Good write up on the Group 2 cars

One of the better articles written, but still not entirely accurate.

Both JXC806D and 808D were P6B development cars, and never 2000's.
 
It's a lack of knowledge, but also some urban myths. JXC808D was turned into the racer, but 806 was a little more complex. It was too rotten, so turned up as a rotten shed, along with a brand new P6B base unit.. so technically, 806 was always a ringer.
 
806D still exists, still owned by Rob Harrison. We just did an article on his history with the car in the last RCCC Roverview newsletter. He is slowly restoring it, though to what stage of its existence isn’t quite clear.

The mistake about the cars being 2000-based seems to have started with a single interview/article from the 80s, author and date slips my mind right now.

Yours
Vern
 
The inner guards on a 2000 are very different to the inner guards on a V8, agreed ? you can tell them apart quite easily.
Here is a pic of 808Ds engine bay
1700071921594.png

Comments ..............
 
Did the pre production V8 cars use a 2000 shell before it was further refined into the V8 specification ?
 
I followed Gr2 racing at the time, and I fear that Rover were taking on too much. Ford and BMW had works teams, and would have been far ahead of Rover. The only appearance of rover at race meetings I can remember was to demonstrate the Dunlop Denovo riunflat tyre
 
Unfortunately Shannons has a few journo's that never let the facts get in the way of a good story - Mark Oastler used to be the editor of a pretty good car magazine here in Australia (Street Machine), and they used to repeat some of the same inaccuracies etc.

Apparently 806D is for sale now here in Australia. Popped up on facebook.
 
The V8 development cars used standard 2000 base units, that were then modified in various ways as development progressed.

Some had standard 2000 inner wings, some had a single cut-out, some both.

As for 806; I've spoken with Rob in the past. There isn't much of the original 806 left, but then there wasn't much of it left when it was built into a race car in the UK either.
 
I saw this Racing at Calder Raceway in '72. It went very well for a bit ,then something underneath died. Bit disappointing as I had just taken delivery of my brand new P6b and was highly excited to see one on the track.
 
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