Oh my God Steph' i'm reliving my life through your car reviews. My father in-law lent us his Montego so we could go on a belated Honeymoon with our dog Dan. We went from Derbyshire and stayed in a place on the beach in Allonby, Cumbria. We toured all around the Scottish borders and the Lake District in 1991. Yes still married and yes Father in-law is still driving! Thank you so much.
Thanks Steph, what a brilliant video yet again. Your knowledge and enthusiasm is infectious and just seeing you enjoy driving these wonderful cars really brightens up my day! It is so sad that only 100 Montego's are left. Keep up the good work.
Great video as always, Steph. I always enjoy seeing cars we did not get in Canada, or else were very rare here. I always had a soft spot for English cars. The engineering is top notch, even if build quality could be spotty and rust prevention unheard of. I still wish I could have saved the 67 Austin A60 Cambridge I was given in 1977. Too bed the whole frame made Swiss cheese look solid. Keep up the good work.
My ex wife and I went to buy a less than 2 yo estate montego from a large car supermarket in Cheshire just after our daughter was born because we quite fancied one, they had loads of them there. We didn't buy one because everyone we looked at was already starting to rust and we had previously had a beautiful white Rover 213s (her car) and were devastated to watch it just evaporate in front of our eyes 😢
Had a 2.0 in British racing green as my second car. First was a 1.2 nova, so 9.1 secs to 60 felt really fast. Wish I had it now. My dad welded the sills and arches for me but more rot at the front meant the end of mine.
Great review Steph, I'm glad to see young people appreciate that British Leyland was not all incompetent and ridiculous, but actually made some pretty decent cars back in the day. I wonder why particularly the British press was/are so hard on them (think of Top Gear). I owned an MG Montego for 14 years (1986 - 2000), it was a very good car, handled well, was reasonably powerful (for the time) and it never let me down (eventually rusted, though). I did not find the interior too 'plasticky' compared to other similar cars of the era. Perhaps it's because Colin's Montego 1.6L is one of the lowest specs and you compare it to the Escort cabriolet. Convertibles are normally top of the line posh spec. I can assure you that a Escort 1.1L of the eighties was much more cheap plasticky than the the MG Montego (and BL even had a Vanden Plas version which was all wood and leather).
Thanks for the really spot on feedback Finn! It really annoys me that people are so down on BL. was a great manufacturer. Just poorly managed and poorly marketed. They’d made some real bloopers and it didn’t help matters. A real shame.
Main reason the British press were so hard on BL/ARG was they got "freebies" from foreign manufacturers to slate the homegrown offerings - mainly from companies like PSA Group, BMW and Fiat - look who owns the remains of the British Car industry now and who bought Rover in the mid 90s!
Not to rain down your party, but according to the statistics the Montego/Maestro/Metro have declined in percentages (both taxed and those kept off road) much higher than other makes of the same time, even Fords. Isn't there an obvious reason why?
I never got to own a Montego as at the time they were available the Maestro made more sense for me as a hatchback. But I agree the earlier cars were basic but as a young driver they were cheap to insure and maintain. I had 3 Allegros, 1.3 DL, 1.3 HLS S3 and a 1500 Vanden Plas. The one car in the Rover Group I really liked but never got to own was the Rover 600 as the quality was like chalk and cheese to the earlier offerings from BL.
There was one base model lower than 1.6L, I think it was 1.6 Clubman by 1990 (1.3 being dropped 2 years earlier). I owned a two-tone gold-on-grey 1.6L saloon back in 1993 (E61 FLT). I actually found the interior felt more like a car from a class above compared to the 1983 mk2 Cavalier it replaced. I thought it was pretty quick and had fun steering. By 1996, the car had to go, as it was also getting riddled with rust pretty much everywhere. I bought it whilst recalling that 1.6L advert with Russ Swift's crazy manoeuvres through a crowded car park before handbrake-turning it into the last available tight parking space.
I’m absolutely rubbish at taking compliments as all my friends would tell you, but thank you so much! I’d argue I’m an absolute novice compared to Ian but it’s a flattering comparison and I properly appreciate it. Thank you xx
@@carnbyarst670 they were registered as Rovers as it was a legal requirement to register both a manufacturer name and model name. But they were never sold or marketed as Rovers because they didn't have the luxury or prestige that Rover was trying to associate with its brand.
Ahhh, happy memories. Ran a diesel version as a company hack, very comfy. Sadly they tended to rot, though, to be fair, no worse than the competition. I do love your presentations. Thank you.
I'm from a small country in Northen Europe called Latvia. My mum worked at a bank and was given a white Rover Montego and a chauffeur. Unfortunately he crashed the car and she was given another white one. It was one of the coolest cars in a small town of around 4000 people. It was between 1992 and 1994. So many happy memories travelling with my mum to the capital on Fridays. Perhaps because I was skipping school :P
I used to drive these often during repairs in the 1980 /90s, very underrated cars. They were fast, comfortable and had a huge carrying capacity, depending on spec The company I worked for had a repair contract with the MOD, they had plenty of Montego and other BL vehicles on the fleet.
I had an Austin Montego for a few years. It wasn't a bad car, I think it got stolen in the end. I always thought of it as a booted Maestro, so I'm not surprised they share a club. I'm glad there's a club dedicated to keeping them going.
I want a Montego! it was the first 'nice' car I remember my parents ever having. & the first ever car I drove! I loved the hazard warning light switch as a kid
I don't understand why anyone would choose a Sierra or Cavalier over this when they came out in 1984. The Montego just looked so much nicer and more modern. The two American/Germans were extremely basic inside unless you got the luxury versions. The Sierra still had the all iron and rough Pinto engines + RWD and the Family II engine in the Cavalier was just as rough albeit more modern than the Sierra's. None of them had advanced technology like the programmed ignition on the Montego or the talking dash.
When they came out they looked really futuristic. I like the scooped side panels and the quirky little windows at the back on the saloon and the estate was pretty. They won design awards from the off!
