Metro
Launched amid a barrage of patriotic fervour, the Austin Metro was for two brief years, Britain’s most fashionable car – it proved a continued success for the company, too, racking up over two million sales (of Rovers, too) during its 17-year production run. Here’s its story.
The cars : Austin/MG Metro development history
Launched amid a barrage of patriotic fervour, the Metro was for two brief years, Britain’s most fashionable car – it proved a continued success for the company, too, racking up over two million sales during its 17-year production run. Sadly, its success alone was never going to be enough to stop BL falling further behind [...]
July 23, 2011
· 
Keith Adams · 
15 Comments
Concepts and prototypes : Metro saloon
Although it seems inconceivable now, in the late 1970s, when the mini Metro was being developed, it was being groomed to replace the original Issigonis-designed Mini, a car that remained in production until 2000. For all those die-hard Mini owners how didn’t believe they needed a hatchback, BL developed a saloon version of the Metro. [...]
July 31, 2011
· Keith Adams · 22 Comments
Prototypes : LC8 Metro
Metro style emerges LC8 was not an entirely new supermini by any stretch of the imagination, using ADO88 as a starting point. The project was basically a restyle job – with Harold Musgrove cracking the whip over the Austin-Morris development team, ensuring that it was in production by the proposed launch date: the Birmingham Motor [...]
June 25, 2011
· Keith Adams · One Comment
Supermini projects : ADO88/LC8 drawings
Metro uncovered A fascinating find uncovered recently on the AR forums – engineering drawings of the ADO88 and LC8 projects… The differences between the original car and the pre-launch facelift are clear to see – and the fact that these drawings of the ADO88 were produced at all clearly shows just how close to production [...]
June 25, 2011
· Keith Adams · No Comments
Supermini projects : ADO74
The original Metro One project, many faces: a wide variety of styling exercises were produced before ADO74 was cancelled in 1973, as British Leyland could not raise the £130m needed to produce it. The project suffered from having indecisive leadership – it was led by Harry Webster, but because he had worked previously at Triumph, [...]
June 25, 2011
· Keith Adams · 7 Comments
Supermini projects : ADO88
The Metro route Shortly after the demise of ADO74, the “Mini replacement idea” was yet again brought down from the shelf for further investigation. Unlike ADO74, which was new from the wheels up, ADO88 would use the Mini’s A-series engine plus transmission-in-sump layout. The reason for this was cost – ADO74 would have cost an [...]
June 25, 2011
· Keith Adams · 2 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
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
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
Video : MG Metro 6R4
Keith Adams It’s funny how more than 25-years on from its short but sweet career in front-line rallying, the MG Metro 6R4 is still venerated by anyone who’s been near one. With explosive acceleration, a V6 soundtrack and truly unmistakable Group B looks, how could anyone be unmoved? Sadly, Group B was cut short for [...]
January 7, 2012
· Keith Adams · 42 Comments
Metro Ranger
During the Metro’s honeymoon period of the early 1980s, Austin-Rover’s designers toyed with the idea of a number of exciting variations on a theme. Here’s one that perhaps you weren’t expecting to see… Pick-and-mix Metro (Picture: Roy Axe) YOU can’t blame Austin-Rover for trying – the Metro was a hot little number during the early [...]
September 27, 2011
· Keith Adams · 12 Comments
TXC Tracer
This Metro-based, mid-engined roadster brought the concept behind the MGF to fruition some ten years earlier… IF you think the Tracer has a familiar look to it, there could be several reasons for that. First of all, William Towns clearly drew inspriation from his rather more exotic 1980 creation for Aston Martin, the Bulldog, with [...]
September 25, 2011
· Keith Adams · No Comments
Engines : A-Series
The A-series engine did service in a variety of cars for almost 50 years, during which time it was available in a bewildering variety of capacities and states of tune. A hard act to follow The A-Series engine was certainly a case of the ‘British Curate’s egg’ – good in places. In fact, that is [...]
