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 launch of the original in 1980, and in many ways preceded the current move to premium small cars, loaded with equipment.

Launched in 1981, and packing a price tag of £12,600, the Frazer-Tickford Metro came with a handsome bodykit, bespoke interior and a mildly tuned version of the A-Plus, initially pushing out 80bhp. More followed as MG Turbo-based versions were built, but it was the original that really had the most appeal.

The description tells you all you need to know: ‘This Frazer-Tickford Metro is number 15 of 26 made. I purchased this as a bit of a wreck and have brought it almost back to life. I have done all the welding to the floorpans, replaced the wrecked engine with a 38,000 mile one from an MG Metro – and the calipers, discs etc are all new.’

Above and beyond that, it comes with Minilites, a new rear exhaust and a healthy drivetrain. A nice winter project to finish off for Metro-lovers, and a bit of specialist manufacturer history, too!

Check out eBay, and if you’re feeling flamboyant, go and bid on this!

(Thanks for the tip, Dale Turley)

Keith Adams
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27 Comments

  1. Why does this Metro have Keith Adams’ name written all over it? I bet he’s rummaging down the sofa, and looking at pawning the telly to see if he can raise funds to buy it LOL

  2. Does anyone want to buy an even rarer 1984 MG Metro 1300 Coupe built by Parksheet Metal Company Limited of Coventry, or a 1987 MG Metro 1300 Convertible completed by (I think) Rapport?

    The 1984 car is essentially a pre-facelift MG Metro 1300 with two seats and a saloon style rear body with lift-up boot-lid. The owner believes that only one example was ever built. Images of it can be found by visiting the MG M Group’s website and under ‘Past Events’ looking at the images for Powderham 2004.

    Images of the white MG Metro 1300 Convertible can be found by visiting the same link but viewing images for the 2007 NEC Classic Motor Show. The current keeper (who is a friend of mine) bought it about two years ago but has decided to sell it due to ill health.

    Both cars are in the Westcountry – the Metro Coupe in South Devon and the Convertible in South Somerset. I know both owners.

  3. Tickford is alive and very healthy. We no longer work on whole cars, the majority of work is engine related for some very well known UK brands.

    Find out more on tickford.co.uk

    If anyone here buys the Metro let me know, I’ll do my best to supply a mint brochure from our achives to go with it.

  4. David 3500: Is that Metro convertible the MG one which is similar to a Top Hat convertible, isn’t a Metrosport or Metropolitan, and gets referred to as an “Abingdon” by people when it crops up sometimes? Looks like a Rapport Metrosport, but has a different angle of rear window section?

    I don’t understand why Rapport made a change to their Metro convertible design, given that the Metrosport was pretty attractive to start off with, if they were responsible for the white one from the NEC show.

  5. Not really my cuppa but it looks in good nick, and the body kit looks pretty neat for a car of it’s vintage.

    £12600 sounds like a hell of a lot of money for its day. I can’t seem to find prices for new standard Metros in 1981 but I’d imagine that an entry level 1.0 would have been in the region of £4500 (please correct me if I’m wrong)- and over 12 grand you could have had a much quicker and more upmarket car. Maybe I’m missing the point, but Ford had problems when it got into bed with Tickford for the Racing Puma- a great little car but most punters thought it far too expensive for a glorified Fiesta with 150bhp and some subtle panelwork and wider track(and not too subtle interior). Many of those ended up being driven by Ford management.

    • My mum only paid £4750 for her near top of the line 1.3 HLE with metallic paint back in ’84!! I’d guess a base model 1.0 would have been nearer £3800/3900…

  6. @ Richard Kilpatrick:

    You have definitely got me there as my knowledge of these specially built versions is extremely poor! Although I recall the current owner asking me last year to undertake some research into the Rapport Metro, I have this evening contacted him to verify that this is a Rapport Metrosport. I will update you as soon as I hear back from him.

  7. There’s a lot of history regarding the Puma, don’t assume Tickford were in the driving seat for the product spec or pricing.

    Tickford have had (and still do) a lot of very sucessful projects most of which we are never publically credited for.

  8. 14: Not least of which for AROnline readers, the tops and conversion of Topaz, the Metro/100 Cabriolet 🙂 Don’t suppose you’ve got access to any records that might hint at the number of completed cars there, have you – discounting the handful of original Metros which were LAMM, IIRC.

  9. Wasn’t Tickford bought by Prodrive some years ago and then it had some sort of management buy out a few years later?

  10. …oh, remember the Aston Martin Lagonda Tickford? It was accepatable in the 80s; I liked it back then. Very Miami Vice !!

  11. I am the proud new owner of this car! didn’t even though they existed untilll Wednesday now i have one. Need a couple of bits and would like a set of pepper pot alloys if anyone has an idea. Check out the Tickford Owners Club for how they should look.

  12. I owned the only blue tickford metro back in 1987, she had bright red Connolly hide,16000 on the clock – fully documented
    . registered No : 17.
    Any info would make an old man very happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Thanks.

  13. £12.600 !!!! Jesus christ, that is expensive even now for a standard supermini with a garish RGM bodykit nevermind 32 years ago!!

  14. Hello everyone.

    I have bought the Tickford. I have a decent collection of Metros and couldbt resist this little beast.
    So now its time to get going and get her back to her original self.
    Very Happy to hear from anyone who can advise on the following before I hand her over to the restorers.
    Anyone from Tickford, willing to get involved with a new replacement A+ ENGIN as originally specified in the car. She has an MG 1275 unit in her at the moment.
    Anyone from Aston Martin , or associated trimmers, happy to get involved with her retrimming?
    Also I need to either source or have remanufactured a set of the Porsche style alloys for her.. The search begins..although I hear someone out there has her original alloys ticked away.. Care to repatriate them at all?

    Anyone with any related information, do please contact me, this little car deserves to be in the concourse condition she has been yearning for for years.

    And yes , she will be put back to the shadow silver, gunmetal she was intended for..

    Thanks to all who have looked after her so far and I will keep you posted.
    Cheers.
    Anthony

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