It's full steam ahead for the Rover 75 luxury saloon car, which has gone into full production at Cowley, writes Roy Cooper.

The first 75, in Wedgwood blue and powered by a 2.5-litre engine, was driven off the assembly line by Rover chairman Prof Werner Samann.

The model - the culmination of a £700m investment by parent company BMW - will be available from mid-June.

But the very first example will go on display at the Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon, near Banbury, which houses the first and last examples of all cars produced. The 75 has already been named What Car? car of the year and appears in the next James Bond movie. Prof Samann said: "The Rover 75 has already been acclaimed as an outstanding car. It is the start of the renaissance of the Rover marque."

Rover workers' spokesman Vincent Hammersley said: "This car is a bloody humdinger and let me take the opportunity to reply to all the rumours that its launch has been delayed by quality problems. There never have been any problems with its quality. It is the flagship Rover car, built in Oxford to exceptional quality standards. I'm sure our customers will be delighted with the car when it enters showrooms in June."

The 75 will be available in 24 versions, priced from £18,275 to more than £25,000.

Story date: Saturday 01 May

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