![]() It was built by a long line of robots at a specially built factory at Longbridge, and with the Montego and Maestro at Cowley these were some of the most up to date factories in Europe for a while. The Metro was a far better car than the Mini, it was quiet and comfortable, and far more refined. Initially aimed at replacing the Mini, the two models eventually ran side by side, with the Mini Surviving the newer car by three years. Finally the government assisted the ailing company and the Metro was born. After the 1100/1300 ADO16 the management had lost their way. The ADO88 was the Metro, though it was to change, and change again, and again, before it finally arrived as the LC8, (Leyland Cars model 8.) Poor BMC had plunged sidelong to become BMH which had eventually been taken over by Leyland. ‘Metro’ was chosen from a vote at the factory by the workers in 1979, (the name ‘Maestro’ came second, and ‘Match’ was also popular.) The model was launched as an Austin on 8th October 1980. As nearly everyone knew of the inception of the new model initially meant to replace the Mini, the Austin Allegro body was used to do the long term testing of the new Metro mechanics. This was quickly corrected by the now familiar crease that runs along each side of the car. The very first ADO88, as the design office had labelled the Metro, was shown to the public to test the water so to speak, failed miserably on its slab-sided styling. Griffin was responsible for guiding the car for years through the maze of BMC and BL till its actual production in 1982. A fellow named Charles Griffin was the catalyst for the Metro, with Fred Coultas as the suspension designer. Triple ‘M’ how ever within MG circles refers to the pre-war Magnette, Magna and Midget, so we tend to refer to the later cars as the MG’M’ models. The end result was the triple-‘M’- MG’s of the Metro, Maestro and Montego. However, the market was still there for a more sporting version of the mother company’s family saloons. The little open topped sports cars had all gone by 1981, not many firms were building open cars due to the American markets jittery attitude to the effects of one Ralph Nader and his cronies. The survival rate of the model is very low indeed.īack in the early 1980’s MG were to take a completely different tack on the car markets. The Metro, (Austin, MG and Rover versions,) are disappearing fast. But twenty-five years have gone by, and the car is now getting rare. It seems that only a few years ago the little MG Metro was introduced to the world. This feature from the October 2007 edition of Safety Fast! follows the story of the MG Metro that was introduced to the world back in 1982. Reproduction in whole or in part of any article published on this website is prohibited without written permission of The MG Car Club.
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