Austin Allegro test drive/review
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- Опубликовано: 15 окт 2024
- I have always believed the Allegro to have been treated unfairly. it was an interesting and underrated car, and this one is absolutely lovely.
The car IS for sale here: www.ebay.co.uk...
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The Allegro, generally a pensioners car. Four engine options, 1100, 1300, 1500 and 1750 and the posh Vanden Plas. This one has a rear armrest that even the top of range Ford Granada GXL lacked.
I live in New Zealand. We assembled the Austin Allegros here. The Austin Maxis as well back in the 1970s. I remember them being in bright colors such as Canary yellow for instance. We only had the 4dr saloons The 2dr and estate models, we didn't have on our car market. That Allegro looks good in that blue color. It's in nice condition too.
Lovely Jubbly, very nice video on a very very nice example of this 1970's British Leyland car.
Thank you 😊
You have struck on a very powerful idea. Many cars today are like snakes or lizards - slippery, shiny, fashionable and exotic looking, but no personality and likely to bite you. The Allegro is indeed like a dog. Not always popular with strangers, but loved by their owners for their loyalty and willingness to get up and have fun, even though some may be a bit slow these days.
INTERESTING THAT YOU MENTIONED GETTING INTO THE BOOT!
I WAS a lodger in a flat, with my friend and his family.
His 10 year old son Martin, normally very nice, was on one occasion, being a pain. He had bought a Star Wars plastic Ninja lance, and kept poking me with it! I said I had to go outside to my Allegro, and wanted Martin to come with me, as I wanted to SHOW him something. I showed Martin the Allegro's boot and said I'd just had enough of it - being poked with his plastic Ninja lance - and would LOCK HIS LANCE IN THE BOOT if he didn't stop!
Immediately Martin challenged me to lock HIM in the boot - so he could practise his ESCAPOLOGY ( he had escaped the previous week from a pop-up suitcase!) So "Doubting Thomas", (i.e. ME) locked Martin in the Allegro's boot, and was AMAZED when just MINUTES later, an expert 10 year old escapologist emerged , with a large "click" of the boot lock he squeezed from INSIDE! The rest is HISTORY Suddenly we heard a round of applause! We heard it coming from above - above where the car was parked, at the back of the flats. All the kids on the block had met up on the walkway above, where it was like a pavement running past people's front doors - and they'd ALL been watching! Martin said "who wants to see me escaping from the boot if the car AGAIN? "
So, to more applause, each time, "Martin The Magician" escaped from the Allegro's large boot several more times!
What a beautiful colour! And the title PROJECT NIGEL is appropriate. That's MY name, and I had one! I always thought it looked "cuddly" and friendly! A proper car to own, and not one pretending to be a sports car..
Well done for presenting a fair but fun review of the Allegro, I’ve nothing funny to say today, nice change to have one represented so well.
One of my favourite classic cars from the 70’s.
Well covered review of a very nice example, love that blue.
My very first car was an Allegro 1300 SDL in “Astral Blue Metallic” which was a light metallic blue which was a lovely colour and cost me a mere £75! Which was in 1997, that’s how unloved they were at the time.
I wish I had the money to buy one now as they are a Substantial amount more money now!
Amazing how much better it looks with that great paint colour
It is a lovely colour for sure
@@ProjectNigel It dosn't look half bad but I'd very much have preferred a period correct colour. 🧐
Together witn the Princess 2200 HLS my favourite english car!
Car reputations, it was ever thus. As Frank Zappa nearly said, Most motor journalism is people who can’t write interviewing cars who can’t talk for people who can’t read.
Back in the day l was out & about in my Rover 2000TC with my friend. We pulled up next to an Allegro at a set of lights on the North Circular Road with the intention of easily beating him away from the line. When the lights went green he took off like a scalded cat with a cheery wave & l had to pretend that l wasn't really trying. By the Lord Harry, it was quick.
