Following hard on the heels of the Metro, the Austin Maestro was supposed to return BL to profitability in the 1980s. In reality, it hit the market five years too late, and lacked the showroom appeal of the sharp-suited Ford Escort Mk3 and Vauxhall Astra.
The Maestro racked up even poorer sales figures than the Allegro despite being considerably more capable. Engines and (VW-sourced) gearboxes were a disappointment, and non-structural rust continues to be a real problem.
The Metro started BL on its road to recovery but, if it was going to be a long-term thing, then it needed to be followed up by equally popular mid-sized […]
Rover Special Products was one busy department during the early 1990s, and proof positive is the Montego Lifestyle SUV from the MGA design consultancy. Keith Adams shares previously unpublished photographs […]
Ever wanted a full breakdown of BMC>MGR production figures, but didn’t know where to go? Fear not – AROnline has all the numbers you’ll ever need. […]
Sometime in 1979, the Austin-Morris product planners would have met with BL’s upper management to explain the LM10 strategy. This model set perfectly demonstrates how the Montego saloon and estate […]
Andrew Davis, a former worker at Cowley, sent us this fascinating image of one of those workaday hacks that never escape the factory. This one, a pick-up conversion of the Maestro, lived a long and absolutely fascinating life. […]
Updated: There was an operation to build Maestros in Bulgaria, and we have the full and exclusive story of how it came together. Thanks to ex-Rover Group and BAe executives, we have been able to piece together the story of the Roadacar assembly operation in Bulgaria and conclude why it failed in the way it did. […]
Anyone who knows Keith Adams might be a little surprised at this choice of Unsung Hero, especially considering the chequered history he has with A-Series Maestros. However, despite the dramas, […]
With the number of BMC>MGR cars on our roads diminishing rapidly, we take stock of the successive companies’ 10 most popular cars during the post-war years. Some of these numbers are going to shock you, simply because the cars are so rare on the road now. In fact, even the latest car on this list is now proving to be a rather unusual spot. […]
Craig Cheetham ANSWER: When it’s a Yema F16 SUV… Believe it or not, beneath the SUV-style exterior of this somewhat utilitarian-looking vehicle lurks the heart and soul of the Austin Maestro… […]
A couple of years after production had ceased in the UK, the Montego was re-introduced in the Indian subcontinent in order to compete in the executive car market. WHEN BMW […]
To mark the 30th birthday of the Montego, Russ Swift kindly offered to help cut the cake at the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show. Mike Humble spoke to the man […]
Never one to pass up a celebration, David Morgan raises a glass to 30 years of the MG Maestro EFi/2.0i and tells us why the appeal of this MG is […]
Can anyone shed any light on this mysterious Maestro spotted by Mark Graham in the car park of Guildford railway station on Friday August 8th? Assuming it’s a British-built example […]
LC10 was a conventional family hatchback in every sense of the word, and followed industry standard thinking in terms of mechanical layout. However, because of internal politics, lack of resources […]
You’ve seen the photoshops and the styling proposals, but here for the first time are the images that all Maestro and Montego fans have been waiting for. Thanks to Roy […]
The industry norm for the mid-1980s was for a car design to last about three-to-four years before it received its first facelift. In the case of the Maestro, the first […]
Part of a three-pronged attack on the medium car sector, the LM11 was to be BL’s new mid-sized saloon, based heavily on the upcoming LM10 (nee LC10). LM11 was originally […]
Keith Adams Oh, how time flies! The cold realisation that today marks the 30th Anniversary of the launch of the Austin Montego hits home just how time’s moved on – […]
The cars that form the backbone of AROnline are some of the fastest disappearing motors on British roads. New research into the top British family cars by Honest John Classics reveals that many of UK’s once-popular family cars are on the most endangered. […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 / […]
AROnline © Keith Adams 2001-2017 - please refer to the 'Terms of use' pages.