Horrid thing.
I agree, but I always thought the MG versions looked quite good in certain colours (British Racing Green or red), particularly the later ones with all the colour coded parts and the cross spoke alloys.
I'm told by several former owners that the common or garden MG Maestro 2.0i was a cruelly underrated car, and a far more capable in every way than the XR3i. Not something I've ever yearned to find out for myself, I have to say.
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...horrid thing...
The base models were, but many owners - including my brother - were very impressed with the amount of room in it.
A greenhouse on wheels.
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Not something I've ever yearned to find out for myself I have to say.
Me neither. I love to try different cars to get a feel for them (even boring every-day cars) and add yet another "bed notch", but I can safely say I won't be looking to add the Maestro to my list, even if that version is actually OK! ;)
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My Mum had an MG Maestro 2.0EFi in the early 90s. Every Christmas I would drive it from Carmarthen to Ashington (Northumberland) to pick up grandparents, take them back to Carmarthen and then back to Ashington after New Year. And of course, back to Carmarthen afterwards. I became very familiar with the M50 and the Wye Knot pub near the border.
Living in Nottingham at the time, I had the pleasure of getting to and from Carmarthen to undertake this marathon in my unreliable, nasty, B-reg Ford Orion 1.6L, which was an utter shed which my grandparents refused to travel in, hence the trip to get the Maestro. The Maestro felt like an arrival from the 21st century in comparison to the Ford. It's power and grip were a world apart from anything I'd ever driven at the time, and frankly my memory still compares it favourably to all the cars I've owned or driven since. With the exception of my Alfa 33s of course. Aaaaaahhhhh.......................not many of them left around, to get back on topic. But then they were never that popular I suppose, which was a shame particularly with the last generation of the model having been properly galvanised. My particular example of that breed (and my last Alfa, boo hoo) died when the cam belt (or was it a chain?) accounted for the entire engine on a rainy day on the M25.
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But then they were never that popular I suppose
More than you think. In the first full year of production, over 100,000 Maestros were sold, although tellingly, sales dropped rapidly, year-by-year after that.
In all, by 1994 over 600,000 of the things were sold.
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Sorry, OB, I meant that the Alfa 33 wasn't all that popular.
A few Maestros can still be seen plodding around here. Although the most surprising car I see in every day use around Reading is T-reg (suffix of course) Fiat Strada. How the hell that has survived I have no idea. It looks a complete basket case too, not exactly looked after. Always makes me smile though. Others think I'm some kind of barmpot to be pleased and impressed to see such a thing.
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T-reg (suffix of course) Fiat Strada. How the hell that has survived I have no idea.
Blimey, I haven't seen one of those in aeons. My uncle bought one new in 1983 (105TC) and it was a fantastic drive, but literally fell apart around him. Engine was great and didn't miss a beat, but the car itself looked and felt completely knackered at 2 years old and 25,000 miles. I can't believe anyone has kept one going for that long.
Re: the Maestro sales success, I grew up in Oxford where Rover / BL was a major employer (now of course the plant is owned by BMW/MINI). Their staff discount scheme was very generous and extended to friends and family. Not surprisingly, the roads were awash with Metros, Maestros and Montegos. It was always a surprise to me to go to other towns and cities and see noticeably fewer Rover products on the roads. They were also very easy to steal, so kept the local joyriders happy for a while.
Edited by DP on 20/10/2009 at 12:20
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Their staff discount scheme was very generous and extended to friends and family.
Given that about 100,000 people worked in the whole group (in the early 80s), that must have covered about 1/2 the population of the UK! :)
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Sorry OB I meant that the Alfa 33 wasn't all that popular.
Of course, I haven't see one of those on the roads for years. Come to think of it, every time I did see one, it was always parked up and never actually moving...
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Around Bucks I sometimes see the odd Montego estate or a metro here & there.
The other day whilst in town I saw a Y-reg Granny estate parked up on a side road, it was still in good condition.
When down in Weymouth on my holiday, I saw an old T-reg Jag XJ6, in what looks like in restored condition.
Upto about the early 90's the later Ford Cortina was a regular on our roads, but only see them in shows nowadays.
I suppose if you keep your eyes open whilst out & about you will see some timewarp examples.
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Upto about the early 90's the later Ford Cortina was a regular on our roads but only see them in shows nowadays.
One of the staff at a gym I used to go to had a late 1970s Cortina until recently.
It was quite odd seeing it parked there amongst all the modern cars, it was totally dwarfed even by superminis, and yet I remember it seeming a big car in its day.
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A clean-looking 33 turns up in Limoges every now and again. I have fond memories of our 33 1.7 Sportwagon. It did a 60 miles a day commute for years without ever failing on the road and was a hoot to drive, even though you had to use the sides of your feet because the pedals were so titchy. Didn't fall apart with rust either, although we only lived about 100 metres from the sea.
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I nearly bought a white 90 'H Astra GTE 16V in about 1996.
I'd been drooling over a grey one in our village so when this white example turned up, I jumped at it.
I remember the rainbow stripe interior and electronic dash - very smart and sporty I though at the time.
I didnt buy it in the end as the offside had slightly off white paint compared to the rest of the car so I felt it must've been in an accident.
Dont remember the performance to be that startling however. Perhaps I was driving it wrong. Just felt it wasnt so much faster than my 8V 2.0 Cavalier at normal speeds.
They say dont meet your heroes - that was one in my case that turned out to be a bit dissapointing.
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How true, David. Happened to me driving an Alfa 156 Sportwagon. 1.8 petrol version. I was so excited at the prospect of it, but it felt a million miles more civilised than my old 33s and Sud, and a 155 with which I had been acquainted. I felt this to be a bad thing. I still hanker after an Alfa GT or 166, but I am frightened that the reality will not live up to my expectations. Then all the electrics will blow, confirming them.
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There is a brown Allegro Vandan Plas 1500 on an S reg which has been parked on a road near me all week. Hope it has not been dumped.
I remember Allegros were common until about 1993.
As for Alfas I do not remember the last time I sae a pre 2000 example.
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The car that really has done an astonishing disappearing act it the Austin Metro - I can't remember when I last saw one. There are still quite a few of the Rover 100s about, which were heavily revised Metros, but you never see any of the original types, with the A-series engine. A long time ago we had one - it was OK apart from appalling rust, which probably gives a clue why we never see any!
It's like we've wiped the Metro from our collective memories - the car that was to save the British motor industry - but failed!
Edited by Sofa Spud on 20/10/2009 at 18:36
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I saw an F reg one last year, so one of the very last of the pre Rovers. I remember seeing a clip on You Tube made in 1991 by Quentin Wilson and he was saying that even E and F platers have started to rust.
I don't see many Rover 100s round here, there is probably 20 MK3/MK4 Fiestas per every Rover 100.
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The car that really has done an astonishing disappearing act it the Austin Metro - I can't remember when I last saw one.
I saw an early one the other day, maybe the same white MG referred to way above in this thread.
It was mint, as good as the day it left the factory.
Not sure what reg it was, but definitely pre Rover 100.
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