For sale: 1998 Ledbury Maestro WINMOBILE

[HereHareHere]

So here you go: my 1998 1.3 Maestro is up for sale. I bought it 18 months ago from a Maestro & Montego owner’s club member: it’s one of those Ledbury-assembled ones originally intended for the Bulgarian market, so you get some winning oddities like a vanity mirror on the driver’s side, and a hand-etched VIN plate. Other standard Bulgar peasant-spec features include a towball (GR2 4 AFRAMIN) and the suspension from the heavier diesel, which is why these sit so high off the ground (GR12 4 SPEEDBUMPZ). It’s a five speed (VW box, I believe) with the mighty A+ 1275 lump. After-market “bonus†is the CD player/radio, which is a hideous but fully functioning low-end Alpine (I left the detachable face off for the photos).

 

Mileage is almost exactly twice that shown on the odometer – the previous owner swapped the whole dash when it succumbed to the usual Maestro lift ‘n’ crack, after the car had covered 20,000. So it’s a 40,000-mile car. There’s no service history, but I’ve got every single MOT to verify the mileage (I’m the third owner: first was a Brum-based giffer).

 

The bodywork is pretty remarkable, I have to say. There are two tiny (little-fingernail-sized) blebs at the bottom of the tailgate window surround (see pic), but that’s really it. Arches etc are immaculate, and the underside looks amazingly unblemished (in fact I think it’s been undersealed – the original owner was evidently a proud man, who had all the glass etched with the reg number and protected his door sills with gaffer tape… I was half convinced when I got the hairdryer on them to peel the stuff off that it would reveal a horrible corroded mess, but far from it). The interior is also excellent throughout, with no visible wear at all on any of the seats, and unmarked carpets and trim. While polishing it up I spotted that the dash is just beginning to lift again (only a couple of mils – a straightforward G-clamp & No More Nails job) and that a dinner-plate-sized area of headlining looks a bit puffy.

 

Mechanically I’ve had no problems at all in 6,500 miles. It’s never failed to start and never overheated. The previous owner was a handy and responsible chap, who knew his way round a Maestro and replaced loads of stuff (new leads, front shocks etc – also a set of Goodyears with plenty of life left in them). Good news for me as I’m an idiot – successfully changing the oil is a special moment. There was a small oil leak which I think must have been through the sump plug, as it stopped after I changed the oil and filter (around 1,500 miles ago – GO ME). I had a complete new exhaust put on at the end of the summer (still under warranty from National). The wiper mechanism got in a bit of a state this time last year, which eventually involved an excitable AA patrolman effecting an over-zealous repair in driving rain on the M4. I can safely say his fix is permanent, but ever since the wipers have been parked at the rakish angle depicted in the photos.

 

The heated rear window has never worked (the switch illuminates and I haven’t investigated at all – may be the wiring into the tailgate, as it looks a little pinched). I also left the fuel filler cap at a petrol station, so it’s currently got one of those horrible Halfords generic ones.

 

Comes with a few spare interior parts – a glovebox door and some air-vent covers. Also three spare NOS Rover trims identical to those on the car (which I HATE – tried and failed to get some proper Maestro ones… these Ledburys had larger wheels (same size as the vans?), so standard Maestro ones don’t fit. The original Ledbury trims looked pretty awful (almost like Poundland trims), but they still suit the car better than these fug-awful Rover ones.)

 

It’s MOTed until August. Passed last time with just one advisory about staining on the registration plates. The tester was extremely impressed with the underneath, and the state of the car in general – so impressed that he tearfully offered me a handjob, then took me round the back to show off his immaculate Triumph Acclaim (one of these is true).

 

Oh yeah – it’s taxed until November, which I’ll leave it with as I can’t be arsed to dob the disc in.

 

I’m after £450 (I’m also after a Rover 820/827 coupe, if anyone’s got one knocking about). To start with I’m trying to shift it on the Maestro site, here, and Rover800.info, to give the car a chance of finding a good home, and saving myself the hell of eBay. I honestly can’t think of any car you’d find in this condition for the money (no doubt someone else can, though: decent premise for a thread right there).

 

Based in London W4 – right by the M4 (Chiswick roundabout). If anyone’s interested, PM the hell out of me.

 

I got a bit carried away with my farewell snaps. LET THE PHOTOCAUST COMMENCE:

[Torsten2001]

That car is so lush, I want it! But I'm skint so bugger

[HereHareHere]

Thanks for those kind words - it literally makes my kidneys throb to hear a vehicle I have owned described in such terms.

