Rover 220 Coupe Tomcat Goes For a Drive 

"Emerging classic" indeed. Hold on tight to it

S-plate 1.8 VVC owner and club member here. Really glad to hear your enthusiasm for this old girl! Despite the unique body panels, literally everything else is still available, so keeping one running is no great cost or hardship. A couple of points on your video though? 1) The best affordable brake conversion is from the MG-ZS. Straight fit and bolt compatible, though you will need wheels with a larger internal diameter than the standard 15s. 2) The FDHes might have been well-equipped, but they spent years on ships being sprayed with salt water, or in fields when they came home. They were great, but needed some serious TLC (and undersealing). 3) The gear linkage problem is horrible (finding 1st can lead you to punch your passenger in the crotch) but can be easily fixed with orange Powerflex poly bushes, which are cheap as chips and you don't have to drill/grind to fit the Fiesta mod. Cheers!

I had three - a 220 Turbo and two 218 VVCs - loved the power of the turbo, but ended up liking the VVCs far more, as the far lighter engine up front made it handle so much better. Definitely a very underrated car!

Tomcat was one of the most underrated cars of the day. True legend

I so so so wish I'd never sold mine, bought the N reg around 2007 and had the most fun driving anything, ever. Smoked everybody who wanted to have a go off the lights and loved the feel, the noise, everything. Loved the old fella to bits

I remember my boss had one brand new in same colour as yours it was an M reg , love the grunt sound of Rovers, I agree Rover was much better quality than people slammed them for, I’ve driven many cars and my Rover is still the most fun.

I had a tahiti blue L reg turbo in the late 90s .... totally reliable and very fast in its day. If I could have one again I would. I can confirm I had mine off the clock ....

That was the Rover model which prompted BMW to bid for Rover Group and eliminate the competition. We all know what happened later.

Can always remember a Prototype pre production Tomcat painted Satin/Matt black making its way just south of Chippingham at the start of 1992 - it looked great then and it looked even better later on that year at the UK unveiling at the Nec Motorshow. Rover were quite bullish with their pricing if I can remember - they regarded it it as premium product and priced it accordingly. Still a great looking car but I'd have to delete the front grille to take it back to its purest form. Rover did offer some lovely colours in that era - your looks great in the pearl blue.

Great cars, very highly underrated across all the range. “INDICATOR STALKS*” 🤣

The rover tomcat is a cracking car matt definitely a permanent keeper along with the p6's the value and rarity is only going one way with them...

My uncle had a racing green 216SLi and he kept it immaculate. It just felt so much posher than the Escorts, Astras, etc of that era. The Tomcat was an absolute looker 😍 Great video again Matt 👍

Rover Tahiti Blue is still one of my favourite all-time car colours and it really suits the shape of the Tomcat. I never knew this was meant to be an MG originally but glad it ended up with a Rover badge. The range looked good with a sporty model

IMO the R8 range had the Escort/Orion licked.

Superb video of a long forgotten car

I had a 216 coupe tomcat, with the Honda engine. Absolutely pristine. Found memory's. Never had an issue with it.

Great cars, I bought one of the first Rover 216 in October 1989 the 216 GSI, with a sports pack in white great car, then in 1991 swapped the GSI for a 220GTI again a great car with good performance, both were well used & never failed I must admit, they were great cars.

i worked in a rover dealership in mid 90s and drooled over the tomcat on the forecourt... still look great today and were i think one of the nicest cars to drive at the time compared to vauxhall and ford...

I had a 2.0 turbo N reg in Tahiti blue amazingly quick at the time it cost me 6 months off the road near Bournemouth when I got caught speeding at 116 mph. The 6 cd auto changer was under the passenger seat in mine Lovely to see one again made me smile 😃

I used to own exact one of these 220's in that beautiful blue... Still miss that car...

10:03 The retraction sound of the belt. Unmistakable part of my childhood soundtrack. Fantastic colour this blue one. Nice video!

I ALWAYS wanted one of these but couldn't afford the turbo, so got the 220 coupe. Lovely car, amazing how 200bhp back then was so amazing, how times have changed. Great video, brings back many memories!

Always wanted one of these since seeing one in the local rover showroom. Nice video!

They always looked great, especially in that blue!

Nightrider in disguise with a rear blind ,wow!!!!!!!!!!😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧 MADE IN BRITAIN STAY SAFE AND LOCKED AWAY........☕☕☕☕☕☕great content!!!!

Memories of my family going to Wales. We had a 400, uncle had a 200 and a friend had a Tomcat. If I was lucky then I was allowed to ride in the Tomcat.

I love that car. Years ago my friend had a metallic green Tomcat (not BRG but a mid-green) with the 2 litre turbo. It had such a vocal turbo too, such a charismatic car. Please don’t get rid of it! Definitely a modern classic! Great video Matt

Great video brings back great mid 90s memories this car stood out so much back then

Big fan of the R8! So glad you're representing them on RU-vid, Matt!

