Whatever happened to the proper 216s?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't the Ballades put together by Rover because Honda's Swindon factory wasn't finished?

My defining memory of one of these (a B-reg 216 to be precise) my Dad had when I was a youngster is that we weren't allowed to open the passenger door, because it would have fallen off, it was that rusty. It was always quite nice inside, better than the MK3 Escort it replaced, but the rust just took the mick.

Best daily ive ever owned by miles. Awsome cars, not sure how the 216 compares but I'm well happy with mine. Done nearly 15,000 miles in 6months so far, not even a hint of a problem! 350miles to 35 quid. Fast enough for a standard car, what more do you want??


J-tin ftw!

Hello. I have joined RR after reading this discussion to share my experience of owning an early base model 213.

I have owned one for about two years now and it is the car I learned to drive in and I have never been put off by the old man image.
It is great fun to drive and for its age quite fast due to its 860kg weight and 70hp, easily does a ton in comfort. It has a fantastic 5speed and controlls that give lots of feel without electric assistance.

I now use it as my daily driver and although I mostly keep my right foot well planted it easily gives very high forties in mpg, and is 100% reliable. It has never neaded any mechanical issues except a back box which was sub £100.

I will accept that they do have some weak points though.
1No grip at all
2Rolly polly suspension
3Every spare hour is spent underneath it with a tin of paint

ps. Balades came of the same line but got cheaper trim and interior.

saw one about a fortnight ago was well chuffed ive loved these ever since my grand father had one in a similar color to this when i was a little un

(sorry cant find any pics of a real one in that shade)

my mates mum also had a vittese in brg about 10 years ago, until her father swapped it with Gypsy's for a set of argo cat tracks, he still remembers that car with a lot of affection

my 14 brother is seriously want this one

I saw a mint one at Newark autojumble in the regular car park last year some time. And really mint. You wouldn't think it was more than 10 minutes old kind of mint.

"everything has potential" - yup, even these, their very dreadfulness is what makes them so appealing!

I found mine was OK when it was just me driving it, or had my girlfriend in the car. But when it was my day to drive to the pub for lunch at work (those were the days!) the thing really struggled to move at all with 4 people in it! And just as well, because the "handling" became lethal and the brakes were no good with that extra weight in...

Someone on another forum had one as was convinced Integra stuff was a direct swap into a 213. A 213 Type-R would be a car I'd love to see, I never saw him build his.

Monty - 75 BHP amy have been "not bad for those days" but I had a 2.0 Capri before it, and a 2.0 Cortina after it, both of which were faster and way more competant cars. A mate had a 2.0 Sierra which was one of the first DOHC ones and another guy I worked with had a 2.8i Special Capri. My other work mate had a Mk2 Fiesta XR2 and that was faster and handled better for sure. Other guys I worked with drove a Renner 21 Savana 4x4 V6 thing, an Audi UR Quattro (we were in awe) and a Volvo 480 Turbo. So I had by far the slowest an most ill-handling car of the lot. Even my boss with his Talbot Tagora (yes, really) could leave it standing LOL

Apparently my SWMBO had one of these briefly before she met me. Handed down by her Grandad who'd bought it from new (he was ex-Longbridge so Rover through and through).

It needed an MOT before she could use it . . . and that's where there was an issue. The way she tells it the floor was rotted through and so they scrapped it.

As this was before me, and her whole family know -all about cars, I'm not sure whether they were stitched up by a canny MOT man, or the welding quote was extortionate etc etc but if true that'd explain where they've all gone - to the scrappy in the sky!