August 26, 2011
· Keith Adams · 16 Comments
Modified Metros : Crayford Metropolitan
It seems that few – if any – of these Crayford convertibles actually reached customers before the company decided to concentrate on its Fiesta conversions. Open up and say ahh… In January 1981, Motor magazine reported that Crayford was planning to build a prototype convertible version of the recently-launched Metro, with the aim of offering [...]
July 31, 2011
· Keith Adams · One Comment
Modified Metros : Wood & Pickett Metros
Another name from the Mini’s heyday – Wood and Pickett returned in 1981, offering some lavish Metro conversions, including the Ogle-styled Laser Metro… Wood and Pickett Laser Metro The Laser Metro was certainly treated as a bespoke car for discerning customers: price ranged from £11,000 to £17,000 and extras included Recaro seats, air conditioning and [...]
July 31, 2011
· Keith Adams · 6 Comments
Modified Metros : Frazer-Tickford
Frazer established itself as a new car company in 1981, offering this fabulous-looking Tickford Metro. The Tickford name was owned by Aston Martin, whose engineers and stylists designed this car. The scope of the conversion echoed that of the later Tickford Capri… Frazer Tickford Metro The Northamptonshire based company teamed up with Tickford Coachbuilding to [...]
July 31, 2011
· Keith Adams · 2 Comments
Modified Metros : Turbo Technics
Turbo Technics cashed in on the popularity of the aftermarket turbo conversion throughout the 1980s; as the years passed, it conversions became increasingly wild. Thankfully, this Metro was reasonably mild… Turbo Technics Metro TT Like Janspeed, the Lincolnshire based tuning firm produced the Metro TT as a tuning kit for anyone who had already bought [...]
July 31, 2011
· Keith Adams · No Comments
Modified Metros : Metro Monaco (nee Cooper)
Unbelievably, this Metro was not offered as a ‘factory backed’ conversion, even though it came with a blue chip pedigree. John Cooper Garages offered this car (later renamed the Metro Monaco for legal reasons) as a conversion on customers’ own cars… Metro-Cooper That most illustrious of names associated with the Mini during the 1960s made [...]
July 31, 2011
· Keith Adams · 2 Comments
Modified Metros : Janspeed Turbo
Janspeed had been around for years, offering a range of tuning parts for cars as diverse as the Ford Fiesta and the Rover 3500. The Janspeed Metro was offered as an off-the-shelf conversion, which paved the way for the 1983 MG Metro Turbo. Janspeed Metro Turbo Jan O’Dor’s tuning firm produced this car as an [...]
July 31, 2011
· Keith Adams · One Comment
Gallery : MG Metro
The Metro was the first Austin Rover car to be subjected to the MG treatment. Arguably, it was the most successful recipient of the octagon treatment, perhaps because the early versions were rather similar to the Mini-Cooper in spirit… MG Metro 1300 MG Metro Turbo Identifiable from its more humble normally aspirated brother by its [...]
July 31, 2011
· Keith Adams · 3 Comments
MG Metro 6R4
AS far as Austin Rover and its parent company BL were concerned, 1981 had marked a sea change in the attitudes of company executives and dealer principles across the land. No longer were they apologetic for the state of their ageing range of cars, but shored up by the warm reception given to the Austin [...]
July 31, 2011
· Keith Adams · 12 Comments
Concept and prototypes : PSC1
In 1986, we were treated to a pedestrian-friendly Metro – somewhat ahead of its time, we feel… Snub-nosed Metro THE Pedestrian Safety Car One (PSC1) had a re-designed nose, compliant in order to deform on impact with pedestrians. At speeds upto 25mph the polyurethane front bumper, which measured eight inches high and six inches deep, [...]
July 31, 2011
· Keith Adams · 2 Comments
Picture gallery : Austin Metro
A selection of Metro photos which appeared in BL’s and Austin Rover’s sales brochures and press photos. Action shot of a 1981 Metro 1.3S in Primula Yellow. Launch photo for the Metro 1.3S. Lower-end models, like this 1.0L, made do with recessed headlamps. 1981 Metro 1.3 Automatic: not an option, but a model in its [...]
July 20, 2011
· Keith Adams · 4 Comments
