AUSTIN MAESTRO

The 'Austin Maestro' is a mid-sized 5-door hatchback car that was produced by the Austin Rover subsidiary of British Leyland (BL), and its successors, from 1983 until 1994. There was also a van derivative produced. The car was produced at the former Morris plant in Cowley, Oxfordshire.

Contents

Background

Design and development

Novel features

Well received

Later developments

MG versions

MG Maestro 1600 (1983–84)

MG Maestro 2.0 EFi (1984–91)

MG Maestro Turbo (1989–91)

Decline and "rebirth"

Models

Engines

Trim levels

References

External links

Notes

Background

BL had been created in 1975 when the bankrupt British Leyland Motor Corporation was nationalised. In 1977 the South African-born corporate troubleshooter Sir Michael Edwardes was employed as Chairman to sort out the troubled firm. Part of Edwardes' plan was to introduce a completely new range of mass-market models to replace the current offerings, and which would be designed and built using state-of-the-art technology. The new range eventually decided upon would consist of a new vehicle for each of the small, lower-medium and upper-medium market segments.^[1]

Design and development

The new cars for the lower and upper medium segments were to share a platform, with various trim and styling differences to distinguish the two different models. This would give the cost benefits of production automation and flexibility. This common platform was given the project name ''LC10'', using the ''Leyland Cars'' project sequence (LC8 became the Austin Mini Metro, LC9 became the Triumph Acclaim). Preliminary design work for LC10 began in 1977.
LC10 was styled by Ian Beech under the direction of BL's ace design guru David Bache with two main body variations being provided: a five-door hatchback and a four-door notchback. It was a departure from previous front-wheel drive cars from the company in that it dispensed with the famous Issigonis transmission-in-sump powertrain that had been pioneered in the Mini. Coupled to the A-Series and R-Series powerplants was a conventional end-on transmission purchased from Volkswagen. The sophisticated Hydragas suspension system used on previous BL models was sacrificed on cost grounds, with a conventional MacPherson strut system at the front and a Volkswagen Golf style torsion beam at the rear being used instead, despite the cost in terms of lost load space. Prototypes were even tested with actual Golf suspension components.
It was decided that the five-door hatchback version would be engineered first and it was given its own project designation ''LM10'', this version was to be launched as the 'Austin Maestro'. The booted notchback version was to follow and it was designated as ''LM11'', although its development was to diverge from the original path, it was later launched as the Austin Montego.

Novel features

The ''Maestro'' incorporated many novel and pioneering features for its class. It had a bonded laminated windscreen, homofocal headlamps, body-coloured plastic bumpers, an electronic engine management system, a five-speed gearbox, adjustable front seat belt upper anchorage positions, an asymmetrically split rear seat, and a 12,000 mile service interval. The MG and Vanden Plas versions had solid-state instrumentation with digital speedometer and vacuum fluorescent analogue displays for tachometer, fuel and temperature gauges, trip computer and a voice synthesis warning and information system.

Well received

The ''Maestro'' was launched in March 1983. In its summing up of the new car the Consumers' Association, in the June edition of its ''Which?'' journal,^[2] described it as roomy, comfortable, and nice to drive, and said "If you are considering buying one now, our advice, based on our first impressions, is to go ahead." In January 1984, after testing the car they concluded "In comparison with opposition of a similar price and body size, the Maestro has a clear advantage on room for passengers, with few cars equalling it for comfort either in the front or back". They also considered it to be a serious rival to the higher segment Vauxhall Cavalier and Ford Sierra, apart from its smaller boot space.^[3]

