[3] The first product of the BL-Honda alliance was the Triumph Acclaim – and shortly after its launch the two companies mapped out an advisable strategy for future collaborative projects.

BL had to start planning for a successor to the Rover SD1,[4] whilst Honda was keen to expand its presence in the lucrative North American market – something which it couldn't fully do unless it had a full-size luxury saloon (at that time the Honda Accord was its biggest model) which would compete with similar large Japanese imports from Toyota and Datsun.

Honda and Austin Rover agreed that Legends would also be built in the Cowley plant for the British market.

[6] At launch, the 2 litre versions of the 800 used two naturally aspirated 2.0 L 16-valve developments of British Leyland's stalwart O-series engine, dubbed the M series.

In some European markets, in particular Italy, the 2.0-litre petrol was badged as Sterling and later available (in turbo form) as Vitesse to avoid punitive duties that made engines over 2.0 litres non-viable for volume sales.

[8] Utilising such enhancements as sodium-filled exhaust valves and Mahle forged pistons the car produced 180 bhp (134 kW), although there is much speculation about this figure being severely held back by the electronics as not to step on the toes of the 177 bhp (132 kW) V6-engined models as well as to preserve the reliability of the gearbox.

Many mechanical parts for the Sterling 825/827 are still readily available as it was similar to the Acura Legend in these areas, save for braking systems.

The redesign was a partial answer to major press and market criticism of the "folded paper" school of design and the quest for better aerodynamics that had led to many cars appearing very similar, especially from the front.

Although the Granada's successor, the Scorpio, failed to sell well, mainly due to its controversial exterior design, the 800 was faced with stiff competition from 1994 in the shape of the Vauxhall Omega, as well as premium brand competitors including the BMW 5 series.

At the time there had been much press speculation that the coupé would be influenced by the MG EX-E concept car that had been shown the year before the 800's launch, but what eventually appeared was a much more conservative design.

A facelift in 1996 provided few exterior changes, the most noticeable being the painting of previously black rubbing strips on all models except the coupé and the revision of the suspension system.

Security technology was upgraded with a change from infra red to radio frequency for the remote door key.

Wood finishes were expanded, with a coachwork line and "ROVER" on the door cards, accentuating the new, pleated seat finishes and deep pile rugs along with pleated leather door cards, much of which was handmade with what Rover called in its advertising "the craftsman's touch".

The Rover 820 Vitesse in most guises suffered from problems with gearbox bearings because of the large amount of power from the 2-litre turbo engine.

Unlike many other manufacturers who used numerical model naming systems, Rover never settled on a permanent standard for the majority of their cars.

However, for the following designations are an approximate guide: Following the 1992 R17 facelift, the convention was simplified to: The 800 was a keystone of the British government's car fleet throughout its life, following a tradition of using British-made Rover and Jaguar models.

[12] On 6 June 1988, rally driver Tony Pond became the first person to complete a lap of the TT motorcycle course at an average speed of over 100 mph (160 km/h) in a car – a Rover 827 Vitesse, standard apart from safety features and racing tyres.