kr79:
Bmc and bl to be fair did come up with some truly innovative designs and ideas over the years but did turn out some truly lame cars in there time.
I remember seeing some initial designs for the allegro and it was a real sleek design but bl management said it had to use the same heater as either a maxi or Marina and this meant a design change and totally ruined the design.
I agree they used innovative ideas, but the workmanship and quality control was their downfall, it also looked like some of the bright young things in the design office were on something stronger than caffeine.
Pros.
Subframe Suspension.
Transverse unit engines
Hydrolastic Suspension
Metro 6R4
Maxi bed in a car
Alvis
Rover SD1
Cons
Maestro
Ital
Triumph Acclaim
K series engine
Princess
Red Ken Robinson
Square Steering Wheels
kr79:
Bmc and bl to be fair did come up with some truly innovative designs and ideas over the years but did turn out some truly lame cars in there time.
I remember seeing some initial designs for the allegro and it was a real sleek design but bl management said it had to use the same heater as either a maxi or Marina and this meant a design change and totally ruined the design.
I agree they used innovative ideas, but the workmanship and quality control was their downfall, it also looked like some of the bright young things in the design office were on something stronger than caffeine.
Pros.
Subframe Suspension.
Transverse unit engines
Hydrolastic Suspension
Metro 6R4
Maxi bed in a car
Alvis
Rover SD1
Cons
Maestro
Ital
Triumph Acclaim
K series engine
Princess
Red Ken Robinson
Square Steering Wheels
ha ha square steering wheels in the allegro-genious idea, not lol
alamcculloch:
AH,Now the Austin Maxi that really was a car.
Now that i will agree on, i had an old Maxi, it was old when I got it! Never let me down even in the middle of winter when I was working nights, it was a heap when i got it, my daughters were teenagers at the time, and like all teenagers they wanted dad to taxi them everywhere, but when i offered to take them in the Maxi, suddenly they found other transport
The 1750 engine was quite quick for a 5 door hatch and it used to supprise a few repmobiles pulling away from the lights. The old austin 1800 was ahead of its time being one of the first 5 door hatchbacks, as was the old 1100 series al la basil fawlty!
Also, wife had an MG Maestro 2.0 EFI which was a pretty quick car, it would p*** all over the golf GTI, and leave it for dust, only problem was it rusted almost as fast!
The Rover SD1 was class especially with the 3.5 litre engine, the princess was crap, but they almost made it a decent car when they produced the Ambassador, or “wedge”
I’m currently running a nine year old 45 which just passed another MOT with no bother, gives me 38+ MPG and starts on the first turn of the key, it may be unstylish by todays cars, but overall it’s not so bad.
The modern Mini is probably a great car, it’s just so annoying that it took the germans to take a great British Idea, and produce a class car which is MADE IN ENGLAND!
I’m gonna ring it’s sorry little neck.
