AUSTIN/ROVER/MG METRO (1980-1997)
As reversals in fortunes go, the Metro must be up there. A resounding success initially, it became a bit of a joke later in its life, and would be outlived by the Mini – the car it was intended to replace. To add insult to injury, many a Metro lost its life as a Mini engine donor, and there was a point when you could barely give them away. And yet, the Metro is now something of an unlikely national treasure.
Arriving in 1980, the miniMetro – as it was initially called – was BL’s great hope despite being even later than the Fiesta to the supermini market. And it all looked so promising as the Metro outsold its Ford rival in 1982 and 1983. Sure, it may have had an ageing A-Series under the bonnet in either 998 or 1275cc form, but let’s not forget that the Metro was developed in an
