Heidi’s granddad had a Rover P6 from new and she said that she would like one by the time she was 50. We saw the car advertised on eBay but we had the Cortina 1600E and the Austin 1100 Vanden Plas to sell first. Heidi sold the Austin, but the Rover wasn’t sold.

The Rover came up for a second time but we still hadn’t sold the Cortina, and when it came up for the third time, Heidi told me to buy it even though we still had the Cortina - who would argue with her? We bought it, sight unseen, then drove to North Torrington in Devon to collect it. Heidi loved her car and let me drive it occasionally, if I’d been good!

The car had the Rover V8 3.5litre, with a 390 Holley carburettor fitted with a bug-catcher scoop. It also had spiders and webs in the paintwork. It was designed by Spen King, Gordon Bashford and David Bache.

LIFE ON MARS

This 1971 Rover P6 SDX 119J was used in Life on Mars, Series 2 Episode 4 'Suburban Swingers'.

John Simm (Sam Tyler) and Liz White (Annie Cartwright) are seen driving up to a party posing as Tony and Cherie Blair.