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Austin Metro - British space miracle on wheels

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Created on April 20, 2020

Text:

Daniel Koch

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

3

Bruno von Rotz

38

Archiv

14

Daniel Reinhard

3

Bruno von Rotz

38

Archiv

14

Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - Mini feeling in the Metro

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - Fun dwarf

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - It was more aerodynamic than it looks

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - A street flea when compared with today's automobiles

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - Not a racing car, but fast on the road

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - He did not survive the Classic Mini

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - A rarity on our roads

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - The little one finally got a tailgate

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - Compact three-door car

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - The lively small car is fun to drive

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - Tiny on wheels

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - It was to inherit the Mini

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - Every centimeter exploited

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - Tightly cut, perfect use of space

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - Good overview thanks to narrow columns

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - Loading master thanks to tailgate

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - Mini rims from the accessory rack

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - Plastic in the cockpit

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - A radio is not on board

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - Everything you need is there

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - Simple cockpit

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - Functional ambience

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - Simple surroundings

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - Red stitched seats in the special model

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - Switch from the Austin shelf

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - Naughty Moritz

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - Special Edition Moritz

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - Special Edition Moritz

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - Whether the marketing people have ever been to St. Moritz

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - Whether Moritz was ever in St. Moritz

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - An exterior mirror was only available on the driver's side

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - The 1.3 liter engine is easily enough to keep up with the traffic

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - The carburetor needs the help of the choke after starting

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - four-cylinder engine with 1.3 liter displacement

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - Over 600 KG payload

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Mini Metro (1981) - The importance of the cw value is demonstrated by 51 projectors with digital control on a large screen measuring 2.5 x 9 meters

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Mini Metro (1982) - at the 1982 Geneva Motor Show - cutaway model shows the technical secrets

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Mini Metro (1981) - attractively priced despite the high pound sterling exchange rate, smartly and comfortably furnished

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Mini Metro (1982) - the successor could do almost everything better, but it didn't become more iconic

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Mini Metro (1982) - it was only built for 14 years, while its "predecessor" lasted over 40 years

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Austin Metro Politan by Crayford (1981) - convertible sedan with roll bar

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - Sales brochure front page

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Mini Metro 6R4 - The Group B Mini Metro at the 1986 Monte Carlo Rally

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Mini Metro 6R4 - The Group B Mini Metro at the 1986 Monte Carlo Rally

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MG Metro 6R4 Group B (1984) - press presentation of the prototype, still without spoiler front and rear, but with the decapitated Rover engine on board

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MG Metro 6R4 (1986) - View of the longitudinally mounted engine

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MG Metro 6R4 (1986) - with British registration, but left-hand drive

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MG Metro 6R4 (1986) - prepared for rally use

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MG Metro 6R4 (1986) - rally-style on the road

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MG Metro 6R4 (1986) - perhaps the only left-hand drive car ever

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MG EX-E (1985) - sports car study by the Austin Rover Group, based on the platform of the Rallye Metro 6R4 - top speed 275 km/h despite only 250 hp - IAA 1985

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Austin Metro HLS 1300 (1982) - Gerry Marshall Trophy Goodwood Members' Meeting 2019

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Austin Mini Metro (1983) - the almost forgotten successor to the classic Mini - Retro Classics Bavaria 2018

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Austin Metro Moritz (1984) - The Moritz variant is probably the last one in existence worldwide

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Summary

The Austin Metro had everything it needed to be successful. Nevertheless, it could not overtake the classic Mini that it was supposed to replace. We have driven the English road flea in the rare "Moritz" version and show it in many photos, and show it in current and historical pictures, as well as in the sales literature of the time.

This article contains the following chapters

Big plans
Crisis in the automotive industry
Important detail improvements
Innovation in the suspension
Good marks from the trade press
Lively and direct
MG Metro 6R4 - pitted against the really fast ones
Survived by its predecessor

Estimated reading time: 7min

Preview (beginning of the article)

It set out to inherit the original Mini, introduced in 1959 and an automotive icon like no other car. Quite a Herculean task, but the Austin Metro did a great job. We were allowed to test drive the little space miracle in the exclusive "Moritz" edition. The Mini has long been a legend on wheels, can its successor keep pace? Austin was aware that the successor to the Mini had to be able to do everything better in order to appeal to the public. So they pulled out all the stops and built a new, ultra-modern production facility in Longbridge. The Metro was the first car whose bodywork was assembled by robots. So much was invested in this that in the end there was no money left in the coffers to develop a new engine, as evil tongues claim. The Metro was therefore initially sent out on the road with the engines from the Mini. The small 998 cc engine was available with different compression ratios of 40, 44 and 38 hp, while the larger 1275 cc engine produced 63 hp.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

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