1996 Rover 216 Cabriolet

Produced from 1992 to 1996 as part of the R8 generation 200, the two door, five seat convertible had attractive lines and excellent accommodation, with a rollover bar for added safety. The 1.6 litre, 16 valve engine gave some 120 bhp, producing a maximum speed of 118mph and a 0-62mph time of just 9.6secs, 34 mpg being apparently achievable. It had a five speed manual gearbox .

This rare 1996 Cabriolet has essentially had one owner from new; Cedric Sansom purchased the motor car from Bristol Street Rover of Poole in 1997 as an ex-demonstration car, for the sum of £12999. As with Mr. Sansom’s entire collection, the Rover was cared for and maintained well. We believe that it was taken off the road in 2013 and as there is no further documentation from that point included in the file, we presume that it has spent the last nine years in storage with the other vehicles in the collection. Today, the Rover is in very original and immaculate condition. It requires a new battery and a recommissioning service before returning to the road, but the engine has been successfully started whilst the motor car has been in our care.

The extensive history file contains the original sales invoice and first service invoices, the original handbook, warranty and service books, continuous MOT test certificates dating from 1999 to 2010 inclusive, DVLA documentation, correspondence, many other invoices, a Rover Cabriolet sales brochure, price lists, a Rover key fob, an old V5C registration certificate and its replacement.

Auction Date: 9 June 2022