BL cars got a Bad name in 70s 80s due to Trade Unions and merger of several smaller companys joining to become British Leyland POOR Quality parts and often poor workmanship, ''10am morning tea time, i,ll finish that when i come back'' but by then the car was moved and often not finished due to things not plugged in etc stupid stuff like that, LEFT the Door OPEN with the welcome mat for the Japanese!!!! I transported a BL service dept manager?? he told me about a Mini which came back with a blown head gasket, WHY did it blow the gasket, the factory had Not torqued the head down properly!!!!!!!!
Where I worked, the road warriors were really not happy when they were told that their new company cars were going to be Montegos and it took a long time for the abuse to subside. When they were in turn replaced by Peugeot 405's and still later 406's or Citroën Xantia's, they yearned for the days of their Montegos as being better workhorses.
Always thought the montego was a lovely looking car. As was the maestro. Great looking dash. Have a soft spot for BL and Rover. The press never gave them fair play
When BMW bought Rover Group in 1994 they were a bit surprised that the Montego and Maestro were still being made at Cowley. Montego was replaced by the Rover 600 series which I think is one of the nicest looking cars from the 1990s.
"When BMW bought Rover Group in 1994 they were a bit surprised that the Montego and Maestro were still being made at Cowley." - I've heard that story before but it's difficult to believe that that BMW hadn't gone through the entire ARG business and seen what was being manufactured where and at what cost and what suppliers that they had contracts with etc.
Another super video, thank you Steph. And another terribly undervalued car. They looked good in both saloon and estate versions, and some lovely colours too. I always like the bright blue. ( not sure of the colour name.)
The red was called Flame Red. I had a Montego 1.6LX in Flame Red, with anthracite around the bottom. Very well equipped for the time and drove really well. Wish I had chance to have a drive in one again.
@@idriveaclassic wud love to own one. U did a great review of the Triumph Acclaim. Another BL which shud have been a bigger success especially with Honda on board. Had the CD model way back in the day. Bought it cheap enough, spent a few quid doing it up. Loaned it to a mate and he wrote it off. B.....d
had an 89 F reg montego estate, came with the same MG montego alloy wheels and low profile tyres, was good till it needed a new tyre, which cost as much as the car did!!!, massive ECU problems, tho a good tow vehicle.
What a cool car! Ive got a soft spot for anything BL especially from the 70s and 80s. My grandad had a few Montego HLs plus we had Maestros and Metros before his Volvos. Great video and new subscriber from Chester
My brother considered buying a Montego, or it may have been a Maestro. He was put off by the lack of headroom (no beehive, but he's about 6'4"), which he reckoned was down to the sunroof. Apparently the headroom was fine on ones that didn't have the sunroof.
Ive not heard of this channel before but im SO glad ive found it. Its awesome! I love BL/Austin Rover cars and the information was very interesting. :D
I always liked the montego over the maistro. Such a good looking car. The estate always looked very upmarket and I wish I had the chance to drive one, I'm jealous Steph 😁
Hi Steph. just came across this vid. took me back a bit. when i was an apprentice i worked on the very first prototype build of the montego estate. later on my dad had a black one and i had a gray one like the one here, it was also a 1990 1.6. great car.
My Dad had a Austin montego it had the extra seats in the back when he baught it the paint was faded on one side and we put it into the garage for a respray aster that it looked really nice
Que maravilla me encanta lo bien cuidado que tienes tu MG Montego, espero que este gran coche te dure mucho tiempo, me gustan los coches británicos, y otro de mis coches británicos favoritos, es el Rover SD 1 con el motor V8, me encanta, aunque es un coche muy grande.
The way you present your vids is very professional you should be on the telly. The montego was a great car let down badly by the body rotting away. I used to own a 2.0 litre efi. 1988. It was brilliant, sadly it rusted away 🙈. When I saw you stood next to an estate, it reminded of Harry Enfield in "Bad Education". Ha. Thanks for sharing. 🐵
Only about 350 of the once very ubiquitous Montego of all models including the MG left in Britain. That is less than the Morris Marina. Vanished into oblivion very quickly. Stunt driver Russ Swift was famous for driving Montegos like a maniac.
Russ Swift's old car (not one he used for displays!) is up for sale at the minute on the Maestro & Montego owners club facebook group. It is as close to a new one as you'll get these days...
I had a Rover Montego Countryman Estate in Caribbean Blus as a company car, going all over the UK as a computer installations engineer.. It was an absolutely brilliant car.. Luxurious, seven seater, 2 litre Perkins Diesel engine with self levelling suspension.. It was like driving in your favourite armchair.. I loved it but when it had done the company's prescribed mileage, I was forced to change it for a Ford Mondeo Estate which wasn't anything like as good as the Monrego and kept breaking down. I had several Austin Montego Estates before the Rover Montego.. I don't know why they got such a bad reputation, they should have been much more successful. They just seemed to be regarded as uncool but why,? Well done for reviewing it..
Yes, the Montego was a very common sight when school finished for me, even though not that many people at my school were picked up by car when I was at high school ('84-'88). The 1.6L Montego, Sierra & Cavalier seemed to make up a large proportion of cars back then !
What a great review of cars from the 60's and 70's , excellent presentation, obviously well edited and a refreshing change from the typical automotive reviews. Keep it up ! Robert. (Canada)
I blame our modern boring cars on the Press, they just look at numbers that don't matter to 90% of the driving public. Like neck breaking acceleration, race car speeds in slalom course speeds and rock hard handling. So we are forced to suffer with bumpy rides, cramped interiors and ever bloated exteriors. In the US we have marginal road qualities and ever increasing congestion that limits speeds unless you want to crash into cars a lot! UGH
My Dad bought a silver 2.0 in 1986. We also had a pool Montego at work, and a Sierra. The Montego compared very favourably, it was easy to drive and comfortable, with none of the jerking when applying/releasing power like other FWD BL cars e.g. Allegro. My dad's example had a new engine under warranty after about a year, so that would wipe out any profit they made from the sale. Maybe the first signs of quality control problems?
