READERS’ CARS AUSTIN ALLEGRO ESTATE
Between the 1980s and the early years of this century, Allegro jokes were a stock in trade of wits who regarded Little and Large as their comedy role models. Fortunately, tedious references to square steering wheels are now fading from memory. Today Steve Young's 1975 Allegro 1300 estate that goes by the name of Ada attracts a vast amount of positive attention. It is also one of the rarest members of the ADO67 family, because the Series 1 estates were only built for approximately 100 days before the Series 2 came out.
The Allegro saloon made its bow in May 1973 as the replacement for the ADO16 1100/1300 family. However, BL would not introduce the estate versions until June of 1975, with the 1300 Super De Luxe costing £1880 and the 1500 Super De Luxe priced at £1976. A spokesperson told the press that its delayed launch was because ‘there is no point in making derivatives until the basic car is being made in quantity.’ Leyland anticipated the estate would amount to 12% of Allegro sales and that 70% of buyers would defect from other marques, with 300 examples leaving the
