why does the Maxi escape from the flack?

[doubleyeller]

An interesting point this! The Maxi was definitely up there with the Allegro and Marina when it came to irritating reliability issues that were very hard to fully resolve (ie cable gear change)

So why were the other two cars held up as symbols of British rancid industry when in fact the Maxi slaughtered the Princess by keeping the hatchback the Princess so badly needed?

 

Surely the Maxi then caused more problems for BL than the other two put together? Why is it allowed to be forgotten in dignity then?

[Vince70]

Because it came with an excellent Diesel engine

[Talbot]

Dunno. Maxis were still kicking about in reasonable numbers when I first got mu license, but they had a reputation for being rotten, shit to drive (four girders and an engine was the usual description) slow, noisy, fuel hungry and old-fashioned.

 

Didn't want one then, still don't want one now. Would have a princess/ambastador though.

[robinmasters]

Troll?

[doubleyeller]

Because it came with an excellent Diesel engine

That is a good answer pmsl!

[doubleyeller]

Troll?

Troll?

No. I looked, and then looked again kind Sir, but regret to differ....that is definitely a BX....

[robinmasters]

No. I looked, and then looked again kind Sir, but regret to differ....that is definitely a BX....

I don't know where the BX came from. Nice though.

[doubleyeller]

I don't know where the BX came from. Nice though.

He changed the photo from a BX to a spectacled chap..sad that Maxis are automatically associated with the diesel troll, they're definitely SHITE!!

[Eddie Honda]

when it came to irritating reliability issues that were very hard to fully resolve (ie cable gear change)

 

I think this is just perpetuated bollocks. They ditched the cable change quick enough, but then what of the Mk1 and 2 Landcrabs that had cable change? Why didn't they knock them on the head sooner? Also, a friend's father had a cable change Maxi new and didn't have a bad word to say about the gear change. It's a bit like saying jacking an Allegro up in the wrong place and the back window pops out or Hillman Imps blow head gaskets for fun. It's just a load of third-hand bollocks.

 

I've only driven a rod change Maxi, and that had a pretty crap gearchange, but then again it had slop in the linkage. It wasn't too bad to find 5th if you knew where it was. It wasn't direct, but it was no grimmer than any A-series.

 

Two out of the three you mention were Hydrasag only. That should answer your question.

[Justin Case]

The Maxi was designed by Alec Issigonis after the years of the Morris Minor and the Mini, but in a time when he had become arrogant and out of touch, which meant that it was basically underdeveloped rubbish. Fortunately Lord Stokes arrived in time to kick him sideways and bring in Harry Webster before too much damage was done, so within two years a rod gearchange, a larger and more powerful engine and a better interior were introduced. I would think that the early cars soon disappeared, I don't remember any being about by the end of production  in 1981so perhaps unlike the Marina and Allegro, the memory of the first ones soon faded and the last ones (Maxi 2 HLS) weren't really all that bad.

[Dead_E23]

I thought Maxis were rather fun to drive - I remember them being like a giant Mini, with a bus-like steering wheel and surprising levels of grip in corners. 

 

However, by the '80s when I got to drive them I don't remember there being too many around compared to stuff like Allegros and Marinas.  I suspect their dull image combined with higher running costs and ferocious rust probably meant they got scrapped instead of lingering around in large numbers as bangers.

[inconsistant]

I think it's not really about facts or chronology, it's more to do with the narrative of / BL / 1970s / strike / shit cars. I know there's only a couple of years between the Maxi and the Marina launch and I know the Maxi was on sale all through the 1970s but but I think the Maxi is regarded as a product of the 60's and therefore the tail end of the BLMC Mini / 1100/1300 / land crab/ Austin 3 litre Issigonis story, whereas the Marina and Allegro are regarded as 70's cars  and part of the BL chapter which included Princess, Rover SD1, TR7, Ital, etc.

The next, more heroic Austin Rover chapter started with the Metro. I reckon.

[Slowsilver]

 

why does the Maxi escape from the flack?

 

It doesn't.

Carry on spouting nonsense.

I ran one 40 years ago as a daily, I run one now as a regular second car and I know the truth first hand.

 

[sierraman]

Probably no worse than anything else at the time, main problem was the BL policy of using the 1800 doors for it.

 

Some of them, like the allegro had surprisingly long service lives.

[doubleyeller]

Probably no worse than anything else at the time, main problem was the BL policy of using the 1800 doors for it.

 

Some of them, like the allegro had surprisingly long service lives.

 

Hmm yes, I never thought the Allegro was altogether terrible after the first incarnation - the last ones made with the quadruple headlights actually looked rather good!

 

I'd definitely own an Allegro Equipe over a MG Maestro any day!

[Stevebrookman]

I like BL products from this era.

 

Friends father who owned a shop had a brand new L reg Maxi and replaced years later with a V reg one. Very comfortable and he had only praise for it. Same with the Allegro- Father had a Wolseley Six auto when I was 17 so bought an M reg 1.3 Allegro with the quartic steering wheel for me to learn to drive.

 

I'd already been driving forvyears around the factory where he worked. Gear change was fine and it was a comfortable and reliable car. Also passed test first time in it-1982.

