Our third installment brings us to Sterling, imported to N.A. by Rover from 1987-1991. But our story starts in 1986. We had been snapping up Civics and Accords as fast as Honda could build them through the mid-1970’s to early 1980’s, and Honda was not content to stand still. Honda wanted to build a larger, more upscale car to showcase more of its famed engineering prowess. Honda feared that Americans would balk at the idea of an “expensive” Honda, so the Acura brand was created, and debuted in 1986 with the Acura Legend, and the sporty, Civic-based Integra.
The Legend met with success from critics and buyers alike. If there were any complaints, it was that the Acura, while handsome, was not a distinctive design. There was an answer to this problem in the form of the 1987 Sterling 825. Honda had collaborated with Rover on the development of the Legend, and Rover built their own version using the Acura’s engine and drivetrain. If the Acura’s styling faded into the crowd, the Sterling looked crisp, distinctive, and upscale. While Honda/Acura have strong reputations for building quality interiors, the Sterling was dripping with classic British charm in a modern package. Plenty of burled walnut warmed up the ambience, and famed Connolly leather hides adorned the seats in the SL models. To round out the package, Rover engineers tuned the 825 for a sportier ride than the Legend.
Based on what you read in the last paragraph, this car sounded like a formula for sales success. In 1987, the Jaguar XJ-6 was hopelessly outdated, and quality control was non-existent. Any luxury car buyer who sought British charm, but was drawn to Japanese reliability was lured by the Sterling. And in 1988, 15,000 Americans opened their checkbooks and drove home their new Sterling. The engine and tranny were as good as you would expect from any Acura. The rest? A nightmare. All the typical British gremlins were present and accounted for-electrical problems. Poor build quality. Rust. Paint problems.
Sterling steamed ahead with a larger displacement 2.7 liter V-6 and adding the four-door hatch you see pictured above in addition to the sedan. Improvements were made to address reliability and build quality, but by then, the damage had been done. In 1991, sales dwindled to a lowly 2,000 cars. Acura was ready with a new-generation Legend in 1992. Sitting at the bottom of the JD Power reliability and owner satisfaction surveys, the execs at Rover realized there was no easy way of digging themselves out of the hole they had dug for themselves. With that, Rover doused the lights on the Sterling dealer network. The legacy of the Sterling 800-series is an utterly fantastic recipe, wrecked by careless chefs.
Not only is friend of The Garage Jon Emerson the Co-Piloto for Team California’s Best, but it seems he’s also a rock star motorsports photographer! While some of the denizens of The Garage are off gallivanting in Mexico chasing La Carrera, Jon was hard at work last weekend at Laguna Seca shooting race cars. I’m happy to bring you my pit lane coverage, but Jon goes straight to the hard core trackside stuff and he is just too damn good!
While Mr Emerson pokes his head into The Garage on occasion, you are more likely to find him on The Autobahn!
Thanks for the great shots from the finale of a great ALMS season Jon. Just one question? Where are all the California Patron girls? Seeing as you still have sun and we’ve had snow here in Ontario already, we’ll be expecting much more from you over the winter months!
I really need to get a digital slr, as my manual focus skills with the FZ-8 are seriously lacking. Of a few hundred on track shots, there are only a few that I’m happy to share. Not to worry though, these few should keep everyone happy until the Girls of Lime Rock set appears!
Oh yes, the shot above is the surprise winner, the Patron Acura of David Brabham and Scott Sharp.
This weekend is the first ever Canadian Motorsports Expo, hosted by Glenn Butt who most enthusiasts know from his involvement with Mosport. With a many Canadian racing stars coming by for autograph sessions, it looked like a promising day, so I took a couple of the kids out for a walk around.
For the first year of the show, I think Glenn and friends did a great job putting together a nice gathering in a really great venue. While the show is still small, there was a bit of something for everyone. There were open wheelers, stock cars, race bikes, showroom stock sedans and even an off road race truck and buggy. The line up of racing stars is incredible, with names like Ron Fellows, Scott Maxwell, Pete Shepherd, J.R. Fitzpatrick, Shane Jantzi and even Chris Economaki. Continue reading →
I just came across this great in car footage of Ayrton Senna lapping in an NSX for the benefit of some Japanese journos. There are a couple of things that struck me as being pretty cool. Firstly, it’s nice to see that even a World Champion can get a little loose when trying to hustle an underpowered supercar. Secondly, the heel and toe action while wearing Weejuns is a great lesson in casual greatness. Don’t try this at home kids, your feet will slip of the pedals when you least expect it!