A better car than most reviewers give it credit for. Not long after it was launched Autocar had a long term vehicle and it was a Friday Afternoon example built by Red Robbo himself most likely as it had the worst reliability record of any car the magazine had come across. Sales plumetted and BL got to work improving its image. By 1990 BL quality had come on in leaps and bounds. They were building the R8, a car with bullet-proof quality, instilled by Honda Involvement and this seeped into other models too. What all the magazines of the time agreed on was that the Montego was a nice driver's car and very comfortable to boot with decent performance and economy. Not all Montegos had a carburettor. Some had Lucas Fuel injection and an ECU (ugh!). Typically, if the car wouldn't go, there would be a bad connector multiplug between the crankshaft position sensor and the ECU or some expensive and hard to get at sensor had failed. They weren't all analogue.
1.6 L S series, 85bhp SOHC carb engine, 5 speed box. Okay for the 1980s, similar to Cavalier 1.6, better than the 1.6 Sierra. The 2 litre petrol (carb engine 105bhp, and injection 115bhp) were better for the body size, and the turbo diesel Perkins engine was very good for the time.
In 1992 I sold my otherwise really nice 1.6L for pennies because it was running rough. I only wanted £250 and he still knocked me down. I bumped into the guy who bought it a short while later - Did ya get the Montego going in the end? - Yeah. A little ECU located in place you'd never imagine was playing up. Common fault. I had a box of spares off my other Montego and got it running like an absolute baby. Sold it on for seven hundred. Thanks! The ECU is behind a little door that you access thru the glovebox. That's £500 in your pocket just for being in the right place at the right time. Duh.
I think that the Montego estate gave quite a good account of itself. With the 1.6 having 85bhp, it was 13% more power than the 1.6 Sierra. The 2 litres both had about the same power, I think. The Cavalier estate came along a bit later and was only available with a 1.6 engine and in (I think) L & GL trim. Montego estate was the only one of the three available with leather seats.
I was just laughing when you talked about looking in the rear view mirror and seeing how much car was back there. In the 2000s, we bought a Chrysler minivan. The first time I looked in the mirror to reverse, I thought, theres NOTHING mini about this van. It seriously looked like a bus back there. LOL
Refreshing to see a woman doing these kinds of reviews - thats probably sexist or something but anyway you do a good job with it. Had a few of these cars, they were utterly sh ite!!! Rusted to bits. Had a 1.6L, 2.0MG EFi (non turbo) and two GTi's - yes they did do a GTi!!!
Another great interesting video Steph I have found your channel through Hub Nut the Countryman version of this was very popular at the time and had a bit of a cult following I seem to remember👍
Thanks Steph they were usually in a dark green metallic with wood trim and leather seats a bit like the inside of the Range Rover Vogue of the time I believe some of the switchgear is the same as Land Rover was still part of BL then
Aparently the later 1600 petrol Montego was quite nippy, and the MG version probably too fast for its own brakes. The Countryman diesel estate was popular. I remember them as a kid, I thought styling wise they were the norm for the day. The last Montegos were popular as taxis, so they must have been reliable enough. People I knew who used to own them actually liked them, apart from the rusty sills and wheel arches. I do not think a Renault 21, Fiat Tipo/Croma, Ford Sierra or Citroen BX were much better at the time to be honest.
I drove an Austin Maxi 1500 and a 1750, a Maestro 1.3and a Montego 1.6 over time. Also a Rover P6 and my Mum had an Avenger for a while. Couldn't understand why car buyers would walk past the then Rover dealership on their way to the Nissan garage a little further down the road. I hate that we no longer have a home grown car or even for that matter motor industry. I really really wish that people had supported the home grown product instead of becoming dazzled by imported brands just because they were seen, questionably, as a better option. Granted, we did ourselves no favours in the BL days with quality issues and industrial disputes but the vehicles from abroad were no better. Seeing them through the prism of time you start to realise that they weren't at all bad and slagging them off was just a fashion at the time. We are now damned to assembling cars from overseas manufacturers instead of making our own which is a shame. I deplore our enthusiasm to sell the family silver for a short term reward. Damn the Phoenix group and the people who sold the Jaguar marque and Landrover. Other countries managed to retain their brands and continue to market them. We on the other hand have nothing to offer and are forced into buying imported vehicles when we should have been proudly driving our own product, like other countries are.
My parents owned a D reg beige 7 seater Austin Rover Montego Countryman 2 litre petrol British Leyland motors get a bad reputation, but the car my parents had really wasn't a bad car at all. It was reliable, except a radiator hose leaking due to the rubber perishing (covered under warranty) and the hand brake cable snapped Otherwise, they owned it for 6 years (from when it was 3 years old) without any major problems If the way the company had been managed and the public image of the brand had been maintained from its heyday we would have a British brand to this day, but alas we don't
I used to own an austin montego 1.6 hl for 11 years and i really enjoyed it. Loved the looks , handeling .still my fav. Car. After my montego i owned 9 years an rover 620si and now for more than 12 years an jag x-type 2.0 d.
Jeremy Clarkson and his buddies on top gear brought about the demise of British Leyland. They slagged them relentlessly when nothing better was coming out of France or Italy.
Great video Steph. If you had the opportunity to do videos on any older Rovers - such as the P4, P5 and P5b, and P6, I for one would be most interested.
Absolute brilliant design, back then the Austin logo was just unwished by the concern, wanted to buy me a maestro or montego, then they went off. Bought a rover 111, German, you know
Hi there I use to have these on car hire fleet when I worked for Europcar back in the 90s .they came straight from the factory to me on a transporter so I could PDI them .most of the time there would be 80psi in in all the tyres the so called carpet was in the boot and the paint on the bumpers was so thin in the when you jet wash them the paint all came off . And it was the same for the Maestros and the Rovers 213 and 216 ...Cheers Phil from Newark
I'm from the Netherlands and 26 years old, we used to have 2 Montego's Estate and this car always stayed with me. I have been looking for one for years and now have 1 and I am going to restore it completely myself.
Hi Steph I owned a 1988 Austin Montego one of the best good all round comfortable and a joy to drive sad to hear not many left I really enjoyed your review thanks .
When Rover stopped building the Montego and Maestro in 1995 some years later a Chinese tobacco company called Etsong bought the rights to both cars and built them over there. The facelifted version has a Montego front end.
