Austin Metro

[www.doyouremember.co.uk]

The Austin Metro, aka Austin miniMetro was a small three- and five-door hatchback intended to replace the ailing and out of fashion Austin Mini with a more modern angular body. To cut costs, Austin/Leyland management decided not to further advance it's 16v engine prototypes, leaving the Metro stuck with the positively ancient Mini drivetrain. In the end, Rover's adoption of Honda engines produced a more effective vehicle. But among its many failings, it never did replace the Mini, who's production lasted two more years (in it's original form). Poor build, dodgy automatic chokes and rust killed it. In the end, it lacked the one thing the Mini had to address the negatives; it had neither charm nor soul.

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[Richard1978]

Re: Austin Metro

My Mum had one from 1984 to 1994.

It served us fairly well until it started to rust & my brother managed to write it off in an not too serious accident.

[Finnthedude]

Re: Austin Metro

I learned to drive in one! Later on in life I had mucho fun when I transplanted the 1275 from an MG Metro into a Mini. Then even more fun (and a lot more work) when I finally got my hands on an MG Metro Turbo engine and box that also found its way into a Mini. I do miss my Mini's but when you're 6'5" they aren't the best as an everyday car

Cheers,
Finnthedude.

[Powdered toast man]

Re: Austin Metro

I had a Metro Clubman on a H plate. It was a 1275 A series and it ended up having a Weber carb and hardened pistons/crankshaft fitted to it. Plus a cherry bomb exhaust! It looked like a bog-standard shopping trolley but it could wipe the floor with my mate's Nova GTE!