 

Uncle who worked for BL had various new Princesses - a P reg 1800 and a T reg 2000 whilst another uncle had a 2200. Supremely comfortable-gear changes a little stiff but nothing to moan about.

 

Cousin had a 1750 HLS Allegro-fastish to drive but built in Belgium- full of rust at 3 years old.

 

BL cars are often maligned - but in my experience were great.

 

 

Steve

T

[Stevebrookman]

P.S.

 

Would love a 2200HLS Princess or 1750 HLS Allegro- but have missed the boat price wise.

 

Steve

[Paul Dupart]

I think because they were a good work horse and they were so bloody useful.

 

I ran a tatty 8 year old one in the mid 80's when I was repairing TV's for a living, it had previously been used by a builders foreman.

Great in the wet, better than any of todays wide tyred cars in the snow.  And you could leave it anywhere, no one was going to nick it....

[lesapandre]

Maxi. Go look at one when you see it at a show. They are more interesting in the metal than in the cheesy old press shots. Quite low on the road and well planted - neatly styled and not all that big. I'd say an interesting car that would be fun to own. Talk to a few owners about how they are to run these days. Useful being a hatchback. Reliability- well in the 60's cars were reckoned to last 10 years and 100,000 miles and anything after was a bonus so bangers of all types were pretty ropey. Its only in the late 80's that cars really improved in that regard. Maxi was starved of development by Leyla3nd - the Marina was a cheap conventional stopgap of many existing parts - not a well -liked car at the time sold a lot because they were cheap.

[HMC]

It's because Chevy chase rated them for their pre NCAP cyclist safety credentials.

[Timewaster]

My dad bought a maxi when I was 12.

 

My "friends" ripped the piss out of me for it.

 

I was only saved by the ginger kid whos dad had an orange one.

 

Poor sod.

[bangernomics]

My dad bought a maxi when I was 12.

 

My "friends" ripped the piss out of me for it.

 

I was only saved by the ginger kid whos dad had an orange one.

 

Poor sod.

That’s like an excerpt from my childhood diary if I’d have been arsed to keep one.

[John F]

Maxis are definitely shit enough to be shite.

 

Also, it's "flak" btw.

[quicksilver]

I don't think the Maxi really escapes from the flak as there's still plenty of people who think they're utter crap. The Allegro and Marina just became more notorious through the media constantly banging on about their failings while the Maxi kept a lower profile. Unlike the other two, the Maxi was genuinely innovative with its five gears and five doors and no one else offered such a car, so that was its saving grace. Having said that, I think there are three main things that contributed to its downfall:

 

1. The cable change. The 5-speed box was its unique selling point so it had to be perfect from the start and cocking it up like that was unforgiveable.

2. Issigonis. A brilliant engineer but at the expense of everything else so he simply didn't care about style or luxury and was allowed to get away with it. As much as I love the Maxi, I have to concede it's a very odd-looking car and the styling really doesn't work.

3. Management attitude. It suffered from the 'not invented here' syndrome as it was conceived by BMC but launched by BL. Instead of embracing it, BL management saw the Maxi as an inherited problem child to blame on their predecessors and never really knew what to do with it.

[danthecapriman]

There’s nothing wrong with any of them imho. Comparing them to other cars of their time there’s not that much difference. My Grandad had an early Marina (bought new), Allegro, early Metro. Nothing wrong with any of them, they were all good cars. The Marina being quite tough cars actually. He wrote his off by ploughing into a big road sign after a few too many at the Cyprus wine festival! Only reason he and Grandma survived it was because the car was so tough and resisted the impact well.

My uncle had a couple of Marina’s too, no trouble from them. One, a late model, went around the clock a couple of times too!

Most of the shit that gets said is ‘piston heads’ style horseshit from people that haven’t really got a clue or been listening too much to the crap spouted on programs like Top Gear etc etc.

Perfect? Nope. But neither are any other cars from the 60’s or 70’s. If you ask me they still aren’t now!

[BeEP]

Having owned both Maxis and landcrabs with cable change, in my opinion there's nothing wrong it except its reputation.  Don't rush gearchanges and it works perfectly well; I would suggest better than the rod change, certainly after the latter has accumulated a few years of slop.

 

The Bermuda blue 1970 Maxi I owned still tops my list of cars I regret selling.

[RayMK]

A colleague at work had a Maxi in the 1980s, the only one I've had a ride in.  It was spacious, comfortable and practical. 5 speed box and all!  It was also a bit anonymous, rusty and the front doors were kept closed using a bungee inside, across the car.  Now, it is nice to see them around.   

[AMC Rebel]

 irritating reliability issues that were very hard to fully resolve (ie cable gear change)

 

It only had the cable change for about the first year.

 

I wish I still had my early Maxi - Brown, H suffix, cable change, "Cortina" dash.  It was a smashing car.  I killed it through neglect and ham-fistedness (and lack of cash).  By the standards of the time it was quiet, smooth economical and spacious and had great ride quality. 

 

Also BTW loads of FWD cars with a manual box have cable gearchanges now.

[doubleyeller]

I also heard that the Maxi was good for a night or two staying on a campsite, having seats that you could turn into a double bed. 

 

I suppose the only real rival when it was launched was the R16.......I wonder which was the more expensive?

[Bren]

The last ones looked quite sharp compared the earlier ones.