It seems that and it's very sad to how many British car companies have disappeared over the decades. The government and foreign car companies killed them off.
i all ways ran austins and rover cars it never entered my head to buy foreign the last rover was a 2.6 sdi which was a nice car but trouble some and the wife mainly drove it , when it was due for changing i tried to get the wife to agree on a ford granada no luck, we settled on one of the first built sunderland nissan bluebird , if only bl had built there cars to the same quality we owned several nissans after the bluebird the final one was nissan x trail witch she drove for 14years and about one hundred and thirty thousand miles no trouble and no rust , i all ways consider the worst car i owned to be a 105 ford anglia estate ,and one of the best a hillman hunter ,if i could have any back it would be the rover 3.500 sdi that sadly had a fire in the electrics and was wrote of
i had one early 2004 the kids loved the rear facing seats it drove really well and just look at all that glass in the estate fantastic visibility i wish i had it now!
Gosh, that Montego looks absolutely beautiful! You are quite right, you hardly see these any more, and I did have a friend whose mother had a classic Montego Countryman estate in dark green. I am hoping to get one of these for review on my channel at some point...
Biggest problem with BL was poor management to staff relations and some of cars had rust problems but a lot of other car makes back in the day rusted, best two cars I’ve had / got is Rover, she’s 20 years old 2.0 600 SLi and still looks stunning also still tow with it and it never misses a beat, she’s well loved and part of the family now. I’ve had many other cars ranging from Peugeot’s, Citroen, Vauxhall’s , Chrysler , Nissan and Mercedes. Rover still one of my favourite and most reliable cars I’ve had.
They were awful, my dad had a very late 2.0TD Clubman estate forced on him as a company car, it was noisy, smoked like a bastard and was going rusty within two years of him getting it. The cylinder head cracked twice and had to be replaced. It's only saving grace was the fact it went very well indeed, much better than the nasty diesels Ford & Vauxhall were putting out at the time. So well he netted a speeding ticket for exceeding 3 figures somewhere outside Norwich one night.
He must have been incredibly unlucky, I've had a lot of the Perkins engined ones over the years and the only head problems I've ever seen were corroded gaskets due to people ignoring the maintenance requitements. The one I've got now had a new piston at about 1,180,000 miles and the head planed/gasket replaced at 1,225,350 miles. First time I drove one was 1990, drove to garage in a sierra diesel, tbh I remember the Montego being much quieter as well as cosiderably faster. Obviously not as refined as modern diesels, but they have had thirty odd years to improve on it, all of the other small diesels available in the 80's/early 90's were pretty crappy, how mercedes sold any diesel g wagens is a mystery to me, they made a diesel Land Rover look nippy and refined.. Don't think any of the amateur diesel manufacturers have matched Perkins reliability yet though. Smoke was what called time on the Prima...allegedly not possible to pass the late 90's emission test, so Rover redesigned it into the L series/td5 and Perkins apparently designed one more automotive diesel, which an ex employee said was faster than a petrol, but no car manufacturers took it up, so now we are stuck with a lot of 'designed to fail' engines. vw did make one basically very well designed diesel, the tuareg v10/174 L5, but there were a few problems in execution which let it down...others, such as the bmw n47 seem to have been designed to have a limited life from the start. I'll not spoil my story by going back to the 60's and mentioning the Perkins 4.99 ha ha ha...
Oh my God Steph' i'm reliving my life through your car reviews. My father in-law lent us his Montego so we could go on a belated Honeymoon with our dog Dan. We went from Derbyshire and stayed in a place on the beach in Allonby, Cumbria. We toured all around the Scottish borders and the Lake District in 1991. Yes still married and yes Father in-law is still driving! Thank you so much.
I was on the production line when the car was first first launched.I know every nut and bolt.Just love them.
Thanks Steph, what a brilliant video yet again. Your knowledge and enthusiasm is infectious and just seeing you enjoy driving these wonderful cars really brightens up my day! It is so sad that only 100 Montego's are left. Keep up the good work.
Aww thanks so much James 🥰🥰🥰
Mum had in 1987 Montego VDP sedan Rare in NZ. Went well, well appointed for its time. What killed it was not being able to get metric tyres .
Great video!, I've always had a soft spot for the Montego and felt they were overlooked
Aww thanks so much Kieran!!!
@@idriveaclassic You're welcome!!
I had a 1.3 saloon. No ball of fire but comfortable enough. As has already been said rust was the Montego's main enemy.
Such a shame really. Good cars and a comfy drive.
Great video as always, Steph. I always enjoy seeing cars we did not get in Canada, or else were very rare here. I always had a soft spot for English cars. The engineering is top notch, even if build quality could be spotty and rust prevention unheard of. I still wish I could have saved the 67 Austin A60 Cambridge I was given in 1977. Too bed the whole frame made Swiss cheese look solid. Keep up the good work.
I've never owned a Montego but would of loved to, I have had 3 Maestro Diesel's though 😇
Apparently the Maestro Turbo Diesels had very high fuel economy.
You poor thing you have very bad taste
My ex wife and I went to buy a less than 2 yo estate montego from a large car supermarket in Cheshire just after our daughter was born because we quite fancied one, they had loads of them there. We didn't buy one because everyone we looked at was already starting to rust and we had previously had a beautiful white Rover 213s (her car) and were devastated to watch it just evaporate in front of our eyes 😢
Had a 2.0 in British racing green as my second car. First was a 1.2 nova, so 9.1 secs to 60 felt really fast. Wish I had it now. My dad welded the sills and arches for me but more rot at the front meant the end of mine.
Such a shame when we look back on the cars we lost 😭😭😭
I wish I had one . . .
The MG TURbo was a bute. Wish I had one now!
I'm am currently restoring an MG Maestro turbo that is even rarer
Oh amazing. Good luck x
0:50
"Surprise !! This is quite a nice one"
- Shows numerous dents in bonnet.
Great review Steph, I'm glad to see young people appreciate that British Leyland was not all incompetent and ridiculous, but actually made some pretty decent cars back in the day. I wonder why particularly the British press was/are so hard on them (think of Top Gear).
I owned an MG Montego for 14 years (1986 - 2000), it was a very good car, handled well, was reasonably powerful (for the time) and it never let me down (eventually rusted, though).
