Austin
Herbert Austin’s company was a dominant player in the UK car industry, cemented by brilliant products such as the Seven, the Mini and the Metro. Was a major component of the British Motor Corporation and British Leyland, but was muscled out in the Rover-era by its chairman Graham Day.
Blog : Carbodies FL2 spotted in the wild
Andrew Elphick asks when is a black cab not a black cab? Outwardly resembling a regular FX4 taxi (as would be its discreet intention) however the eagle-eyed might spot the radiator grille-mounted badge: ‘CARBODIES’. This is the only indication of being a purchase tax paid private vehicle, and not a ‘hire’ car. This example (the [...]
June 17, 2013
· 
Keith Adams · 
One Comment
Essay : Overture to the Allegro
On the eve of its 40th birthday, Ian Nicholls digs into the archives to discuss the Austin Allegro from the perspectives of British Leyland’s movers and shakers at the time Britain in May 1973 was a different country to what it is now. This was a world where the most desirable consumer item was a [...]
May 4, 2013
· Keith Adams · 45 Comments
Blog : 30 years of the Maestro
Keith Adams Last month, we celebrated the 30th birthday of the Peugeot 205, and most of us ended up marvelling at how the French got it right first time; how well the baby Pug has aged, and how quickly three decades seem to have passed. March 2013 sees the Maestro cross the same landmark, and [...]
March 1, 2013
· Keith Adams · 51 Comments
Buying guide : Austin/MG Metro
Fancy a Metro? Here’s Dale Turley’s guide to what to look out for… Years produced: 1980-1990 Body style: 3 and 5 door ‘Supermini’ hatchback, 3 door hatchback ‘van’ Engine options: 998cc and 1275cc A+ Series, 1275cc A+ Series (turbocharged) Transmission options: Four-speed manual and four-speed automatic, front wheel drive Brief overview The Austin Metro is [...]
February 25, 2013
· Keith Adams · 38 Comments
News : World Cup Maxi goes under the hammer
Historics of Brooklands is offering one of the more unlikely competitors in the 1970 World Cup Rally, an Austin Maxi. The car, which goes on sale on 9 March in Surrey was one of the first 500 built and ended up taking an all-female team on a 16,000 mile epic. The Maxi was professionally-prepared for [...]
January 29, 2013
· Keith Adams · 10 Comments
From the archive : January 1983
Thirty years ago, British Leyland was on the cusp of launching its most important car in a decade – the Austin Maestro. And the company management was already beginning the important task of briefing the press… The Times, January 1983 BL’s hopes riding on Maestro in the medium car market On the road special report [...]
January 21, 2013
· Keith Adams · 40 Comments
Concepts and prototypes : Allegro Equipe
Keith Adams, photography, Stephen Harper In the lead-up to the launch of the series 3 Austin Allegro, newly-recruited Austin Apprentice Stephen Harper joined the team of young stylists tasked with raising the appeal of the Longbridge-built mid-liner. Harper had already come up with the LE limited edition, and the Equipe was a development of this [...]
January 9, 2013
· Keith Adams · 26 Comments
Blog : Making the Allegro cool
Keith Adams I’ve already blogged about the 40th birthday of the Allegro, and how they really do make great classic cars – and that 2013 will be its big year – but few people will argue with the fact that it’s challengingly styled. If you read the development story of the Allegro, you’ll see that [...]
January 5, 2013
· Keith Adams · 54 Comments
Technical : Hydragas explained
Hydragas suspension was one of the quiet achievements pioneered and refined by British Leyland – and yet, it never received the praise it deserved. KEITH ADAMS briefly explains how the system works. Pioneer that led nowhere… SINCE the introduction of the Mini in 1959, BL’s predecessor, the British Motor Corporation (BMC), had been right at [...]
December 11, 2012
· Keith Adams · 10 Comments
Tested : Kadett vs Allegro vs Lancer
We’re moving towards the 1980s, and the hottest new ticket in town is GM’s exciting new front-wheel drive Opel Kadett/Vauxhall Astra. To see how good it was, What Car? magazine pitched a saloon version against the Austin Allegro and Colt Lancer. The result was pretty clear then – but would it be the case now? [...]
