Sterling was a brand name of automobile marketed in the USA by the Rover company of the UK. It existed from 1987 to 1992, during which Rover was in collaboration with Honda of Japan.
Model
The only Sterling model that was sold was the 800 series, which was a rebadged Rover 800-series but with different specifications developed exclusively for the American market. At first, the saloon body-styled 825 (trims S or SL) saloon was being sold. In 1988, the hatchback replaced the saloon and was called the 827 (trims SL or SLi). The model was unpopular due to its alleged poor build quality (compared to other US cars) and was discontinued in 1991, although it remained popular in Europe, and was kept in production until 1998, when it was replaced by the Rover 75. US sales hit a high of nearly 15,000 cars in 1988 but fell to less than 2,000 for 1991. Still seen on the U.S roads, these vehicles (unlike most "orphan" vehicles) remain maintainable as they are mechanically almost identical to the Acura Legend.
