It’s fair to say that, at the start of the 1980s, British I Leyland was in a state of utter turmoil but, when the new Austin Rover Group (ARG) emerged from the ashes as part of the Michael Edwardes restructuring plan in late 1981, there were glimmers of hope. It was hope that came with pain and also the disappearance of some of the most treasured brands, among them Triumph and, for a short while at least, MG.
The newly-formed Austin Rover Group’s priority was to ensure that the new Metro sold in decent volumes and also to get behind the launch of the rapidly approaching Maestro and Montego models, which represented ARG’s volume opportunity. As anyone who’s ever worked in the automotive industry knows, if the volume models aren't selling then the niche models don't stand a chance,