November 4, 2012
· Keith Adams · 28 Comments
Auction Watch : Frazer-Tickford Metro
Keith Adams Appearing on eBay like a bolt from the blue, this little red bundle of joy looks like one of the most desirable Metro-shaped packages you’re going to find for sale this year. The Frazer-Tickford Metro is one of that whole raft of modified Metros that went on sale in the months following the [...]
October 23, 2012
· Keith Adams · 22 Comments
Tested : MG Metro Turbo vs 205GTI vs XR2
Warm hatch wonders With fewer than 50 MG Metro Turbos left on the road in the UK, it’s time to celebrate one of the most fun sporting hatchbacks the 1980s – by comparing it with the big selling Ford Fiesta XR2 and cultish Peugeot 205GTI. And as Keith Adams reckons, what was best then, might [...]
October 12, 2012
· Keith Adams · 52 Comments
Buy parts with AROnline and Rimmer Bros
KEITH ADAMS Rimmer Bros sponsored AROnline‘s Polish SD1 restoration… Buying parts for your Jaguar, Rover, Lands Rover, Triumph or MG has never been easier through AROnline… HERE at AROnline, we receive a large numbers of emails from people all over the world looking for parts for their cars MGs, Rovers, Landies and all manner of [...]
August 20, 2012
· Keith Adams · 3 Comments
Concepts : Montego ‘Lifestyle’ estate
Rover Special Products was one busy department during the early 1990s, and proof positive is this design sketch from Steve Harper. Keith Adams Jacked-up Monty As we know, Rover Special Products was a hot-house within the Rover Group, tasked with devising niche vehicles that could bring additional profit and glamour to the company’s model range [...]
July 27, 2012
· Keith Adams · 26 Comments
News : Yema F12 takes Maestro platform further…
Yema, the current owner of the long-lived Maestro/Montego platform and tooling in China, has released its third SUV model, the F12. It’s a facelift of a facelift of a facelift, and features body styling redolent of the early 2000s Subaru Forester, with a new nose that’s clearly inspired by the Kia Sportage. Currently, only one [...]
July 7, 2012
· Keith Adams · 26 Comments
Events : ‘Comps’ Maestro to Le Mans 24 Hour
Keith Adams Friend of AROnline and all-round good-egg, James Agger, is taking his latest purchase to this year’s Le Mans 24 Hour, and is hoping to raise some money for BEN, and a few smiles along the way. The car he’s picked up is an original ex-Rodacar Ledbury-built Maestro, with that ideal LHD set-up, and [...]
June 8, 2012
· Keith Adams · 2 Comments
Technician’s Update: Monte’s back from the dead!
Even small but reputable garages can muck up even the simple and routine tasks, but this one caused much head scratching for all involved… Words & Pictures Mike Humble / MMOC A great car just dying to get out? In the past, I may have made the odd pithy remark about the Maestro and Montego, [...]
April 27, 2012
· Mike Humble · 20 Comments
Unsung heroes : MG Maestro 2.0 EFi
Another view through rose tinted spectacles at some once common automotive sights here in the UK. This time, our very own Austin Rover features here with their own slant on the ‘Hot Hatch’ The MG Maestro EFi, but the car hardly made a flying start as Mike Humble explains. Gone but not forgotten Whatever people say [...]
March 22, 2012
· Mike Humble · 97 Comments
Blog : Joy is Metro shaped
Keith Adams Or, pleasures that are best served simple… While my Rover SD1 was in for its MoT at AJF Engineering, owner Adrian Fell gave me the keys to his recently discovered 1985 Austin Metro City X. As archetypal one-owner cars go, this is as good as it gets. With 40,000 miles on the clock [...]
March 1, 2012
· Keith Adams · 71 Comments
Chinese Maestro : Lubao CA6410
The aquisition of production rights for the Maestro by Etsong intended to signal the beginning of a new venture. However, it was the First Auto Works (FAW), who took over the Etsong project. This was not their first ex-BMC>Rover product… Etsong, first Following the ill-fated Bulgarian adventure, the Maestro/Montego found a new home in China. [...]
February 6, 2012
· Keith Adams · 21 Comments