A guy in my estate who does up old cars currently has a very clean beige Allegro on his drive. It’s a couple of years older than this one but almost as clean. As a kid I laughed at the Allegro, today I just smile whenever I see one, which is very rarely.
I had the 1750 sport special which was remarkable for consuming drive shafts at a new set every 3 months or so - luckily I lived then close to Cowley so they replaced them free of charge without complaint
Many Citroens had the same problem....
I always liked the estates, helps if they're a nice chocolate brown colour like the one a neighbour of mine had when I was a kid. I loved the look of that car back then 😂
My uncle had one he liked it. I do remember it but don't think it lasted very long think the tin worm ate it. The A series is and was a good reliable little engine. Good review 👍
I had one when it was 6 years old. One of the hydrogas pipes had rotted though already but a bodge repair got it through an MoT and it was a pretty good car.
Wow that is one immaculate car. It looks brand new, and nothing says Thatcher's Britain like a car that always sounds like its going backwards. I like it a lot, almost as much as your slightly psychotic intro :-)
Great video! That Allegro looks in immaculate condition! I really want one, especially in that colour that really suits the car. 👍
Thanks for the upload but Nigel Nigel…..the 1100 and 1300 was hydrolastic not hydrogas lol 🙂
You people in the UK 🇬🇧 are so lucky 🍀! We never had this imported into the US, no, BL ignored us.
I think this is quite lovely! So I hope it ends up in a good home.
Pity as they wouldn't have rusted away there.
I love allegros I've had a metro and I've been in an allegro! The allegro feels far more solid and comfortable although my metro needed the suspension doing but even then I think the allegro is still nicer.
Good video
Jonny Smiths channel is rebuilding a 2 door Allegro in to a sleeper with a Civic type R engine he has a thing for Allegros. A friend had a 1750 ss in the 80s it was quite fast.
Yes he's taking his time with it isn't he?
Beautiful
Wow if i had the money id buy it. What a little gem. Love the video. My uncle don had one in the 80s but then he upgraded to a Maestro. Maybe ill sell the wife.😁
Great review funny as F#&k, you should do more reviews
Thoroughly enjoyed watching this. Made me chuckle too!. I also own an Allegro. Its brown. Actually theres a lot of videos of it on my channel. He's called George!. Mister Hubnut met him too. Anyway, thanks for sharing this. I was so impressed I subscribed. Excellent taste sir!. :)
I had a 1978 Allegro 1.1 deluxe in snot green back in 1988. Handled better than the Marina I had before it, but it was slow in 1100 guise. Very roomy inside and mine was totally reliable. Bought cheap, thrashed it, sold it!
I've probably commented this before, on this video, but my first car was an 1100 DL Allegro (with 1275 engine fitted) in the same colour as this one and 4-door too! It was easy and nice to drive, comfortable, reliable, economical, (40+ MPG on a run) practical. I can't remember my car not starting in 4 years of ownership. Cheap to run as well, it was my student car. never needed to be towed by the AA. I definitely would like one again and would do some daily driving in it!!! A good car then only ruined by the styling , which now doesn't look bad, it now looks Quirky.
This is a lovely cay. My background is Minis, but I've always fancied getting its 'big brother'. Are there really quite a few around Halifax, its not far from me? I believe this one is now sold?
Great video. Andy 👍
I always thought the Allegro looked a bit sad and grumpy, not befitting its cheery name. And for that I salute it, being a grumpy old man with quite a jolly name myself
I have owned four Allegro's in my time. All of them were brown.
Fair review, as you say they were a best seller and the contemporaries were probably little better built except the Japanese and irrespective almost all 70s car rusted away. I had a 1.3L MK2 Escort and I couldn’t keep up with my mates Allegro! Brings a new meaning to removing the cat😂😂
My friend’s dad bought an Allegro for his son, my friend, to drive. He had a Mazda Montrose, remember them? It was a really cool car, still is or would be if they weren’t extinct, which was surprising because he wasn’t a cool man. His son, my friend was, but his dad wasn’t. Lovely guy, just not cool despite his Mazda Montrose. He had a Talbot Solara before the Mazda so that’s the kind of cool level we’re dealing with. Anyway he bought this Allegro for his son, my friend, to use much to my friend’s disgust. Still, an Allegro is better than no car so we did out stuff in it. That noise, that whining, chugging noise, always reminds me of that time. I remember particularly the last journey we had in that car as it ended up with us upside down in a ditch. That was where I learned that if you find yourself upside down in a ditch, brace yourself before unclipping your seatbelt. You can have that for free, though I hope you never have use for this knowledge.
