oldford Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 It's mid October 1980, there is a new wave of patriotism sweeping across the country. The Brits are poised on the White Cliffs of Dover, vanquishing the foreigners back into the sea. You pop into your local Austin dealer, what will you buy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boobydoo Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Quite frankly...nothing! I'm afraid I would have resisted all the patriotic hullabaloo and bought a Chrysler Sunbeam. Having said that , a friend of mine had a Saturday job cleaning cars at his local Austin-Rover dealership in1980. He heard tales of grown salesmen 'openly weeping' tears of joy at the glitzy dealer launch of the Metro as it was perceived as the saviour of BL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 I would be waiting for the MG or VP models Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogweasel Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 A symbol of the utter hopelessness of British industry!What were they thinking of... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Leonard Hatred Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 What are you thinking of pog? It was a successful car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 What were they thinking of... The Ambassador Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Lobster Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Quite frankly...nothing! I'm afraid I would have resisted all the patriotic hullabaloo +1 I would have remained unmoved by the Metros 'charms' and bought a *anything else* instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaseracer Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 I see that the 'standard' Metro is "available with a low compression engine at no extra charge." Excellent... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogweasel Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Something they later perfected with the "no compression engine" that came free with the Rover Metro/200/400/MGF etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedSparrow Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 LOL @ pog. It does have to be said that the Metro kept the company going for a good few years. I think it's agreed that the Maestro was a big of a let down after the Metro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogweasel Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 The Maestro was only a let-down because of (a) the stodgy styling and ( the damage done by rubbish like the Metro. Maestro was a decent, conventional car, no whiney gears-in-sump or daft suspension here. Just a sensible, conventional hatchback. Every bit as good as an Escort or Astra really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lankytim Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Wasn't the Maestro launched at about the same time as the Metro? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angrydicky Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 The Metro was launched in 1980, Maestro came along in 1982 I think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedSparrow Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Yeah, the mid-70s styling was the let down I was talking about.Astra etc would have been much more appealing. Interestingly more Maestros fromt his period seem to have survived than the rivals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoadworkUK Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Well, if the gestapo insisted that I bought a Metro on punishment of firing squad, I'd most certainly have sprung for that mysterious "Trip Computer". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexg Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 I wouldn't be seen dead in a Metro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shep Shepherd Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 I would have bought a year-old Volvo 343 GL with manual transmission... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negative Creep Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Did they make them in brown? If so that's the colour selection sorted. Other than that I'll have the 1.3 3 door with the cassette radio please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Father Ted Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 I have the 1980 launch "optional extras" brochure - including air con (imagine that on a 998cc lump!) and elecky windows which include a little winder thing in case they phail.Oh and cruise control!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AXrescuer Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Quite frankly...nothing! I'm afraid I would have resisted all the patriotic hullabaloo and bought a Chrysler Sunbeam. Exactly as my Mother in Law did! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spottedlaurel Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 You pop into your local Austin dealer, what will you buy? Blimey, that really was my local dealer back then! Riddelsdell's were longstanding BL etc dealers in the village where I grew up: Riddelsdell's Garage, Boxford, Suffolk by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr We had an Allegro from there in the mid '70s and I got quite a few brochures from there over the years. ARG gave them the boot and they did Subaru and Isuzu instead. Good move, as they suited the rural area and the all their loyal Metro buyers went over to Justy and the like. My formative memories of the Metro would have been from seeing them in that very showroom. As a 10-11yr old I wasn't impressed, the proportions seemed rather dumpy to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreepingJesus Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 ...or £4917.62 if you go mad for all the wonderful options. The Metro might have worked better, if it hadn't been painfully obvious that it was basically just a re-shelled Mini. Same 50's engines and lack of a 5th gear...it's a wonder it wasn't a complete dead duck from the off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddyramrod Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 1980? Let me see, that would mean this......as my daily, with the later addition of this......as a project, which never got off the ground and eventually went to scrap. Metros aren't so bad, I had this......for something like 18 months, at a time when it was precisely what I didn't want to buy! 998cc and it pulled my home-built trailer too, can't ask for much more than that really.* *Says the ex-owner of two Cadillacs and a Daimler. Oh yes I can! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brammy777 Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Obviously the person who wandered into an Austin dealership back in 1980 to purchase this one felt that £4295.63 was a little rich, instead settling for an L. In a lovely colour.1980 Austin miniMetro L Hatchback. by bramm77, on FlickrBut then blew all the money saved, in Halfords. I know that BL had an issue with MCW regarding the name 'Metro', but I suppose adding 'mini' onto it just fuelled the cynics fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now