AUSTIN/MG MAESTRO
The genesis of the Maestro can be traced back to the middle of the 1970s. Intended to freshen-up BL’s outdated range, it was developed along conventional paths in the vein of the Volkswagen Golf and forthcoming Ford Escort Mk3 – so no Hydragas suspension here. Following a somewhat drawn-out development programme, it was March 1983 before the Maestro was officially launched.
Engine options initially consisted of the entry-level 1.3- or 1.6-litre units, with trim levels ranging through L, HLE, Vanden Plas and the sporty, range-topping MG Maestro. While the A-Plus 1275cc engine offered acceptable levels of performance and was noted for its efficiency, the larger 1.6-litre R-Series was a development of the E-Series and nothing more than a stopgap, as it was always set to be replaced in the Maestro by the revised S-Series at the launch of the Montego in 1984.
Road testers in period largely praised the ride and handling of the Maestro, but in the face of stiff competition from the likes of Ford, VW, Vauxhall and the popular French marques of the time, it was all acceptable rather than revolutionary.
That said, the Maestro did break new ground in a couple of ways. Body-coloured bumpers and a bonded laminated windscreen might have been unusual at the time, but more interesting was the adoption of the infamous talking dashboard in the MG and Vanden Plas models. It provided an LED display of the car’s vital functions
