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The 1980 International Motor Show was quite an event for my ten-year-old self, and two cars in particular attracted vast crowds at the NEC. Both seemed to truly belong to the new decade at a time of so many 1970s relics. The first was the Ford Escort Mk. III, with its FWD layout and distinctive hatchback body. The second was the undoubted star of the BL display – ‘A British Car To Beat The World’.

The launch of the Austin Mini Metro took place on the 8^th October 1980, and we will commemorate this important date in motoring history with a special blog. Here, we detail Part One of “The Metro Saga”, which dates back to the early-1970s with Project ADO88. Keith Adams’s fascinating tale of its development may be accessed here, where he notes that:

When Sir Michael Edwardes and the new Austin-Morris chief, Ray Horrocks looked at the ADO88 for the first time in January 1978, both realised immediately that it needed re-evaluation. It was, though, too late in the development cycle to make any drastic changes to the car.

The resulting change to the now-familiar LC8 body shape under the guidance of David Bache was arguably as much a key to the Metro’s future success as its pricing and layout. It looked up to the minute – arguably more so than certain competitors – while still conveying sight overtones of the Mini.  

The debut of the Metro was heralded by a television advertisement that was, frankly, hilariously over the top

However, forty years ago, British Leyland was so often used as a punchline by comedians of varying degrees of talent, that such an attractive mass-produced car was greeted with relief and acclaim. And in 1980  “Buying British”  was still important to many fleet and private owners alike.

Of course, the Metro faced a quite formidable array of rivals, but the fact that so many were long-established worked in its favour. UK sales of the Ford Fiesta commenced in 1977; the VW Polo made its bow in 1975 while the Peugeot 104, Renault 5, Honda Civic and Fiat 127 all hailed from the early 1970s. As for the Talbot Sunbeam and the Vauxhall Chevette, they were both larger than the new BL car and RWD.

Roy Harry, the Motoring Editor of The Guardian ominously referred to a new model whose failure would ‘put the future of  BL Cars in jeopardy’. However, ‘for those who want to move up from a Mini the Metro is an answer’. Motor of the 18^th October 1980 proclaimed, ‘the world’s first test and its good news!’.  Autocar of 6^th December 1980 thought the flagship 1.3 HLS was ‘very good, excellently planned, very versatile indeed’.  It was also ‘comfortably better than any of the Japanese offerings so far seen’, which must have been music to the ears of many a BL dealer.

The April 1981 edition of Car magazine evaluated the same version opposite a 5TS and a Fiesta 1300S. At £4,381.51 the Austin was the most expensive of the trio, but the test concluded it had ‘taken a very big step towards the acceptability of the small car’. The article also complained that the early models suffered from transmission whine akin to ‘a mother-in-law complaining from the depths of a cabin trunk consigned to Outer Mongolia’ (!) but in all the Metro was ‘superior to both the Renault and the Ford’. Meanwhile, William Boddy of  Motor Sport  was even more impressed:

What Leyland is offering is a modern small car which possesses seemingly impossible roominess inside considering its modest 88.6″ wheelbase, which comes up to the standards of quietness,  good ride, and performance averaged by its rivals, with the bonus of good fuel economy and 12,000 mile servicing intervals.

All of which is what the average driver required of a modern “supermini”.  Naturally, my younger self was only vaguely aware of such issues – but even then, I sensed the Metro was a very significant car indeed. As virtually any owner will happily inform you.

Why choose Lancaster Insurance?

Here at Lancaster, we love classic cars as much as you do and we understand what it takes to protect them for future generations.

We have links with some of the top classic car clubs around the country and some of our policies even offer discounts of up to 25% for club members.

Other benefits of classic car insurance through Lancaster can include:

• Historic rally cover
• Static show cover
• Limit mileage discounts
• Choice of repairer
• 24-hour claims helpline

Give your classic the protection it deserves and get a quote for your Austin today.