![]() The Metro was so nearly yet another near miss, though. It also had the advantage of being familiar to mechanics the world over. In reality, the A-Series (in revamped A-Plus form for the Metro) had plenty of life left in it – as was later to be proved by those ’90s Minis – and was easily the equal of something like the breathless 895cc Polo. In fact this was the era when BL chairman Michael Edwardes was walking a knife-edge between keeping the firm going on government hand-outs or turning out the lights. The use of the A-Series motor was of course down to cost: BL was in a bit of a state at the time the Metro was developed and had tried several times already to build a successor to the Mini. It’s easy to deride the Metro for its carry-over Mini mechanical bits but in truth the Fiesta in 1980 – the benchmark for small cars – was relying on the old pushrod Kent engine which was decades old. As you’ll see, the rest of isn’t quite so easy.Ī British car to beat the world, said the press adverts for the Metro – or Austin miniMetro as it was first known – and indeed in some areas the car was ahead of the competition. Its origins in the Mini have been both its salvation and its downfall as a classic – back in the day, an MoT-failed Metro was usually descended on within minutes by Mini owners and stripped of its running gear, but today it does at least mean that the legions of Mini parts suppliers can cater for the A-Series powertrain. ![]() ![]() ![]() Once a regular in the best seller charts, the Metro is one of those everyday cars which has suddenly dropped off the radar and even the extensively redesigned Rover Metro is now a rare sight in everyday use.Īll of which means that the humble Metro has now regained a great deal of appeal if not as a better-driving alternative to the Mini but for its curiosity value alone. But ask yourself this: if you fancy a Mini for its giant-killing performance and handling but you just can’t live with its many compromises, then what about a car which offers all the fun of the Issigonis original but with a better driving position, much more interior space, a practical hatchback boot, a more comfortable ride… and a far cheaper entry price? That, in a nutshell is the Metro which – although Mini fans will hate me for saying it – took all the good bits of the original Mini and made them better. Here’s what you need to know before buying one.ĭestined to be outlived by the very car it was intended to replace, the Metro was once something of a laughing stock, especially among the diehard Mini fans. Often called the thinking man’s Mini, the MG Metro is a fast appreciating and endangered national treasure. ![]()
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