 3.5 Litre coupé.
- Look for signs of a converted 3 litre: traces of a clutch pedal or manual linkage, an electric fuel pump fitted where the P5B used a mechanical one, Mark III badging, and wiring or mountings that do not suit a V8. Note that some genuine P5Bs have been converted to electric pumps.
- The Rover V8 was built in 3.5, 3.9, 4.0, 4.2 and 4.6 litre forms, the 4.6 being a fuel-injected engine used in the P38 Range Rover. A 4.6 in a P5B is therefore a much later engine, and a swap may bring different induction, ignition and engine management from the original carburettor set-up.
- Ask who did the swap, what gearbox and cooling changes were made, and whether the original 3.5 engine is retained. One owner's account in Practical Classics describes a modified P5B coupé with a replacement gearbox for more relaxed cruising, uprated cylinder heads and a different carburettor and manifold, and stresses specialist help and quality parts. Expect to find similar combinations of changes rather than an engine swap alone.
- On any V8, check that the coolant contains at least half antifreeze to protect the alloy waterways, that tappet noise fades as the engine warms, and that there is no sign of overheating. A missing thermostat can hide a cooling problem.
Full Rover P5B Coupé buyer's guide
Rover P5 3 Litre and P5B 3.5 Litre (1958 to 1973) buyer's guide
Checks for this car
- Check the sills, wheel arches and the Webasto roof.
- Confirm that the engine change is recorded on the V5C.
- Ask for the restoration photographs.
Questions to ask before you bid
- Can I see the V5C, and do the chassis and engine numbers match it?
- What history file, invoices and MOT records come with it?
- When was it last used on the road?
- Is the 4.6 litre engine recorded on the V5C?
- Are there photographs of the 1996 restoration?
Viewing and bidding
Viewing at the Pickering saleroom runs Wednesday 25 November to Tuesday 1 December 2026: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 12 noon, closed Sunday. Entry is £5 per person, which includes admission on the day and a donation to one of Mathewsons' chosen charities. The sale is Wednesday 2 to Friday 4 December 2026, held behind closed doors, with bidding online, by telephone or by commission.
Every lot is sold as seen. Read Mathewsons' terms (opens in a new tab) before you register.
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