I did not find the interior too 'plasticky' compared to other similar cars of the era. Perhaps it's because Colin's Montego 1.6L is one of the lowest specs and you compare it to the Escort cabriolet. Convertibles are normally top of the line posh spec. I can assure you that a Escort 1.1L of the eighties was much more cheap plasticky than the the MG Montego (and BL even had a Vanden Plas version which was all wood and leather).
Thanks for the really spot on feedback Finn! It really annoys me that people are so down on BL. was a great manufacturer. Just poorly managed and poorly marketed. They’d made some real bloopers and it didn’t help matters. A real shame.
Main reason the British press were so hard on BL/ARG was they got "freebies" from foreign manufacturers to slate the homegrown offerings - mainly from companies like PSA Group, BMW and Fiat - look who owns the remains of the British Car industry now and who bought Rover in the mid 90s!
Not to rain down your party, but according to the statistics the Montego/Maestro/Metro have declined in percentages (both taxed and those kept off road) much higher than other makes of the same time, even Fords. Isn't there an obvious reason why?
I never got to own a Montego as at the time they were available the Maestro made more sense for me as a hatchback. But I agree the earlier cars were basic but as a young driver they were cheap to insure and maintain. I had 3 Allegros, 1.3 DL, 1.3 HLS S3 and a 1500 Vanden Plas. The one car in the Rover Group I really liked but never got to own was the Rover 600 as the quality was like chalk and cheese to the earlier offerings from BL.
There was one base model lower than 1.6L, I think it was 1.6 Clubman by 1990 (1.3 being dropped 2 years earlier). I owned a two-tone gold-on-grey 1.6L saloon back in 1993 (E61 FLT). I actually found the interior felt more like a car from a class above compared to the 1983 mk2 Cavalier it replaced. I thought it was pretty quick and had fun steering. By 1996, the car had to go, as it was also getting riddled with rust pretty much everywhere. I bought it whilst recalling that 1.6L advert with Russ Swift's crazy manoeuvres through a crowded car park before handbrake-turning it into the last available tight parking space.
You are the female hub nut, Steph, brilliant,
I’m absolutely rubbish at taking compliments as all my friends would tell you, but thank you so much! I’d argue I’m an absolute novice compared to Ian but it’s a flattering comparison and I properly appreciate it. Thank you xx
She's got more hairs!
Aww thanks so much. Well watch this space you never know what’ll happen :)
Ive been a long subscriber of HubNut, yes I’d agree she’s a female version of Ian!
100% the female hubnut, I thought this earlier this morning 🙂
These were never marketed as Rovers, when the Austin name was dropped they simply became Montego and Maestro with no manufacturers name attached.
Yet it is registered as a Rover...🤔
@@carnbyarst670 they were registered as Rovers as it was a legal requirement to register both a manufacturer name and model name. But they were never sold or marketed as Rovers because they didn't have the luxury or prestige that Rover was trying to associate with its brand.
@@merlin3830 but they could have been registered as British Leyland?
Love Montegos, always found them to be more handsome and romantic-looking than their Cavalier/Sierra contemporaries
Ahhh, happy memories. Ran a diesel version as a company hack, very comfy. Sadly they tended to rot, though, to be fair, no worse than the competition. I do love your presentations. Thank you.
Thanks Andrea my dear! It was so comfy I felt myself dropping off when I got into the passenger seat 😂😂😂
I rented a few of these in 1990 from British Car Rental, Bournemouth. I was 19 and thought the car was great, it was a 16 Litre :-)
16 litres. Wow! That must have been powerful!
I used to be in the Citroën Owners Club.
@@adampowell5376 A 16 litre Montego? As if he meant 1.6 litre
I don't know why Austin rover cars got bad press. I've had montego mg efi, turbo, gti and rover 800 vitesse. Never let me down. Good fast comfy cars.
I'm from a small country in Northen Europe called Latvia. My mum worked at a bank and was given a white Rover Montego and a chauffeur. Unfortunately he crashed the car and she was given another white one. It was one of the coolest cars in a small town of around 4000 people. It was between 1992 and 1994. So many happy memories travelling with my mum to the capital on Fridays. Perhaps because I was skipping school :P
I used to drive these often during repairs in the 1980 /90s, very underrated cars. They were fast, comfortable and had a huge carrying capacity, depending on spec The company I worked for had a repair contract with the MOD, they had plenty of Montego and other BL vehicles on the fleet.
I had an Austin Montego for a few years. It wasn't a bad car, I think it got stolen in the end. I always thought of it as a booted Maestro, so I'm not surprised they share a club. I'm glad there's a club dedicated to keeping them going.
Yeah it’s great isn’t it! I’m sorry yours got stolen that’s horrendous
I want a Montego! it was the first 'nice' car I remember my parents ever having. & the first ever car I drove! I loved the hazard warning light switch as a kid
I don't understand why anyone would choose a Sierra or Cavalier over this when they came out in 1984. The Montego just looked so much nicer and more modern. The two American/Germans were extremely basic inside unless you got the luxury versions. The Sierra still had the all iron and rough Pinto engines + RWD and the Family II engine in the Cavalier was just as rough albeit more modern than the Sierra's. None of them had advanced technology like the programmed ignition on the Montego or the talking dash.
When they came out they looked really futuristic. I like the scooped side panels and the quirky little windows at the back on the saloon and the estate was pretty. They won design awards from the off!
This was one of my favourite test drives, adored her ❤️
@@idriveaclassic Alas! I'll probably never get to do that...I always wanted to. ;(
BL cars got a Bad name in 70s 80s due to Trade Unions and merger of several smaller companys joining to become British Leyland POOR Quality parts and often poor workmanship,
''10am morning tea time, i,ll finish that when i come back'' but by then the car was moved and often not finished due to things not plugged in etc stupid stuff like that, LEFT the Door OPEN with the welcome mat for the Japanese!!!!
I transported a BL service dept manager?? he told me about a Mini which came back with a blown head gasket, WHY did it blow the gasket, the factory had Not torqued the head down properly!!!!!!!!
Where I worked, the road warriors were really not happy when they were told that their new company cars were going to be Montegos and it took a long time for the abuse to subside. When they were in turn replaced by Peugeot 405's and still later 406's or Citroën Xantia's, they yearned for the days of their Montegos as being better workhorses.