It's so nice to see such a beautiful classic on the road. Another great video 😁👍

Glad I saw this video in my suggestions, subscribed. The tomcat is one of my all time favourite cars. I remember my dad being on the rover acop scheme and going to pick up his new cars every couple of years, he mainly had metros and rover 400s I just remember seeing and sitting in the rover tomcat and always saying I'll get one of them one day. So far this car has eluded me. Great looking cars with excellent performance.

Love these cars! The 1.6 Honda unit was an absolute screamer of an engine!!

Had a 220 GTI hatchback about 18 years ago, loved the long third gear gearing

What an elegant car 👍

I've always had a soft spot for these, Back in 2005 when I started my apprenticeship I had to weld a back wing on one. I'll never forget the car. it was a Cadbury purple R Reg it was the owners pride and joy. but someone crashed into it and left no note Some people, This was in the same week/Month Rover went bankrupt but the gentleman who owned it wanted his car back on the road, but the insurance company wanted to write it off, so he paid for the full repair out of his own pocket.. I Hope he still has it to this day.

Love this think. Glad you kept it over the cav

Man you got a lot of interesting information out very quickly and concisely. Nice work.

I loved my brother's 216 gti in white. Just had character and I love the wedge looks. Coupe tomcat being the ultimate!

Such a beautiful car Matthew. I don’t really see many Rovers in Russia. Thou I saw a rough old r8 the other week before we went into quarantine. Please keep safe Matthew

The car looks like a 3rd generation Acura Integra coupe (the version sold in North America). Sure enough, per Wikipedia, the 200 and the Integra are related.

Totally agree on the Ebc green stuff pads. Fitted them to my 85 Saab 900 t16s. Transforms it as a motorway car. Ie I am far less nervous in lane 3 !

I had a Polynesian Blue (Turquoise) turbo from 1998-2003. Still miss it to this day. Checking MOT history, it was last on the road in 2013. M877 YEY. I sold it with just under 100k miles. No oil leaks. Meticulously changed the oil every 4000 with Mobil 1. The engine was leak free and sounded tight and sweet. Renewed the gear linkages, dead easy job, like new after, no slop. I upgraded to 2 piece big brakes too as I did track days in it. Often wondered if it's been scrapped or left in a garage under boxes.

Oh I really love this Rover 220 coupe.I was driving the same model like this, turbo and it was really fast.Great car.

Had one night fire red for 10 years untill 2014. Wow still miss my little 😈 Great video!👍🏻

Those are some amazing blinkers you have.

Lovely cars, always under appreciated. I've owned 3 including a white 416gti which I wish I'd never sold.

This coupe is imho maybe one of the best looking cars of the nineties. Very very scarce in the Netherlands. Superb video!

Good looking little car that.We had a K reg 216,went like stink although with no ps it was a bit of a tank for parking.Always felt solid and well put together. Nice drive round Burham and Aylesford there sir!

It should have been the last Triumph. A pretty (and quick as the 2.0T and 1.8 VVC) car that deserves more recognition.

I had a 216 one in white with the Honda engine in... Loved it This was Rovers rival to the Calibra 4x4 Turbo and the Escort RS Cosworth... Cosworth all day No Calibras left Rover still looks good Love the front seats

My brother had a vvc could in red, really nice fairly late model. Only ever had a few minor problems was pretty reliable. Eventually corrosion started to get the better of it unfortunately. Such a rare car now

Love them tomcats. the 2.0 best one.

A very pretty looking car and what a great name for it too!

brilliant video and car loved watching so much this car has to be one of my fave rover's ever it's the look and sporty. i would say it's iconic every thing a bout that car is a looker 👍😎 and that is a super clean car in and out

Very very nice car and I'm glad you've made a decent car of it. A guy who owns a garage nearby to me used to have one, god knows what happened to it.

R8 is really the peak Rover in term of quality, the Rover marque really deserves better.

It's been peculiar watching this review as I think that on the very day you did it I was fitting a new window in my back bedroom, ever so aware that lockdown was a moment away. I always loved these cars and I always felt that the 200/400s that replaced them were a step backwards. The T series engine was a great engine. It had bags of power low down due to its long stroke and it would also rev all the way up to the redline effortlessly. They were pretty economical too. They did have a tendency to wipe the top big end bearings quite quickly but surprisingly not suffer for it. When you consider that it had it's roots in the O series engine, which itself had it's roots in the B series engine, they really were phenomenal engines. In the end the only part that had anything in common with the B series engine was that the crankshaft was loosely similar due to the stroke being the same on the 2.0 0, M and T series engines. Great review!

Great video and an absolutely lovely looking car, especially in blue 👍

Love this car Matt,enjoyed the video thank's .

I don't really remember these cars so couldn't have been that many sold? Nice lines. Stylish and classy.

I had a 1988 Rover 825i Saloon back in the early 90’s. Awesome car, plenty of power for its day and the lightest power steering I’ve ever experienced in a car... Such a shame to lose Rover Cars, I still think the P5 is one of the best looking family cars of all time.

