The Austin Metro is a supermini car and city car manufactured by British Leyland and Rover Group from 1980 to 1998. The Austin Metro was, for a few years at least, Britain's most stylish automobile, introduced in patriotic pride. As a result of its 17-year production run, the company sold more than two million units.
History of Austin Metro
From 1980 until 1998, British Leyland (BL) and, later, the Rover Group manufactured the Metro, a supermini automobile that eventually became a city car. British Leyland introduced the Austin MiniMetro in 1980 to complement and later became the replacement of the Mini. The company created the model under the codename LC8 and was awarded the Car of The Year of What Car? in 1983 as an MG and a Rover in 1991. The Metro went through numerous names during its 18-year run, including Austin Metro, MG Metro, and Rover Metro. In December 1994, the model received a rebadge and became the Rover 100 series. Morris Metro and later Metrovan van variants were also available. Austin marketed the Metro at the time of its initial release. Starting in 1982, the MG version of the car was available for purchase. The Austin nameplate was dropped in 1987, and the automobile was marketed only as the Metro. The Metro was only offered as a Rover from 1990 to 1998. After its 1995 introduction, the R3 generation Rover 200 was not marketed as a successor for the Metro. Finally, Rover 100 production came to an end in 1998, outlived by the original Mini that it was supposed to replace by three years. In all, there were 2,078,218 metros of all varieties manufactured.
Price
The list below consists of the prices for the model's initial release:
- MiniMetro 1.0 - £3,095 (£14,141 or $18,468 in 2022)
- MiniMetro 1.0 L - £3,495 (£15,969 or $20,855 in 2022)
- MiniMetro 1.0 HLE - £3,695 (£16,882 or $22,047 in 2022)
- MiniMetro 1.3 - £3,995 (£18,253 or $23,838 in 2022)
- MiniMetro 1.3 HLS - £4,296 (£19,628 or $25,634 in 2022)
Features
The Metro was a top performer in riding and control throughout its existence, but early models had a habit of pitching over specific vibrations. Enhanced in 1984 and completely cured in 1990 by integrating Hydragas laterally. If you're taller than average, you can have difficulty getting into the car. Austin and British Leyland reduced Rear-seat room on later models due to better-fitting seats that accounted for the more upright riding posture. More features include the sunroof, leather-bound steering wheel, tinted windows, and polished wood door cappings. David Bache and Harris Mann were responsible for the Metro's architecture. The Mini inspired the design, with 998 and 1275 cc A-series motors and a front-wheel-drive system. The company used the Austin Allegro's suspension, but the hatchback's body shell gave a lot of storage capacity. The Metro's hatchback design was a crucial factor in its success. The interior of the car has a symmetrical dashboard designed by Bach.
Specs
The 1981 Austin Metro 1.0 engine delivers 44 hp (32 kW) at 5,450 rpm and 52 lb-ft (71 Nm) at 3,000 rpm of torque. The Austin Metro accelerates from 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) in 17.1 seconds with a top speed of 81 mph (130 kph) and a curb weight of 1,653 lbs (750 kgs). Austin offered the Metro as a front-wheel-drive (FWD) model offered in different transmissions and engines:
- 1.0 L A-Series I4
- 1.3 L A-Series I4
- 1.3 L A-Series turbo I4
- 4-speed BMC Manual transmission (ADO88/LC8)
- 4-speed BMC-AP automatic (ADO88/LC8)
Release Date
British Leyland introduced the Austin Metro in 1980. The Metro was only available as a Rover from 1990 until discontinued in 1998.