Always thought the montego was a lovely looking car. As was the maestro. Great looking dash. Have a soft spot for BL and Rover. The press never gave them fair play
When BMW bought Rover Group in 1994 they were a bit surprised that the Montego and Maestro were still being made at Cowley.
Montego was replaced by the Rover 600 series which I think is one of the nicest looking cars from the 1990s.
"When BMW bought Rover Group in 1994 they were a bit surprised that the Montego and Maestro were still being made at Cowley."
- I've heard that story before but it's difficult to believe that that BMW hadn't gone through the entire ARG business and seen what was being manufactured where and at what cost and what suppliers that they had contracts with etc.
Hi I live in South Wales a bit far from you? I;m not sure. I've got a 89 Maestro that I'd love for you to review in one of your vids one day!
Hi Dan! I’d love to try out a Maestro but I’m over in Yorkshire 😂😂😂. If you’re close by at any point please buzz me and we can sort something.
Lovely Car, Very Spacious, and good on Economy.
Another super video, thank you Steph. And another terribly undervalued car. They looked good in both saloon and estate versions, and some lovely colours too. I always like the bright blue. ( not sure of the colour name.)
Thank you for more lovely feedback Mike. It is always appreciated!
The red was called Flame Red.
I had a Montego 1.6LX in Flame Red, with anthracite around the bottom.
Very well equipped for the time and drove really well.
Wish I had chance to have a drive in one again.
There are always Montegos coming up for sale (sorry I’m a bad influence)
@@idriveaclassic I'd love to, but I'd have nowhere to keep one I'm afraid. They need a garage, and my Mazda 3 already lives in there. 🙁
@@idriveaclassic wud love to own one. U did a great review of the Triumph Acclaim. Another BL which shud have been a bigger success especially with Honda on board. Had the CD model way back in the day. Bought it cheap enough, spent a few quid doing it up. Loaned it to a mate and he wrote it off. B.....d
I love this car! I'm watching 'The Last Detective' with Peter Davison on BritBox (kind of like British Netflix for North America) and he drives one.
had an 89 F reg montego estate, came with the same MG montego alloy wheels and low profile tyres, was good till it needed a new tyre, which cost as much as the car did!!!, massive ECU problems, tho a good tow vehicle.
Montegos where better than they got credit for keep them alive like all austin rover British Leyland car British heritage at its best
Definitely 🙌🙌🙌
The S-Series was a good engine and had it's own engine management system like the O-Series engine.
What a cool car! Ive got a soft spot for anything BL especially from the 70s and 80s. My grandad had a few Montego HLs plus we had Maestros and Metros before his Volvos. Great video and new subscriber from Chester
My brother considered buying a Montego, or it may have been a Maestro. He was put off by the lack of headroom (no beehive, but he's about 6'4"), which he reckoned was down to the sunroof. Apparently the headroom was fine on ones that didn't have the sunroof.
No beehive 😂😂😂😂
Ive not heard of this channel before but im SO glad ive found it. Its awesome! I love BL/Austin Rover cars and the information was very interesting. :D
Aww thanks so much!!!! Xx
I always liked the montego over the maistro. Such a good looking car. The estate always looked very upmarket and I wish I had the chance to drive one, I'm jealous Steph 😁
Loads of owners would be willing to give you a little spin I’m sure! The MMOC as they’re known are a super friendly bunch xc
Hi Steph. just came across this vid. took me back a bit. when i was an apprentice i worked on the very first prototype build of the montego estate. later on my dad had a black one and i had a gray one like the one here, it was also a 1990 1.6. great car.
My Dad had a Austin montego it had the extra seats in the back when he baught it the paint was faded on one side and we put it into the garage for a respray aster that it looked really nice
I do love a Montego
Que maravilla me encanta lo bien cuidado que tienes tu MG Montego, espero que este gran coche te dure mucho tiempo, me gustan los coches británicos, y otro de mis coches británicos favoritos, es el Rover SD 1 con el motor V8, me encanta, aunque es un coche muy grande.
The way you present your vids is very professional you should be on the telly. The montego was a great car let down badly by the body rotting away.
I used to own a 2.0 litre efi. 1988. It was brilliant, sadly it rusted away 🙈.
When I saw you stood next to an estate, it reminded of Harry Enfield in "Bad Education". Ha.
Thanks for sharing. 🐵
Hahaha thanks Charlie x
Only about 350 of the once very ubiquitous Montego of all models including the MG left in Britain. That is less than the Morris Marina. Vanished into oblivion very quickly. Stunt driver Russ Swift was famous for driving Montegos like a maniac.
So sad tbh. Loved the montego xxx
Russ Swift's old car (not one he used for displays!) is up for sale at the minute on the Maestro & Montego owners club facebook group. It is as close to a new one as you'll get these days...
I had a Rover Montego Countryman Estate in Caribbean Blus as a company car, going all over the UK as a computer installations engineer.. It was an absolutely brilliant car.. Luxurious, seven seater, 2 litre Perkins Diesel engine with self levelling suspension.. It was like driving in your favourite armchair.. I loved it but when it had done the company's prescribed mileage, I was forced to change it for a Ford Mondeo Estate which wasn't anything like as good as the Monrego and kept breaking down. I had several Austin Montego Estates before the Rover Montego.. I don't know why they got such a bad reputation, they should have been much more successful. They just seemed to be regarded as uncool but why,? Well done for reviewing it..
Yes, the Montego was a very common sight when school finished for me, even though not that many people at my school were picked up by car when I was at high school ('84-'88). The 1.6L Montego, Sierra & Cavalier seemed to make up a large proportion of cars back then !
What a great review of cars from the 60's and 70's , excellent presentation, obviously well edited and a refreshing change from the typical automotive reviews. Keep it up !
Robert. (Canada)
I blame our modern boring cars on the Press, they just look at numbers that don't matter to 90% of the driving public. Like neck breaking acceleration, race car speeds in slalom course speeds and rock hard handling. So we are forced to suffer with bumpy rides, cramped interiors and ever bloated exteriors. In the US we have marginal road qualities and ever increasing congestion that limits speeds unless you want to crash into cars a lot! UGH
Just discovered your channel. It's very very impressive. Wishing you every success with it. GOD bless.
