1983 In Motoring

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. British Leyland has had another busy year. The Austin Allegro has finally ended its production life after 10 years, following the launch of its successor - the Maestro. The new car is built at the Cowley plant in Oxford, and is sold as a five-door hatchback with an exceptionally spacious interior. It is hardly the best looking car in the world, but features many novel "extras" including a bonded laminated windscreen, body-coloured plastic bumpers, an electric engine management system and a standard five-speed gearbox - features which are still rare on comparable modern day family cars. Power comes from 1.3 and 1.6 petrol engines, and there is also a more powerful MG version (the MG Maestro 1600) which uses the 1.6 R-Series engine and is capable of 110 mph. Interior space, asking price and running costs are the car's strongest points, and a saloon version is expected next year to give British Leyland an up-to-date rival for the Ford Sierra.