Dick Longbridge Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 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... jumpingjehovahs, Cavcraft, paulplom and 14 others 17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outlaw118 Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 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! Cavcraft and mk2_craig 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarrenKC53 Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 There was this dog shit brown A reg one on display at the NEC Classic car show last year. registered 24th April 1984 Alan Prost, ProgRocker, Burnside and 4 others 5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 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. Vince70 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skizzer Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 Certainly early press cars were A—KWK. For example: https://www.aronline.co.uk/cars/austin/montego/ The Mighty Quinn, Cavcraft, Dick Longbridge and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunglebus Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 I saw that on bookface too. Hopefully it'll get saved Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Longbridge Posted April 2, 2020 Author Share Posted April 2, 2020 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? ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adw1977 Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 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. Vince70, lesapandre and Eyersey1234 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 Unreliable and rusty. However I would have an early MG turbo in a heartbeat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Prost Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 Double whammy with the chopper! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairnet Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 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 DarrenKC53, Eyersey1234, jumpingjehovahs and 1 other 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunglebus Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 1 hour ago, Alan Prost said: Double whammy with the chopper! Yeah but MK3. Modern rubbish grumble etc Faker, BorniteIdentity, Tickman and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 Was the 1.3 Montego continued after the facelift in late '88? I've never seen a facelift 1.3 that I can recall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skizzer Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 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. wuvvum 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BorniteIdentity Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 Is it for sale? I have unfinished Montego business. Vince70, somewhatfoolish, Burnside and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy - Medhurst Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 2 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said: Is it for sale? I have unfinished Montego business. The finder is trying to buy it himself on facebook. BorniteIdentity 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rab Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 We dragged this Countryman out of a shed on Skye two years ago.Still managed to sell it to an enthusiast in Cumbria. Skizzer, Lord Sterling, 500tops and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St.Jude Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 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. Burnside, Rab and Mr_Bo11ox 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HMC Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Longbridge Posted April 3, 2020 Author Share Posted April 3, 2020 3 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said: Is it for sale? I have unfinished Montego business. Pm incoming B.I. somewhatfoolish 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HMC Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 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. Rab 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anonymous user Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 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. BorniteIdentity, Kowalski, HMC and 3 others 3 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorfolkNWeigh Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 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. Dick Longbridge, Burnside, Peter C and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierraman Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 Those late Montegos were a tidy car (well for first 4 years maybe) I like the late GTI ones. HMC 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BorniteIdentity Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 There’s some tremendous aspergers in this thread. Well done. wuvvum, spartacus, barmatt and 7 others 4 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 4 minutes ago, BorniteIdentity said: There’s some tremendous aspergers on this forum. Well done. FTFY. mk2_craig, twosmoke300, spartacus and 5 others 4 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 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. Rab, Dick Longbridge and BorniteIdentity 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HMC Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 9 minutes ago, BorniteIdentity said: There’s some tremendous aspergers in this forum. Well done. ? BorniteIdentity and ParanoidRenodroid02 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HMC Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 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. inconsistant and lesapandre 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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