Thanks so much!!!!
My Dad bought a silver 2.0 in 1986. We also had a pool Montego at work, and a Sierra. The Montego compared very favourably, it was easy to drive and comfortable, with none of the jerking when applying/releasing power like other FWD BL cars e.g. Allegro. My dad's example had a new engine under warranty after about a year, so that would wipe out any profit they made from the sale. Maybe the first signs of quality control problems?
Went straight to ebay and searched, but none seem to be for sale at the moment.
Nah you’re better off on things like the owners club forum for stuff like this x
A better car than most reviewers give it credit for. Not long after it was launched Autocar had a long term vehicle and it was a Friday Afternoon example built by Red Robbo himself most likely as it had the worst reliability record of any car the magazine had come across. Sales plumetted and BL got to work improving its image. By 1990 BL quality had come on in leaps and bounds. They were building the R8, a car with bullet-proof quality, instilled by Honda Involvement and this seeped into other models too. What all the magazines of the time agreed on was that the Montego was a nice driver's car and very comfortable to boot with decent performance and economy. Not all Montegos had a carburettor. Some had Lucas Fuel injection and an ECU (ugh!). Typically, if the car wouldn't go, there would be a bad connector multiplug between the crankshaft position sensor and the ECU or some expensive and hard to get at sensor had failed. They weren't all analogue.
1.6 L S series, 85bhp SOHC carb engine, 5 speed box. Okay for the 1980s, similar to Cavalier 1.6, better than the 1.6 Sierra. The 2 litre petrol (carb engine 105bhp, and injection 115bhp) were better for the body size, and the turbo diesel Perkins engine was very good for the time.
In 1992 I sold my otherwise really nice 1.6L for pennies because it was running rough. I only wanted £250 and he still knocked me down.
I bumped into the guy who bought it a short while later
- Did ya get the Montego going in the end?
- Yeah. A little ECU located in place you'd never imagine was playing up. Common fault. I had a box of spares off my other Montego and got it running like an absolute baby. Sold it on for seven hundred. Thanks!
The ECU is behind a little door that you access thru the glovebox.
That's £500 in your pocket just for being in the right place at the right time.
Duh.
I think that the Montego estate gave quite a good account of itself.
With the 1.6 having 85bhp, it was 13% more power than the 1.6 Sierra. The 2 litres both had about the same power, I think.
The Cavalier estate came along a bit later and was only available with a 1.6 engine and in (I think) L & GL trim.
Montego estate was the only one of the three available with leather seats.
I was just laughing when you talked about looking in the rear view mirror and seeing how much car was back there. In the 2000s, we bought a Chrysler minivan. The first time I looked in the mirror to reverse, I thought, theres NOTHING mini about this van. It seriously looked like a bus back there. LOL
Refreshing to see a woman doing these kinds of reviews - thats probably sexist or something but anyway you do a good job with it. Had a few of these cars, they were utterly sh ite!!! Rusted to bits. Had a 1.6L, 2.0MG EFi (non turbo) and two GTi's - yes they did do a GTi!!!
Another great interesting video Steph I have found your channel through Hub Nut the Countryman version of this was very popular at the time and had a bit of a cult following I seem to remember👍
Ahhh thanks Arran x
Thanks Steph they were usually in a dark green metallic with wood trim and leather seats a bit like the inside of the Range Rover Vogue of the time I believe some of the switchgear is the same as Land Rover was still part of BL then
Aparently the later 1600 petrol Montego was quite nippy, and the MG version probably too fast for its own brakes. The Countryman diesel estate was popular. I remember them as a kid, I thought styling wise they were the norm for the day. The last Montegos were popular as taxis, so they must have been reliable enough. People I knew who used to own them actually liked them, apart from the rusty sills and wheel arches. I do not think a Renault 21, Fiat Tipo/Croma, Ford Sierra or Citroen BX were much better at the time to be honest.
I drove an Austin Maxi 1500 and a 1750, a Maestro 1.3and a Montego 1.6 over time. Also a Rover P6 and my Mum had an Avenger for a while. Couldn't understand why car buyers would walk past the then Rover dealership on their way to the Nissan garage a little further down the road. I hate that we no longer have a home grown car or even for that matter motor industry. I really really wish that people had supported the home grown product instead of becoming dazzled by imported brands just because they were seen, questionably, as a better option. Granted, we did ourselves no favours in the BL days with quality issues and industrial disputes but the vehicles from abroad were no better. Seeing them through the prism of time you start to realise that they weren't at all bad and slagging them off was just a fashion at the time. We are now damned to assembling cars from overseas manufacturers instead of making our own which is a shame. I deplore our enthusiasm to sell the family silver for a short term reward. Damn the Phoenix group and the people who sold the Jaguar marque and Landrover. Other countries managed to retain their brands and continue to market them. We on the other hand have nothing to offer and are forced into buying imported vehicles when we should have been proudly driving our own product, like other countries are.
My parents owned a D reg beige 7 seater Austin Rover Montego Countryman 2 litre petrol
British Leyland motors get a bad reputation, but the car my parents had really wasn't a bad car at all. It was reliable, except a radiator hose leaking due to the rubber perishing (covered under warranty) and the hand brake cable snapped
Otherwise, they owned it for 6 years (from when it was 3 years old) without any major problems
If the way the company had been managed and the public image of the brand had been maintained from its heyday we would have a British brand to this day, but alas we don't
I used to own an austin montego 1.6 hl for 11 years and i really enjoyed it. Loved the looks , handeling .still my fav. Car. After my montego i owned 9 years an rover 620si and now for more than 12 years an jag x-type 2.0 d.
Jeremy Clarkson and his buddies on top gear brought about the demise of British Leyland. They slagged them relentlessly when nothing better was coming out of France or Italy.
Great video Steph. If you had the opportunity to do videos on any older Rovers - such as the P4, P5 and P5b, and P6, I for one would be most interested.
Honestly I’m trying 😂😂😂
Would have loved a go in the Turbo MG,they said they were fond of torque steer.....sounds good for smokin'tyres.....
