MISUNDERSTOOD? – THE AUSTIN ALLEGRO SERIES 3
By Andrew Roberts |
24th March, 2021
For many years the Austin Allegro was the subject of myth, folklore, received wisdom and downright abuse. Fortunately, the once-familiar “British Leyland Jokes” appear to have largely vanished, and any surviving model is now an object of fascination. This is especially the case with the third-generation version - one of the rarest members of the family.
The Series 3 debuted in September 1979, six years after the original Allegro. BL, somewhat ambitiously, promised ‘Super Vroom’, but in reality, the facelift meant a new grille, a modified interior and an attractive new fascia. The line-up now consisted of 15 versions from the two-door 1.1-litre “Standard” to the 1.7 HL, the top of the range now sporting quad headlamps.
Motor tested the 1.5 HL, and they found the S3 an improvement over its predecessor but complained the gearbox was ‘as bad as ever’. £4,364 was a far from unreasonable price for a car with front fog lamps, a radio, tinted glass and a vinyl roof as standard, but BL’s quality control still appeared to be lacking. One paragraph contained the ominous phrase ‘We do not usually report the one-off mechanical disasters that occasionally afflict the cars we road-test, and indeed the Allegro suffered no major catastrophes’
However, ‘when a car is delivered with, or subsequently develops, as many defects in its trim and equipment as the Allegro, then we feel it should not go un-recorded’. These included a ‘drastically inaccurate’ tachometer, a non-functioning trip recorder, a fascia moulding that fell off, a sticking rear-door lock and several other faults.
All of such issues marred a competent machine, but the automotive press were disinclined to be indulgent. In June 1973, Motor Sport claimed, ‘All in all the Allegro is the best small car ever to come out of British Leyland’ – but that seemed a long time ago. The advent of the Ford Escort Mk. III in late 1980 further impacted the Allegro, and it failed to appear in the “Top Ten” list of best-selling cars for the last two years of its run.
Production ceased in March 1982, but unsold stocks meant that Austin Rover division brochures continue to list it for several more months. The October 1982 all-model catalogue featured the L, HL and Estate; it is quite a surprise to realise the first-named lacked reclining front seats as standard. Sales of the Allegro continued until the launch of the Maestro on the 1st March 1983.
Thirty-eight years later, it seems evident that the S3 was not a bad car, and the up-market variants represented very good value for money. It was simply a middle-aged design coming to the end of its life and competing against the likes of the Fiat Strada and the Vauxhall Astra Mk. I. And had BL maintained consistent quality control, the press reports might have been more favourable.
A further issue was by 1979, the Leyland brand was undeniably tainted, with jokes from The Two Ronnies and news bulletin after news bulletin of industrial disputes. But perhaps the main challenge to the Allegro S3’s prospects was its marketing campaign – if you thought the Morris Ital television advertisement was bad…
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