Fabulous story. You should start making videos 😄
A friend banger raced a mazda montrose coupe, i got there late first race he was pushed in the bank resulting in the drivers front wheel of mazda coming through the bulkhead pushing the pedals up breaking his ankle, the guy that did it was a bully, was always nasty on the track and many years later he end up in a firey end
@@adamwort7160 That took us on an unexpectedly dark journey
@@windymiller5058 yes but true story
The looks of the Allegro have actually aged pretty well - my father owned one of these in that oh-so-70's mustard colour and, as I recall, brown velour seats. I'm guessing it had the A-Series motor because I can remember the sound of it as if it was yesterday. "Clunk-whirr-whine" and you're off down the road. That one is in far better condition than his was!
Nice review.
No idea if Allegros work in Barnsley but I can confirm Metros do as I took my test in one there.
If it had been a hatchback it would have been a real success. Whenever anyone criticises them I just say oh, have you ever owned or driven one? I have and they are okay. BTW they didn't rust either.
All myths spread by the heard if from a mate numpties re the Allegro especially the crap Top Gear bores. Yes there were teething problems with them at first like with most cars but they were actually very reliable and exellent cars once they were sorted out - certainly far better than the agricultural Mk2 Escorts that were designed by a brick manufacturer. We had two Allegros in the family at the same time - my mothers 1978 Allegro 1500 LE and my 1980 Allegro 1750 TC Equipe and both of them were very reliable and excellent cars - the Equipe was fast for its day as well you would have loved that car. They would have sold more of them had they gave it the hatchback it was designed to have. The Allegro was actually one of the most aerodynamic cars back then - so much so the BBC in one of their science programmes - cannot remember which one - used an Allegro for this reason to try and find out the best aerodynamic shape for cars by sticking foam and cardboard on the car and keeping putting it into a wind tunnel. From what I remember they came out with the fatc that an aerodynamic perfect car would be so ugly no one would want to own one and it would have to be a small airplane fuselage shaped car as well so would be impractical on the road.
You're right, the lack of hatchback was inconvenient, and this likely would have sold them a lot more - competing with the Chevette and the Golf it was hamstrung. The Maestro should really have been a step up but I preferred my Allegro. But Acclaim and R8 were both the business. 80's Rovers were (are) fab.
The grille looks super cool, with the AA badge at one end, and the RAC badge at the other end. As if it'sade for it@
Had a 1300 2 door and a 1750 4 door ..never broke down and drove really well
Nice. We didn't get these as Imports here (Thank Christ 👀..). However, There's several AUSTIN..... NOT MORRIS.... Marinas roaming around here. The dry climate keeps these awful things together and in 1 piece 🚗🇬🇧🇺🇲.
My dad owned a white Allegro in the early 1970s
For some reasons i love those little cars 👍
My dad had one when i was 5, ive just bought one 33 years later
IMO, the problem with the Allegro was that no one really cared about technological suspension on a small family car.
It looked ugly and wasn't a hatchback.
Just ONE year later, the Mk VW Golf was launched.
The Golf did shake up the industry for sure,
@@ProjectNigel
It made the Allegro obsolete within a year of its launch.
And the colour is beautiful
I think it is a very good-looking car.
Get a good one and you could expect good suspension, and a generally economical and reliable car.
Get a bad one, though, and abandon all hope!
They had problem with stub axel snapping off .
Nice allegro
One of a handful of old cars I'd like to own. Better than an Escort? Course it is.
