BL R-series engine fitted to the Maestro with the carburettor facing the front of the car, which also led to a reputation for carburettor icing in cold weather. The endemic problem of crankshaft failure was later attributed to flexing of the crankcase – because the E series relied upon the heavy sump/transmission unit to give additional strength to the cylinder block casting, this caused problems when a plain sump was bolted in its place. The R series was superseded in 1984 by the S series. BL R-series engine The R series is a line of petrol engines introduced by British Leyland in 1983
David Bache that was launched in 1970, although the basic lines had already been defined by Spen King and Gordon Bashford. David Bache smoothed the prototype's functional lines and must share in the credit for the car's award-winning design. Bache's final Rover was the 1976 SD1 - the replacement for his P6. It was notable for its ground-breaking five-door hatchback design on a large executive car and its bold interior, winning the 1977 European Car of the Year award. Its success was hampered by BL's notorious production and reliability problems. As chief stylist at BL, Bache was also involved in the design