 

When I was giving the Maestro a final buff-up yesterday a kindly old gent came over and said, 'That looks lovely - takes me back to my youth!' Funny as he'd have been about 71 when it was registered.

[messerschmitt owner]

I fancied getting a talking dash model, but decided the wife's nagging was bad enough!

 

Looks lovely,

 

if only it was closer, cheaper, not black, a Maestro, built in Herefordshire from bits purloined off the Bulgars, etc, etc ...

 

Seriously, good luck with the sale.

[Cavcraft]

Considering some one is selling a Cat C, un-repaired un-VIC checked one almost exactly the same as your's for £250 on the Maestro forum your's is a bloody good deal I reckon.

[Guest]

Thats a better write-up than Rover managed in 13 years worth of brochures.

[trigger]

OMG ROGER DALTREY DRIVES A MAESTRO!!

 

 

[VWPowered]

i keep seeing an r-reg one of these over here, keep wondering if it maybe for sale..

 

doesnt look half as nice as yours though

 

[HereHareHere]

"That deaf dumb and blind kid, sure drives a shit old car."

 

"I was born with a plastic dash in my mouth."

 

Etc.

 

Thanks for that - curse of the over-polished glass. Thanks for not mentioning the other reflection - OF MY GROIN.

 

Yeah, I think £450 is a decent price. No interest at all from the owner's club site as yet - sadly these Ledburys are rather pooh-poohed by Maestro enthusiasts (all three of them, har).

[Father Ted]

 

I have just come.

In my green pants.

[Shep Shepherd]

That would be GR9 as a daily driver or weekend plaything. I'm quite tempted by it myself, but I'd have to get rid of TV2, which I don't really want to do at the moment...

[Spottedlaurel]

I was impressed to see one of these with British owners on holiday in France last year. Family of five too, and none were small.

[Mash]

That's in very nice nick and really does seem rather a bargain. Are they really that undesirable?

[Father Ted]

Just showed the wife this who said "you, and Maestros "

Now my interpretation of this is "catch the Megabus to Victoria coach station in London and hand over a roll of slightly grubby £20 notes and drive the car back".

But of course I could be wrong

[HereHareHere]

Impressed by all these Maestro-spots - in 18 months of ownership I have seen this many other Maestros: ONE MAESTRO. Comprehensively knackered red C-plate one In a car park in Maidstone - in fact I think it might have dumped.

 

Desirability-wise, I think Maestros must rank amongst the least esteemed British cars right now - though as there are so few left the stigma of rust-fugged national embarrassment is about to give way to fond and indulgent retro-nostalgia, just as it has done with Allegros and that. I certainly can't see this car depreciating from now on.

 

Come on then, somebody, stop fart-arsing about and buy it.

[Lankytim]

That looks in great shape, even the bumpers are un-mangled and rot free! How are you sorted insurance wise? I'm told they class these as kit cars.

 

I'm surprised there hasn't been more interest on the Maestro forum, as this seems very keenly priced.

[Station]

Are they really that undesirable?

 

Yes I think they are, as well as the Montego's. They haven't shaken off their no frills reputation yet, I think they're improving in the eyes of the typical YO RETRO CAR INNIT type.

[254575]

Impressed by all these Maestro-spots - in 18 months of ownership I have seen this many other Maestros: ONE MAESTRO. Comprehensively knackered red C-plate one In a car park in Maidstone - in fact I think it might have dumped.

 

Desirability-wise, I think Maestros must rank amongst the least esteemed British cars right now - though as there are so few left the stigma of rust-fugged national embarrassment is about to give way to fond and indulgent retro-nostalgia, just as it has done with Allegros and that. I certainly can't see this car depreciating from now on.

 

Come on then, somebody, stop fart-arsing about and buy it.

 

no room at the inn for me

[HereHareHere]

That looks in great shape, even the bumpers are un-mangled and rot free! How are you sorted insurance wise? I'm told they class these as kit cars.

 

I'm surprised there hasn't been more interest on the Maestro forum, as this seems very keenly priced.

Not a bite from the Maestro forum. Probably didn't help that I couldn't get to grips with their coal-fired image-posting routine, and ended up just putting a description, with a link to all the pics on my for-sale thread on the Rover800.info forum.

 

Yeah, a lot of people have reported insurance problems, but I didn't have any. A couple of the comparison sites failed to find a match for the reg no, but confused.com declared it a Rover (as it is on the reg docs) and offered me a range of decent (a relative term) quotes. Sadly the cheapest turned out to be Admiral, who I hate and who I'm already with on my other car (in their Elephant incarnation).

