20 OCT 98 ROVER GROUP PRESS RELEASE

The New Rover 75 - One Of Britain's Fine Cars

The British International Motor Show sees the world debut of one of the most important new cars to be launched in Britain for many years - the new Rover 75. It is an all-new, luxurious British saloon car engineered with style and substance, a car of character and individuality.

THE NEW ROVER 75

Rover 75 represents a significant moment in the history of the Rover brand. It is the first Rover to be designed wholly 'in-house' for over two decades and the first to emerge as a result of BMW's ownership of Rover Group. It has been designed to be a step beyond pure functional excellence, exhibiting superb engineering and build quality, the result of a £700 million investment that includes a brand new factory in Oxford.

Rover has combined the creative spirit of its own new design and development teams at Gaydon, in the heart of England, with the unmatched technological resource of the BMW Group to produce a quintessentially British, forward looking, luxury saloon. The design has been created to achieve timeless appeal while the extremely rigid body ensures that it is a joy to drive.

Nick Stephenson, Rover Group director of design and engineering said,

"This is the car we had to make- For us, life will never be the same again. We hope that the Rover 75 will change how people see us - and re-establish Rover's reputation for pure motoring pleasure."

The Rover 75 combines modem aesthetics and technology within classic proportions. The car's elegance recalls Rovers of the past; it is a true thoroughbred with detailing that is an evolutionary interpretation of a heritage that lies at the heart of the British motor industry. In Rover 75, Rover's instinctive understanding of the spirit of motoring pleasure has reached its ultimate expression.

The motto 'One of Britain's Fine Cars' was used by the Rover Company from the 1930's to the 1950's - it is equally appropriate for Rover 75 today.

Careful design detailing and elegant styling, both inside and out, are hallmarks of this great British brand. Examples on Rover 75 include the use of chrome on the aerodynamic door mirrors, bumper and bodyside inserts and the sill finisher, along with the rear number plate surround that is actually a spoiler - a component with a real aerodynamic purpose. Inside, materials such as chrome, soft leather and real wood are used as an integral part of the design.