Absolute brilliant design, back then the Austin logo was just unwished by the concern, wanted to buy me a maestro or montego, then they went off. Bought a rover 111, German, you know
When cars were just cars, not all this modern rubbish we have these days!
That sounds so old mate...
Hi there I use to have these on car hire fleet when I worked for Europcar back in the 90s .they came straight from the factory to me on a transporter so I could PDI them .most of the time there would be 80psi in in all the tyres the so called carpet was in the boot and the paint on the bumpers was so thin in the when you jet wash them the paint all came off . And it was the same for the Maestros and the Rovers 213 and 216 ...Cheers Phil from Newark
I'm from the Netherlands and 26 years old, we used to have 2 Montego's Estate and this car always stayed with me. I have been looking for one for years and now have 1 and I am going to restore it completely myself.
Hi Steph I owned a 1988 Austin Montego one of the best good all round comfortable and a joy to drive sad to hear not many left I really enjoyed your review thanks .
S Series engine - very underated. I ran them on test beds at Acocks Green in Birmingham whilst testing hardened valve seats for unleaded petrol.
Brilliant review.
When Rover stopped building the Montego and Maestro in 1995 some years later a Chinese tobacco company called Etsong bought the rights to both cars and built them over there. The facelifted version has a Montego front end.
I didn’t know that. I think the Chinese value our heritage more than we do.
It seems that and it's very sad to how many British car companies have disappeared over the decades. The government and foreign car companies killed them off.
EFi Turbo MG i used to love
Great vid, really love the old BL stuff and loving your style as well 👍
Cheers robert
had two of these in estate version. Very good cars. I especially loved the diesel. Great on fuel and could put loads in the back of the estate
i all ways ran austins and rover cars it never entered my head to buy foreign the last rover was a 2.6 sdi which was a nice car but trouble some and the wife mainly drove it , when it was due for changing i tried to get the wife to agree on a ford granada no luck, we settled on one of the first built sunderland nissan bluebird , if only bl had built there cars to the same quality we owned
several nissans after the bluebird the final one was nissan x trail witch she drove for 14years and about one hundred and thirty thousand miles no trouble and no rust , i all ways consider the
worst car i owned to be a 105 ford anglia estate ,and one of the best a hillman hunter ,if i could have any back it would be the rover 3.500 sdi that sadly had a fire in the electrics and was wrote of
Supercar Blondie eat your heart out, Steph is the real deal
She is down to earth and honest unlike that tarquinn airhead....
its in S9 E2 of Midsomer Murders (0:56:45) Prime video, looked real cute & not easy to google lol
Used to have an MG Montego turbo, it flew!
Aw I love that!
Remember my dad bought a montego Estate f reg in 1997 great cars
It was never ever a Rover. It just became the Montego after Austin was disbanded.
Actually, they changed over to Rover (lol on the pun) in '86.
i had one early 2004 the kids loved the rear facing seats it drove really well and just look at all that glass in the estate fantastic visibility i wish i had it now!
Great video. Loving the wheels on this Montego - they suit it very very well
+P W thanks!
My grandad had a MG montego in British racing green. What a car that was. He loved it.
Gosh, that Montego looks absolutely beautiful! You are quite right, you hardly see these any more, and I did have a friend whose mother had a classic Montego Countryman estate in dark green. I am hoping to get one of these for review on my channel at some point...
Biggest problem with BL was poor management to staff relations and some of cars had rust problems but a lot of other car makes back in the day rusted, best two cars I’ve had / got is Rover, she’s 20 years old 2.0 600 SLi and still looks stunning also still tow with it and it never misses a beat, she’s well loved and part of the family now. I’ve had many other cars ranging from Peugeot’s, Citroen, Vauxhall’s , Chrysler , Nissan and Mercedes. Rover still one of my favourite and most reliable cars I’ve had.
Yeah I think management needed a blinking good shake down!!!!!!
I had one of these. superb Car I like the really light steering as well
Interiors were always so bland. A mix of horrid grey and brown.
My Lovely and Talented Wife! Adorable as always!!!
Ive got a 1.6 L Estate Had it as a daily driver new from 88 will never get rid its been ap to scotland with parent and dogs
Aww that’s lovely x
I love this my dad had a blue montego. Always thought it was nice
Plenty of room for getting lucky in the back 🙈🙈🙈🙈
Awesome car. Always wanted to VP version 💛
I remember Alf Roberts in Corrie had a blue Montego estate.
They were awful, my dad had a very late 2.0TD Clubman estate forced on him as a company car, it was noisy, smoked like a bastard and was going rusty within two years of him getting it. The cylinder head cracked twice and had to be replaced. It's only saving grace was the fact it went very well indeed, much better than the nasty diesels Ford & Vauxhall were putting out at the time. So well he netted a speeding ticket for exceeding 3 figures somewhere outside Norwich one night.
He must have been incredibly unlucky, I've had a lot of the Perkins engined ones over the years and the only head problems I've ever seen were corroded gaskets due to people ignoring the maintenance requitements. The one I've got now had a new piston at about 1,180,000 miles and the head planed/gasket replaced at 1,225,350 miles. First time I drove one was 1990, drove to garage in a sierra diesel, tbh I remember the Montego being much quieter as well as cosiderably faster. Obviously not as refined as modern diesels, but they have had thirty odd years to improve on it, all of the other small diesels available in the 80's/early 90's were pretty crappy, how mercedes sold any diesel g wagens is a mystery to me, they made a diesel Land Rover look nippy and refined.. Don't think any of the amateur diesel manufacturers have matched Perkins reliability yet though. Smoke was what called time on the Prima...allegedly not possible to pass the late 90's emission test, so Rover redesigned it into the L series/td5 and Perkins apparently designed one more automotive diesel, which an ex employee said was faster than a petrol, but no car manufacturers took it up, so now we are stuck with a lot of 'designed to fail' engines. vw did make one basically very well designed diesel, the tuareg v10/174 L5, but there were a few problems in execution which let it down...others, such as the bmw n47 seem to have been designed to have a limited life from the start. I'll not spoil my story by going back to the 60's and mentioning the Perkins 4.99 ha ha ha...