Later developments

The car was a reasonable success, but not as much as beleaguered BL had hoped. After the "boom" years of 1986 and 1987, Maestro sales had gone into terminal decline. An early reputation for poor build quality and unreliability did not help. The biggest problems centred around the 1.6 L R-Series engine, which had been hurriedly transplanted from the Austin Maxi as the under-development S-Series unit was not yet ready for production. R-Series units suffered from hot starting problems and premature crankshaft failure.
The new S-Series engine eventually appeared in July 1984, and was fitted to all existing 1.6-litre Maestros. The new S-Series engine also came fitted with electronic ignition. At the same time, some minor equipment upgrades were made across the range. The 1.3 base model gained head restraints, a passenger door mirror and a radio. The 1.3 L, 1.3 HLE, 1.6 L, 1.6 Automatic and 1.6 HLS all gained a radio/cassette player.
In October 1984, there were more equipment upgrades made across the range. The 1.3 base model gained reclining front seats, door bins, locking fuel filler cap and a clock. The L models gained cloth door trim, upgraded upholstery, and a remote-adjustable driver's side door mirror; the 1.6 L gained a 5-speed gearbox. The 1.3 HLE gained a 5-speed '4+E' gearbox with overdrive 5th gear ratio, side mouldings, cloth upholstery, tweed upholstery and a remote-adjustable passengers' side door mirror. The HLS and 1.6 Automatic gained tinted glass, central locking, electric front windows, velour upholstery and an upgraded radio/cassette player. The MG Maestro gained an electronic fuel-injected 115bhp version of the 2-litre O-Series engine, uprated suspension and ventilated front disc brakes, colour-keyed exterior trim, tinted glass, central locking and a leather-trimmed steering wheel.
Also in October 1984, the existing Maestro lineup was joined by the '1.3 HL' and '1.6 HL'. These models fitted between the L and HLE models.
August 1985 saw the arrival of the '1.3 City' and '1.3 City X'. The 1.3 City was similar to the previous 1.3 base model. The 1.3 City X added full carpeting, cloth upholstery, head restraints, a rear parcel shelf, a radio and a manually-operated choke.
The original dashboard was of a multi-piece construction, and gained a reputation for being flimsy and prone to squeaks and rattles, so, in February 1986, this was replaced with the more conventional dashboard from the Montego. At the same time, yet even more minor equipment upgrades were made across the range. The City X gained door bins and rear wash/wipe. The L and LE gained tweed trim. The HL and Automatic gained velour trim and additional brightwork. The Vanden Plas gained part leather trim and uprated electronic stereo system.
Following BL's sale to British Aerospace in 1986 Austin badges were dropped in 1987 for the 1988 model year, and the range was sustained by the noisy but economical direct injection naturally aspirated Perkins diesel Unit launched the preceding year. Unfortunately, without a turbo this car was rather slow.
In 1992 the 81bhp high revving Perkins turbo diesel unit from the Montego was launched, in the now reduced Maestro range (after the launch of the Rover 200/400), as a Clubman or DLX. The turbo improved refinement, as well as performance, at no cost to fuel economy. The only other engine option was the elderly 1.3 A-series.
In 1993 What Car? buyers' guide section said 'Yes, its old, but nowadays it's also very cheap. Popularity of noisy but economical and surprisingly rapid turbodiesel is what keeps this roomy car going.'
Also in 1993, The Automobile Association road tested the Turbo Diesel. Their Verdict: 'You're hardly likely to buy a Maestro diesel to improve your street cred! For turning heads, the 218/418 diesel is a much better proposition. However, disinterested passengers love the back seat, while the driver can relish the model's marked reluctance to visit filling stations. Here's a hatchback for buyers who are really serious about the substance rather than the image - and with a price tag that's thousands of pounds lower than most of its rivals (shown in our comparison chart), you start saving even before your first forecourt stop. Unless you're averse to gearchanging, this unpretentious Maestro turbo-diesel, at its competitive price, can't seriously be faulted.'
In 1995, production was transferred to Bulgaria, in CKD form, and production continued until 1997, when the remaining CKD kits were sent back to Britain,and the model was once again made available to the motoring public as 'Ledbury' Maestros. The National database for Motoring Insurance has records of models registered between R and 02 number plates, making overall production of the Maestro in the United Kingdom, from 1983 until 2002.
The tooling was then sold to China; and, as of July 2007, the Maestro is available to the Chinese motoring market in both hatchback and van models.

MG versions

MG Maestro 1600 (1983–84)

Rushed into production against engineers' advice at the launch in early 1983, the original MG Maestro was a disaster. Its 1.6 litre R-Series engine ran rough, was difficult to start when cold, and its Weber twin carburettors were plagued with problems. And it never seem quite capable of producing its impressive-sounding 102bhp. After just one year in production, the MG Maestro 1600 was shelved.

MG Maestro 2.0 EFi (1984–91)

After a brief interval, the MG Maestro was relaunched with a fuel injected 2.0 engine that gave considerably better performance than its predecessor. Handling and performance were good, and gave Austin Rover its first serious rival for the Golf GTI and Escort XR3i.

MG Maestro Turbo (1989–91)

With the Rover Group only a few months away, the limited edition (500 + 5 press cars) MG Maestro Turbo (launched in early 1989) was the final car from ARG. It made use of the 2.0's already impressive engine, but the combination of carburettor and turbocharger gave it a top speed of almost 130 mph and an 0-60 mph time of under 7 seconds. It was faster than the majority of its competitors, but the high performance, Tickford designed bodykit and alloys did little to disguise the fact that it was very much still a Maestro. Sales were slow though, as it appeared six years after the Maestro's launch.
Production of the MG Maestro finished in 1991, as Rover was concentrating on the new 200 and 400 models, though the standard Maestro remained in production until December 1994.

