Naming the Austin Allegro as certainly one of my favorite vehicles might sound wilfully contrarian, seeing because it has come to be seen as an emblem of what might solely be described as a ‘malaise period’ for British automotive manufacturing.
Individuals of all ages appear to hate the ‘All-aggro’. Some have even put the downfall of the British motor trade on these Harris Mann-designed shoulders, so obtrusive had been its reliability points and so uncompetitive was its efficiency in most core respects.
It was downright harmful in some regards too: a scarcity of structural integrity led in excessive circumstances to the rear window coming out when the automotive was jacked up and there have been a number of circumstances of wheels falling off in movement.
British Leyland administration blamed strikes and the federal government’s three-day week. Staff in the meantime, blamed poor designs, optimised for cash saving and effectivity relatively than high quality.
There’s in all probability a little bit of reality to either side of the story, however there is not any denying the problems.
Certainly, the one time the Allegro appears to enter fashionable automotive discourse is when it turns up close to the highest of an online article about ‘the worst British vehicles ever made’ or related.
However I can solely assume that anybody awarding the Allegro this most doubtful of accolades has by no means pushed one or not less than has solely skimmed the modern media protection.
When the automotive was launched again within the spring of 1973, critiques had been really constructive. Autocar’s personal learn: “In contrast with the a lot older Austin 1300, it’s a large step ahead in all respects. Aside from its superior engineering, the Allegro comes with a really full listing of normal tools and in 1300 Tremendous type presents superb worth for cash.”
And it nonetheless holds up in the present day. I as soon as drove an Allegro 3 greater than 600 miles, from Peterborough to Seneffe, Belgium, the place some examples had been made, and again. It was white with a sorrel (brown) inside, making it presumably essentially the most Seventies factor I’ve ever seen.
It broke down solely as soon as, which truthfully is okay for a automotive of that age. And my overriding impression was that it was really a fairly good automotive: snug suspension, a large enough boot for a weekend away, straightforward to park and, like with most elderly vehicles, a implausible view of the street. It even sat at 60mph fairly simply.
