1998 Rover 200

The Rover 200 was originally a four-door saloon, based on the Honda Ballade, but in its second (R8) generation form it was available in three- or five-door hatchback forms, as well a coupé and cabriolet (in relatively small numbers). The final (R3) generation was available as a three- or five-door hatchback.

The original Rover 200 (sometimes referred to by the codename SD3) was the replacement for the earlier Triumph Acclaim, and was the second product of the alliance between British Leyland (BL) and Honda. Only available as a four-door saloon, it was intended to be more upmarket than the company's Maestro model which came close to the 200 in size. Although neither of these cars were produced in the volumes that made it a serious threat to the sales success of the Ford Escort and Vauxhall Astra, their combined sales figures were a very real threat for the market leaders — and often enough to overtake the Astra. Throughout its later life, the first generation 200 Series was the 9th best selling car in Britain with between 55-65,000 sales per year.[citation needed]