Allegro
My Dad had a couple. They were good, reliable cars which gave us years and years of trouble free motoring. Not sure why the hate but then the press did side with the tories on just about everything.
They also drove very well.
Had one!. Green with Black vinyl roof...
Noble… and cute. Two diametrically opposed adjectives and neither of which suit the All aggro. Although perhaps in some perverse way it could have been considered slightly cutesy.
Lovely colour 🚗🚙🚘👍👍👍👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Long live allegro man
😅
@5:11 to 5:22 that rubber switchgear will soon be even worse when the rubber coating starts to flake off, exposing hard white bare plastic. Looking at you, VW/Audi.
I have wanted an Equipe since they came out. M.
I now own this car
Love your reviews however citroen produced hydraulic suspension in 1954 that was just as affective .
That said i like the allegros shape it does appeal to me probably because its a bit like the alfa sud and the astra mk2 being a child of the 70s growing up in the eghties i noticed shapes of cars and then looked out for the names written on the back .
Wow the a series was an old engine .
Now my neighbour had an x reg allegro estate in the eighties 1984 or 5 i used to wash it for pocket money. 70s and 80s allegro estates really did look good to me .
Boaty still needs an ash tray for those sticks of fire is he a cave man or just a child of those times .
Allegro man indeed does know his stuff if i was in business i would tackle cars in the way he does and do my best to buy right.
In my mind although the vp version would be luxurious and with better engines . But the bonnet is an afterthought.
Any way i cant think of any more , except to say not all heros wear capes and not all people with long hair are called jesus or ghandalph.
Thank you. He certainly did do a fantastic job of this car
@@ProjectNigel thanks mustard 😋
That car has something that other cars had
A quick think?
Marina
Lotus esprit & other lotus ,
Land rover Discovery
(tr7 I think)
Run out of thinks anyone else say?
Door handles
@@ProjectNigel correct congratulations you've just won a brand new Austin allegro
How much was it ?
So how much?
had a 1750ss in orange
Just look at the Ford Ka and Vauxhall Adam that nobody bought except a few impressionable women.😊
I like the Adam
Lovely car. Unfairly maligned.
British Leyland suffered from quality issues and somehow they got the styling wrong. It looks like Miss Piggy when compared with e.g the Citroen GS.
ahh there you go- if you had worked a little bit harder you could've had a 1500 super which DID have a 5th gear🤣
😄
I’m off to sell one of my kidneys.See you soon 😮
ok so, mustard and boaty sell no cars in during the death of the Queen, 2 prime ministers, and probably a nuclear war, and yet this allegro will sell before I finish this comment. but it is rather nice..
Are you buying it? 😃
@@ProjectNigel if I could I would. Would be great driving through the streets of Melbourne..
Tin worms favourite.
They didn't rust that badly.
Allegros were actually one of the first cheap mass produced cars to be waxed and treated against rust from the factory so were excellent for not rusting. Of course if the lazy owners didn't bother keeping up with the waxing and treating when the cars got older then they would start to rust then but then again just like the lazy owners who never serviced or looked after their cars they would break down and have problems and then the lazy owners would blame the cars/manufacturers for their own laziness. At least cars are far better resistant against rust these days but still vulnerable to lazy owners not servicing them. I used to look after and service and rustproof my own cars and that is when I discovered that my 1980 Allegro Equipe and mothers 1978 Allegro LE were already waxed from the factory when I went to wax them myself but still gave them a waxing because we had bought them second hand.
@@williamwoods8022 I was a lazy owner but it didn't rot even when I left it in a field for 6 months. But hefty thrashing meant hefty smoke...
I had 3 fords of that era…..all leaked badly, so much water inside you had to bail the water out before driving off, then be prepared to weld up the rust holes. I had a turd brown allegro estate great little workhorse, carried my dj gear around no problem
Comment 👍
DeCambiode cauchoa se Bomba frèno
Gearboxes lasted 5 minutes…no thanks
They bought one because humans are like sheep lol 👍😤