 

These Ledburys are anomalies, though - less informed MOT testers have to be made aware that they're exempt from the more stringent emissions test that should in theory apply to them as 1998-2001 vintage models.

 

No interest then, LT? You're the Maestromeister round here.

 

Father Ted? Come on: it looks EVEN SEXIER in the cold light of a new day.

[Cavcraft]

Quite likely to be about three million quid but I'll run the reg. by some insurance quote things on the web and see how it compares for my 17 year old son.

[HereHareHere]

Give it a go, Sir Cav. My original intention was to keep this for my 17-year-old son to learn on - all my kids have a very promising soft spot for it. But then I fell hopelessly under the spell of Rover 800 koops, and there's no way I can afford/justify having three cars on the go.

[MrRegieRitmo]

Impressed by all these Maestro-spots - in 18 months of ownership I have seen this many other Maestros: ONE MAESTRO. Comprehensively knackered red C-plate one In a car park in Maidstone - in fact I think it might have dumped.

 

Desirability-wise, I think Maestros must rank amongst the least esteemed British cars right now - though as there are so few left the stigma of rust-fugged national embarrassment is about to give way to fond and indulgent retro-nostalgia, just as it has done with Allegros and that. I certainly can't see this car depreciating from now on.

 

Having spent quite a lot of time in Borehamwood the past few months due to my o/h living there, there isn't a lot of tat to be found but 1 or 2 of the most exciting happen to be a very mouldy looking C plate Maestro in a driveway looking like it hasn't moved for about 15yrs, it looks like it's welded to the spot by moss & grime! The other, running along the same theme is a pristine looking bright yellow series 3 Allegro, W plate & being piloted by what appears to be a young girl. A very encouraging sight indeed! I speculated that she'd probably got lumped with it by inheriting it from a grandparent but my girlfriend actually protested that she could actually like it & have chosen it! To be fair, it isn't the first time I've spotted a young female driving an Allegro, maybe they have an affinity for characterful cars young or old!

[Angrydicky]

That looks lovely. GLAWTS! (or whatever they say on retro rides)

[Alexg]

Impressed by all these Maestro-spots - in 18 months of ownership I have seen this many other Maestros: ONE MAESTRO. Comprehensively knackered red C-plate one In a car park in Maidstone

 

I think I saw that pass me the other day, a proper tub it was being bowled but some eccentric looking old giffer with a beard

 

Best of luck with the sale chum

[HereHareHere]

This one?

 

 

In fact it doesn't look nearly as bad as I remembered it. Plus - his wipers are properly parked.

 

SOZ, BEARD-O-GIFF.

[Lankytim]

No interest then, LT? You're the Maestromeister round here.

 

 

I'd love it! but I already have a diesel converted HL thats mothballed and doing exactly FA to contend with... actually, id better do something with it, sort the paperwork out and get it back on the road!

 

BTW, 5 speed 1.3's are pretty rare, and the 5th gear makes all the difference to refinement and engine life.

[Angrydicky]

BTW, 5 speed 1.3's are pretty rare, and the 5th gear makes all the difference to refinement and engine life.

 

Definitely. My 4 speed 1.3 gets very buzzy above 50.

 

'If you've still got it next week I'll defo have it', 'If my car sells I'll defo have it', 'wud u swap 4 corsa m8' etc.

[Justin Case]

Co-incidence; I saw one this afternoon, only it was white. I think it was R *** RVJ which would be evn more of one, but it was going the other way and too quickly to catch all of it.

 

I'm surprised that it hasn't gone yet, especially at that price; I would love one, especially as I spend quite a lot of time in Herefordshire but my lame excuse is lack of room to keep something that would really be an indulgence. I hope that it sells, a car with an interesting history like that deserves to fall into good hands.

[HereHareHere]

I think most Ledbury Maestros are R*** RVJ jobs. Just like R491 RVJ, as road-tested on Top Gear by Vicki Benson-Hedges in 1998 (as “Britain’s cheapest new car†(£4,995): http://www.streetfire.net/video/top-gea ... 559167.htm ( 4.28 on).

 

Bonus: Russian Top Gear gets its own back on J Clarkson by burying a Maestro -

 

I say: what an elaborate bump!

[254575]

the problem is that the ledburys appeal to noone.

 

they are too basic for the general public, and are too new for the enthusiasts to show any interest in.

 

i had an apple 2000 maestro for a short while and it was listed on the V5 like this.

 

Make: Rover Maestro

Model:

 

go figure