Decline and "rebirth"

The arrival of the Rover 600 in 1993 saw the closure of the Maestro/Montego assembly line, but small-scale production in Complete knock down (CKD) form continued until 1994, when BMW's takeover of Rover saw the plug finally being pulled on production almost immediately.
An abortive attempt to sell the Maestro production tooling to a Bulgarian company in the mid-1990s left hundreds of Maestros in CKD kit form. As recently as 2001 it was still possible to buy a brand new Maestro, although only in left hand drive form, since Etsong, a Chinese tobacco company, bought the rights to the Maestro and Montego, and started production in 2000 in Qingdao, China. A company in Ledbury, UK was able to offer cars that had been converted to right hand drive. In 2003, the Etsong Lande was revised to feature the Maestro body with the front end of the Montego.
The rear lighting units of the van version lived on until 1998 in the Series I Land Rover Discovery.
The Maestro was replaced by the Rover 200. 605,410 Austin Maestros were produced and approximately 45,000 MG Maestros were produced.
The Maestro was maligned throughout its production life for suspect build quality, questionable reliability, and a general lack of design flair compared to its rivals. Despite this, it still managed to achieve 605,410 sales in Britain alone thanks to a spacious interior, competitive asking price and low running costs, although it failed to match the success of the Ford Escort and Vauxhall Astra. The fact that the company's similar-sized Rover 200 range was one of Britain's strongest sellers during this period serves to highlight the confused development and branding strategies which arguably led to the demise of the British motor industry.
A survey by Auto Express magazine, conducted in August 2006, revealed that the Maestro was Britain's ninth most scrapped car of the last 30 years, with just 11,574 examples still in working order in the United Kingdom.
Many Maestros were claimed by rust, corrosion and mechanical problems, but a large number were also finished off by joyriders who preyed on the car's inadequate security features. Like most pre-1989 BL cars, the Maestro cannot be easily converted to run on unleaded petrol without re-machining the cylinder head, which is why very few 1980s examples are still in existence. Sadly, many people are unaware that there are available, FHBVC (Federation of Historic British Vehicle Clubs), tested and approved lead replacement fuel additives, that work out at only a couple of pence a litre.
The Maestro benefits from enthusiast clubs in the UK, offering support to those trying to maintain examples of the car.

Models

Engines

★ 1983–1993 - 1275 cc ''A-Series'' I4, 68 hp (51 kW) at 5800 rpm and 75 ft·lbf (102 Nm) at 3500 rpm

★ 1983–1985 - 1275 cc ''A-Series'' I4, 64 hp (48 kW) at 5500 rpm and 73 ft·lbf (99 Nm) at 3500 rpm ''HLE''

★ 1983–July 1984 - 1598 cc ''R-Series'' I4, 81 hp at 5500 rpm and 91 ft·lbf at 3500 rpm

★ 1983–July 1984 - 1598 cc ''R-Series'' I4, 103 hp at 6000 rpm and 100 ft·lbf at 4000 rpm ''MG''

★ 1984–1993 - 1598 cc ''S-Series'' I4, 85 hp at 5600 rpm and 97 ft·lbf at 3500 rpm

★ July 1984–October 1984 - 1598 cc ''S-Series'' I4, 103 hp at 6000 rpm ''MG''

★ 1984–1992 - 1994 cc ''O-Series'' I4, 115 hp ''MG EFi and 2.0i''

★ 1988–1990 - 1994 cc ''O-Series'' I4, 152 hp ''MG Turbo''

★ 1990–1992 - 1994 cc Austin/Rover MDi - Perkins Prima NA I4, 62 hp

★ 1992–1994 - 1994 cc Austin/Rover MDi - Perkins Prima TD I4, 81 hp at 4500 rpm and 116 ft·lbf at 2500 rpm
Some prototype versions have a 1.8-litre petrol or Volkswagen's 1.9 diesel engine; these were never used.

Trim levels

On the 1984-1990 versions the Maestro was available in the following trim levels:

★ L

★ LE

★ City

★ Clubman

★ LX

★ SL

★ SLX

★ Vanden Plas

References

★ The British Motor Industry, 1945-94: A Case Study in Industrial Decline, Timothy Whisler, , , , , ISBN 0-19-829074-8

★ The Unofficial Austin Rover Web Resource

External links

★ Maestro and Montego Owners Club

★ MG 'M' Group (Owners Club for MG Metro, Maestro & Montego)

★ MG Maestro Turbo Tickford Register

★ Triple M (Maestro, Montego and Metro enthusiasts group including all Austin and MG models)

★ The AA Car Report - Austin Maestro Clubman Turbo-diesel Jul 1993 Test Extra

Notes

1. The British Motor Industry, 1945-94: A Case Study in Industrial Decline, Timothy Whisler, , , , , ISBN 0-19-829074-8
2. First Impressions: Austin Maestro, , , , Which?, 1983
3. Austin Maestro, , , , Which?, 1984