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 planned to sit closer to the LM10, performing a similar role to the hatchback that the VW Jetta does to the Golf, or the Orion to the Escort. As can be seen from the images below, the LM11 grew to become a true Cavalier/Sierra rival – and did so in a rather clever way..
LM11 styling models
As can be seen from this model, the LM11 saloon started off as a notchback LM10 – and although it’s not an unpleasant design, it would have had a more limited market appeal than the car than finally hit the shelves in 1984…
A booted Maestro, pure and simple, and although this full-size clay model looks clean and appealing, there were doubts about the appeal of the car. Designers at Longbridge and Solihull were tasked with giving the car more presence on the road, thereby making it a true force in the medium sector of the market…The rethink resulted in a Roger Tucker design for the front and rear, which gave the car an entirely larger look. Note the rather clumsy rear side window treatment, Ambassador-style note treatment, and unaltered LM10 centre section… (With thanks to the Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon).…but not before this fully-engineered model was produced. Note the Maestro dashboard, 13-inch wheels and smart rear lamp clusters. The rear end treatment is far cleaner and possibly more appealing than the rather fussy arrangement which was devised for the final model…A further development of the LM11 – with clean looking side-window treatment.Alternative frontal treatment was devised for the LM11, too – a much cleaner solution than the Maestro. The following three pictures were taken at the Longbridge Round House Studio in November 1981. The pre-Chris Greville Smith Montego LM11 front end design looks clean. (Picture Stephen Harper)A flush grille for this proposal. (Picture Stephen Harper)Is there a touch of Ford of Europe with this one? Stephen Harper is photographed with the full-sized clay model. (Picture Stephen Harper)The Roger Tucker/Ian Beech effort was given the nod, and developed into a full-size prototype – and then okayed for production in 1981… Roy Axe changed very little of this design, but the tweaks he made were certainly effective in tidying up this effort.
LM11E, the estate version
Two tailgate proposals in one – these three photos were taken at the Longbridge Exterior Studio, November 1981. The two alternative studies for the Montego LM11 Estate by John L Asford (upright Volvo style) and Steve Harper (Mercedes-Benz fastback style, closest to camera). (Picture Stephen Harper)
John Ashford, designer of the Montego estate, said: ‘Steve Harper and myself did a proposal each. Steve’s was more of a fastback and mine had the more vertical back which became the preferred option for production. I wanted to distance the estate from the Maestro hatch to give more capacity and make it obviously different. Although it looks larger than the Montego saloon, it is actually the same length.
‘I was keen to provide a level floor into the boot area to make an easy load platform and, from my point of view as a keen walker, possible to sit there comfortably, with the tailgate raised, to change from boots to shoes without muddying the interior. This requirement dictated the central drop line of the rear bumper.’
Double-sided clay model more fully dressed up. Note the body-coloured C-pillar on this model. (Picture Stephen Harper)Further work on the double-sided model at the Kremlin, and it looks quite close to the final production car, save a few details. Steve ‘Topper’ Clarke taking sections of the clay model for draughting.(Picture Stephen Harper)
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The Roger Tucker/Ian Beech “effort” pictured above is reported to have very less than impressed Roy Axe.
However, I have often thought this – Whilst Axe’s new indicators and mouldings at the base of the side windows improved things his version of the rear window did not. Imagine this Tucker/Beech car in final trim. Side on, anyway, the rear window treatment looks much more harmonious than the final Axe production car.
The earlier Montego full size models look much better, with their conventional slim C pillar and thicker D pillar, why was this changed to the weird looking arrangement for the production models?
The Roger Tucker/Ian Beech “effort” pictured above is reported to have very less than impressed Roy Axe.
However, I have often thought this – Whilst Axe’s new indicators and mouldings at the base of the side windows improved things his version of the rear window did not. Imagine this Tucker/Beech car in final trim. Side on, anyway, the rear window treatment looks much more harmonious than the final Axe production car.
Have to agree with that and I like the flush grill
The earlier Montego full size models look much better, with their conventional slim C pillar and thicker D pillar, why was this changed to the weird looking arrangement for the production models?
With Harris Mann’s 3/5-door hatchback Longbridge LC10 proposal in mind, is it known if he also produced proposals for the LM11 saloon and estate?