Four of us [two driving] went from Worcester to Jaslo in Poland in October 2010, and back. Three Poles, and one British. That was a 216, but even with all the luggage for two weeks in Poland we squeezed in. Both ways across the Continent I drove the German legs, because my Polish colleagues were certain that the German Police would be completely kind to an Englishman driving a UK registered car! On the autobahnen we carried on at a steady seventy five mph for hours! Not a missed beat, and the steering was superb. The headlights, less so. The issue with the car was that rust had already set in in a big way, surface-wise. Eventually it failed the MOT on structural rust. The original steel was perfectly fine, but the paint was not good. Great car ruined by penny-pinching. Rare as hens teeth now.

I had a 220 Turbo Coupe Tomcat M Reg, fastest car I ever drove. Autobahn 155mph, stable, brilliant.

Always liked your little Tomcat. Think it's a great looking car with character. I'm quite jealous tbh. Also we now know the main reason you bought it...the impressive teashelf and sandwich holder! 😁👍

I do wish Rover was still about. I drive an Alfa Romeo, I love it because it reflects an image that 'most' people 'don't' want to look at because it doesn't make sense to accountants.

Those shiny metal internal door handles became another Rover/Land Rover etc parts bin favourite, popping up all over the range through the 90s and 2000s. Interestingly, the facelifted 1st gen Freelanders had them with a painted finish to make them look like metallic plastic to fit with the rest of the internal trim!

Big fan of the rear camera angle - actually feels like being along for a drive.

Always wanted one of these in my early 20s, sadly the insurance was to high, ended up with a river metro GTA lol!!!!Oh well nearly 30 years later I've finally seen inside one!!!!

You obtaining this 220 is still my favourite Matt buying a car story, and that’s saying something 🤣

Absolutely love the R8 coupes. Targa top glory

Incredibly underated sport coupe, deserves to be a cult classic, problem is there are few and those remaining are turning into junk...

I always liked these it was a great looking car one of my mates had one i like the look of these more than the 1992 calibra 2.0 16 valve i had the calibra felt like a heavy car compared to my mk3 cavaliers the bonnet weighed a ton ,Nice simple dash layout in these with all buttons and controls easy to use and nicely positioned .

Loved my R8 back in the 90’s, apart from Rovers inability or unwillingness to fix a persistent clutch judder, was just a base model with electric sunroof (bizarre), personally I prefer without the grill that they added. Would have loved a tomcat.

13:50 made me laugh: "AND THESE LOVELY indicator stalks"

I bought mine for £500 years back , best car I ever owned so much fun. Sold it. Now their worth a bomb! Regrets

Nice to a review on roads that I actually know a little (I'm in the East of the County). Always fancied a Tomcat but Wife+ Twins prevented, ended up with a 214i (early base model with shot cylinder head) instead............. Still want one.

Nice to see a rover in 2020 a whole new decade for them

Unless the car has also had a mark 2 replacement front bumper, it did originally come with the chromed Rover grille. Mark 1’s had a front bumper that didn’t have a recess directly under the grille like the one shown.

The video Iv been waiting for

My dad had a Honda Concerto in JDM/ German spec. Even after 200k KM's it was a blast to drive (chauffeurring my dad when I just had my license)

Lovely car Matt. Other than in your videos, I can't remember the last time I saw one on the road! Great shame they've vanished.

Mk1 Rover 400s were a looker, beautifully designed. I am not sure but I was never a big fan of early R200s, but the later ones were decent looking.

Instead of a t-shirt, how about an embroidered tea cosy hat like the one you’re wearing, saying “My car has a matching shelf!”? 😉

I had one on these in this colour. Always loved the way they looked. Could only afford the 2.0 16v at the time. Would love to have drove the Turbo. Unfortunately mine finally died when the head gasket blew.

I have a model with Honda engine, a 216 coupe from 1996 rednightfire, perfect in all with only 72000 km. very rare car in Italy.

All the 2 litre cars in the 200 and 400 range had the bonnet bulge I think. My dad had a 420SLi in the mid 90s which had it anyway. It also had the facelift front grille and was an L-reg. I used to be allowed to borrow it when I learnt to drive, it was a lot faster than my 1.0 Metro City! :)

'... indicator stalks...' voiceover.😂

I had a 1.8 vvc tomcat in that purpley blue that changed depending where u looked at it. R29 MFJ, loved that car. went like a scalded cat! ended up with the old headgasket issue, and was quoted £1200 to do it, so she went for scrap.

The performance figures were very impressive at the time, still pretty good. Probably the best body shape in the range.

I had an N reg turbo one in green, at the time it was a very quick car.

Interior is rather nice

it's good to see classic cars like this still being kept on going instead of them being traded in for a kia, or a nissan.

Hang onto it will only go up in value rightly so !

One of my favourite cars, the only thing that stopped me getting one were the ridiculous insurance premiums of the time.

Very HubNutty video, although I don't think we saw any wiper action!

This was one of the cars I wanted to buy in the late nineties. Never got around to it. A combination of high insurance and not being able to find one at the right price. The 1.6 with no spoiler looks unfinished, the 220 looks much better.

The T-series tends to blow head gaskets at the corner where a big water channel flows. (I think it's the front right corner, but can't remember.) Very common problem, IIRC.

rovers drive smooth and beautiful classic now grease your battery terminals and wheel nuts or copper grease is best

Great video. Will you be doing a lock down Q & A ?

the 282mm off the ZR160 are a good upgrade