was claimed along with improved torque. When introduced in 1967 the Buick-designed V8 produced at 5,200 rpm and of torque at 2,600 rpm. The greater power of the engine, along with its lower weight, provided improved performance as well as fuel economy. The exterior was mostly unchanged, apart from bold "3.5 Litre" badging, a pair of fog lights which were added below the headlights, creating a striking four-light array, and the fitting of chrome Rostyle wheels with black painted inserts. The P5B existed as both the 4-door coupé and saloon body style until end of production. Production ended in 1973, by when 9,099 coupés and 11,501 saloons had been built. The 3½ Litre saloon variant was a favourite of high-ranking government ministers, and served as Prime Ministerial transport for Harold Wilson, Edward Heath, James Callaghan, and Margaret Thatcher. As testament to their suitability, the last batch of P5Bs to roll off the Rover line in June 1973 was purchased by the British government and placed in storage, to be released for government use as required. For that reason, registered relatively new-looking P5s were therefore still familiar sights in Westminster for more than a decade after production had ended. When Margaret Thatcher entered Downing Street in 1979 after her election victory, she was driven in a 1972 model. It was during Thatcher's eleven-year tenure that the P5 was eventually phased out as a Prime-Ministerial car, in favour of the Jaguar XJ. Queen Elizabeth II also owned an Arden Green Rover P5B Saloon "JGY 280", which is on display at the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, Warwickshire and was seen in the 18 May 2003 episode of BBC motoring show Top Gear. Motorsport The Rover P5 is sturdy enough to be a popular choice for banger racing. A Rover P5 3-litre was the seventh of the "Magnificent Seven" finishers in the 1963 Safari Rally. One humorous theory is that the car was so heavy that it sank through the mud until it found bedrock. Royal P5 and P5Bs In some respects it is difficult to establish exactly how many Rover P5s Queen Elizabeth II had because she had arranged to carry forward her personal number plates JGY 280 on most of her private cars, with the exception of her last P5B which was JGY 280K. In February 1961 the Queen took delivery of her first Rover P5 3 litre Mk 1 which was