Pre-production Montego?

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Spotted this one on anti-social media just now. Logged as ‘Austin Other’  and surely one of the very earliest left? Weren’t the first showroom cars released on a B plate? In fact, thinking about it, wasn’t the last Ambassador off the production line - the one which was saved on here - A***KWK as well? I’d say the Montego has a story to tell...

[outlaw118]

Certainly an early one - they came out in '84 IIRC, I'm fairly sure when the olds bought their B plate 1.6L (Oporto Red, the least reliable car they've ever had) the dealer had a A plate 2.0 HL ex-demo for sale for about the same money.

KWK reg may indicate an ex press fleet car or similar. Top find Sir!

[DarrenKC53]

There was this dog shit brown A reg one on display at the NEC Classic car show last year. 

registered 24th April 1984

 

[lesapandre]

A VdenP no less. Where these launched simultaneously? Sometimes halo models were launched at slightly different dates to sustain interest. Very interesting car. Worth checking with the Gaydon Museum archive.

[Skizzer]

Certainly early press cars were A—KWK.  For example:

https://www.aronline.co.uk/cars/austin/montego/

 

[bunglebus]

I saw that on bookface too. Hopefully it'll get saved

[Dick Cheeseburger]

I've just dredged up the thread about the last Ambassador off the production line which Rovamota restored. My memory was correct - it's A500 KWK.

@rovamota Fancy a new project? ?

[adw1977]

23 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

A VdenP no less. Where these launched simultaneously? Sometimes halo models were launched at slightly different dates to sustain interest.

Yes, a full range from 1.3 base to Vanden Plas was launched at the same time.  I have a March 1984 guide for salesmen that includes  the whole range.

Flickr link

The launch brochures for the public also had the full range.

[Bren]

Unreliable and rusty. However I would have an early MG turbo in a heartbeat. 

[Alan Prost]

Double whammy with the chopper!

[hairnet]

1 hour ago, DarrenKC53 said:

There was this dog shit brown A reg one on display at the NEC Classic car show last year. 

registered 24th April 1984

 

do ya reckon they went in and said i had an allegro but want modern but want it allegro brown please

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, Alan Prost said:

Double whammy with the chopper!

Yeah but MK3. Modern rubbish grumble etc

[wuvvum]

Was the 1.3 Montego continued after the facelift in late '88?  I've never seen a facelift 1.3 that I can recall.

[Skizzer]

7 hours ago, wuvvum said:

Was the 1.3 Montego continued after the facelift in late '88?  I've never seen a facelift 1.3 that I can recall.

No. The 1.3 base survived the mini facelift in 87 when the two tone paint option came in (and didn’t get the option) but died in late 88.

[BorniteIdentity]

Is it for sale?

I have unfinished Montego business. 

[Billy - Medhurst]

2 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

Is it for sale?

I have unfinished Montego business. 

The finder is trying to buy it himself on facebook.

[Rab]

We dragged this Countryman out of a shed on Skye two years ago.Still managed to sell it to an enthusiast in Cumbria.

[St.Jude]

10 minutes ago, Rab said:

We dragged this Countryman out of a shed on Skye two years ago.Still managed to sell it to an enthusiast in Cumbria.

The Montego Countryman, made famous by the plane crash in Emmerdale.

[HMC]

That’s great that montego,love it! My ultimate montego crush has to be a 2.0 VDP EFI Estate, red with grey leather. OOF
 indeed -kwk and even the number plate font place it as “works” registered- After being shipped up from Cowley. 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

3 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

Is it for sale?

I have unfinished Montego business. 

Pm incoming B.I. 

[HMC]

3 minutes ago, HMC said:

That’s great that montego,love it! My ultimate montego crush has to be a 2.0 VDP EFI Estate, red with grey leather. OOF
 indeed -kwk and even the number plate font place it as “works” registered- After being shipped up from Cowley. 

I’m a bit of a Maestro/ montego e bay watcher.

I think the rate of attrition has been very high; Usually if it’s an estate it’s a “countryman” diesel with rotten sills, arches and bonnet, in a field.

[anonymous user]

Allegedly estates were always a popular choice in West Wales for ram raiders, apparently they have a decent rear overhang for smashing through shop doors , while keeping the rear wheels out of most of the debris. 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

18 hours ago, lesapandre said:

A VdenP no less. Where these launched simultaneously? Sometimes halo models were launched at slightly different dates to sustain interest. Very interesting car. Worth checking with the Gaydon Museum archive.

The first VdP Montegos were not efi and there would have been a VdP monogram at the end of the pinstripe. This along with the chrome door handles point to later VdP efi  panels being fitted to an earlier car.

18 hours ago, The Mighty Quinn said:

It's factory black as well. Just has blue panels.

[lesapandre]

Interesting- I love this early and prototype stuff. Could be the the car was retained at Longbridge as a test mule? Dunno. Some sleuthing at Gaydon might turn something up. The vin may provide further evidence. 

This and Maestro was styled by David Bache (who got sacked for it particularly the scalloped beltline which was disliked by management ) and then tweaked by Roy Axe - who presumably did the subsequent refreshments. So many BMC BLMC Austin Rover car have these tortured beginnings and tales of corporate melodrama. 

I think Roy also styled the Talbot Tagora - every designer has an off day, not just David Bache - (personally I prefer the Bache prototypes - much cleaner design) but like a lot of BL stuff it took so long in development it looked out of date by the time it arrived so no wonder Roy Axe tried to refresh it before launch (a repeat of the Austin Maxi drama really). 

As these are not very old cars - some of the original design team may still be about  to talk to - Roy died in 2010.

[sierraman]

Those late Montegos were a tidy car (well for first 4 years maybe) I like the late GTI ones. 

[BorniteIdentity]

There’s some tremendous aspergers in this thread. Well done. 

[wuvvum]

4 minutes ago, BorniteIdentity said:

There’s some tremendous aspergers on this forum. Well done. 

FTFY.

[wuvvum]

8 hours ago, Rab said:

We dragged this Countryman out of a shed on Skye two years ago.Still managed to sell it to an enthusiast in Cumbria.

Ooh, a 2-litre petrol!  That must have been pretty rare that late on - most of the late Montegos I saw around were diesels.

Still, at least it means it has a better chance of being restored rather than engine raped for a Land Rover.

[HMC]

9 minutes ago, BorniteIdentity said:

There’s some tremendous aspergers in this forum. Well done. 

?

[HMC]

1 hour ago, lesapandre said:

Interesting- I love this early and prototype stuff. Could be the the car was retained at Longbridge as a test mule? Dunno. Some sleuthing at Gaydon might turn something up. The vin may provide further evidence. 

This and Maestro was styled by David Bache (who got sacked for it particularly the scalloped beltline which was disliked by management ) and then tweaked by Roy Axe - who presumably did the subsequent refreshments. So many BMC BLMC Austin Rover car have these tortured beginnings and tales of corporate melodrama. 

I think Roy also styled the Talbot Tagora - every designer has an off day, not just David Bache - (personally I prefer the Bache prototypes - much cleaner design) but like a lot of BL stuff it took so long in development it looked out of date by the time it arrived so no wonder Roy Axe tried to refresh it before launch (a repeat of the Austin Maxi drama really). 

As these are not very old cars - some of the original design team may still be about  to talk to - Roy died in 2010.

Apparently axe saw the maestro and thought OH SHIT as the body in white has been finalised; game over. There was still an amount of mild tweakery that could be done with montego. 
 

Either way both have CLASS running right through them.