The Rover 800 was the first car to be fully developed between Rover and Honda, with the equivalent Honda Legend appearing just before the Rover in July 1986. This is the first Rover 800 from the Cowley production line.

The 820 used Rover's four-cylinder, two-litre engine and the 825 used the Honda V6.Top of the range was the 825 Sterling, while the name Sterling was also used for cars sold to the USA. The original four-door saloon was followed by a five-door hatchback model in 1988. Later, six-cylinder models featured a 2.7 litre engine and a diesel version became available.

The original 800 remained in production until 1992 when it was replaced by a substantially redesigned range, now also including a coupé model.