While the Metro was a huge seller in the UK, it had gained a reputation for unreliability and lacklustre build quality early in its career which dented its appeal in foreign markets, where the likes of the Volkswagen Polo, Fiat Uno and Peugeot 205 were firmly established favourites. Alex Moulton that it should be interconnected front-to-rear as opposed to side-to-side as was found on the production version. The Hydragas suspension also gave the car a harsh, bouncy ride despite pleas from the system's inventor Dr. The lack of a 5-speed transmission would become a major handicap as time went on - the BMC sump-mounted gearbox was never developed to accommodate an extra gear ratio, which was a severe handicap against the opposition. The 1985 Metro 6R4 was equipeed with a mid mounted V6 engine, four wheel drive and a top speed of over 120mph.Ī mild facelift during 1985 saw some minor styling modifications to the Metro's front end, along with a new dashboard design and the long-awaited 5-door version but little else was changed. Soon afterwards there was an MG Metro 1.3 Turbo with a top speed of 110mph. The Vanden Plas version was biased towards luxury and high equipment levels, while the more powerful MG Metro 1.3 sold as a sports model. The Metro range was expanded during 1982 to include the Vanden Plas and MG versions. Initially, the Metro was sold as a hatchback with just three doors.Ī press photograph from BL of the Austin Mini Metro range at the time of launch in 1980 The hatchback body shell was one of the most spacious of its time and this was a significant factor in its popularity. The Metro used the Hydragas suspension system found on the Allegro. Yet some of the Mini's underpinnings were carried over into the Metro, namely the 998 cc and 1275 cc A-Series engines and much of the front-wheel drivetrain and four-speed manual gearbox. The Austin Metro was intended as a replacement for the Mini, but used a larger design which was badged as being more modern and practical. In the autumn of 1980, British Leyland introduced one of the most common and instantly recognisable cars in Britain since the Mini 21 years earlier. The range was cancelled in 1998, effectively replaced by the Rover 200. The car wore many names: Austin Metro, MG Metro, Rover Metro and Rover 100 series for its passenger cars. It was developed at Leyland Cars under the codename LC8. The Rover Metro was a hatchback automobile of "supermini" size, originally launched in 1980 as the Austin Mini Metro ('miniMETRO' to give the official badging), intended to replace the Mini.
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