| In 1980, two events of varying significance
in MG history occurred. Firstly and most significant, as most will know, the Abingdon
factory produced it’s last MG. Secondly, the Austin
Mini-Metro was launched. 12 months later in January 1981 Austin-Rover Group (ARG), as BL
had now become, responding to pleas for a new MG, announce plans to produce an MG version
of the Mini-Metro, which was a best seller for the company at the time. Purists naturally
bemoaned this new MG (as they had at the launch of the T-Type, then the MGA, and then of
course the MGB), despairing that the car would be a front wheel drive, badge-engineered
saloon. They forget, of course, how MG began as badge-engineered Morris’, and that
there have always been MG Saloons. John Thornley himself went
some way to calm this outcry (see ‘MetroG’ by John Thornely). Despite the purists, the MG Metro entered into production
early in 1982. Based largely on the Austin Metro
using the well-known A series engine in 1275cc form, now updated and renamed the
‘A+’, the MG Metro engine received a significant boost in power over it’s
Austin stablemates (up to 72bhp from 60bhp), with larger
valves, a different cam shaft profile, larger HIF44 SU carburettor and water-heated inlet
manifold and separate extractor exhaust system. The suspension retained the same hydragas-sprung suspension with front upper and lower arms and
single ARB also acting as a trailing link, and trailing arms at the rear. The front hydragas units were isolated and worked in conjunction with a
telescopic shock absorber. The rears, however, were interconnected (unlike the 1100/1300
which had each side interconnected front-rear) and didn’t have the addition of the
shock absorber. The MG Metro also got ventilated front discs with AP 4 piston callipers,
retaining the standard 7” drums of it’s Austin
brethren. Interior trim was improved as well, with red carpets and seat belts, sportier
seats and matching door trims with red highlights. On the outside, all MG Metro’s got
a tailgate spoiler (later fitted to the Austin 998cc HLE model as it was found to improve
fuel economy) and 12” alloy wheels as standard. Like the Mini before it, the Metro
had very good accommodation for 4 adults inside, and, unlike the Mini, could also carry
luggage for 4 adults.
While it may not have been startlingly quick, by the
standards of the time the MG Metro was certainly no slouch, and handled well as all MG’s should, receiving good reviews, even being voted What Car?
magazines Car of the Year in 1983. Some journalists however
felt that the MG Metro needed just a bit more pace to really compete with it’s
modern-engined (compared to the A series, anyway) European
rivals. So just 6 months after the launch of the MG Metro, along came the MG Metro Turbo,
developed in conjunction with Lotus. A simple installation with a
somewhat over-sized Garrett T3 turbo blowing through an SU carburettor, blowing at 4-7psi
of boost, dependant on revs. Early prototypes were repeatedly producing in excess
of 120bhp, with more easily on offer according to the engineers, but with a propensity to
break the standard gearbox which had been designed for all of 30bhp with the original
850cc Minis way back when. Unable to get top management to fork out for an upgraded
gearbox (other than a higher final drive for better cruising), the engineers had no choice
to limit the torque through the gearbox to 85 lb.ft, equating
to 93bhp at the flywheel. None the less the car performed well and it was enough to give a
useful boost in performance, sprinting to 60mph in 9.9 sec and onto 113mph top speed
(11.9s and 103mph for the MG Metro). To distinguish it against it’s
naturally aspirated brother, the MG Metro Turbo received bigger 13” alloy wheels with
wider, lower profile tyres, a full bodykit and different
interior. The turbo also benefited from the fitment of a rear anti-roll bar and
individualised rear hydragas units. All this was enough to
make the MG Metro Turbo a real contender in the ‘hot hatch’ market of the early
80’s, against the likes of the VW Golf GTi and Ford
Fiesta XR2.
Not long after the Metro Turbo entered production, ARG
decided to mount a challenge to the British Touring Car Championship, with both the Rover
SD1 V8, and the MG Metro Turbo. The Metros, sponsored by Computer Vision (as with the
6R4), had a fully seam welded body with a full roll cage fitted. The suspension pickup
points were altered to give revised geometry. The all-steel body was retained to meet FIA
regulations of 880kgs. The engine was a 1275cc unit of all-steel construction, developing
in between 190bhp and 240bhp, depending on who you talk to. Whichever it was, it’s a
lot from an A series. The gearbox was originally built by Jack Knight with all steel
internals, including specially cast casing giving greater strength, dog-type gears and a
limited slip diff ratio of 3.4:1. The cars first appeared for the 1983 BTCC season, driven
by Patrick Watts and Tony Pond (who also later drove the 6R4 Works cars), later joined by
Martin and Robin Brundle for a few races. In all 7 chassis
were built and competed and different events during 1983 and 84, taking Class B wins
against Escort Turbos, Alfa Romeo and Nissan.
The only major revision came in 1985, amid flagging sales
across the Metro range. The 1985 face lift cars (or MK2 as they became known) got
simplified, cleaner bumper designs, revised bonnet and grille and thoroughly revised
interior, including an all-new dashboard design. A revised alloy-wheel design was adopted
for the non-Turbo MG Metro’s, ARG opting for a metric rim size of 315mm (which would
later cause all sorts of grief for owners). Fortunately the Turbo retained it’s 13” wheels, albeit slightly revised in design. From
1985 all Metros except the Turbo dropped the front shock absorber (in true BL cost cutting
fashion), instead using a revised hydragas unit with a higher
internal damping rate. The Turbo also received a roof mounted boost gauge, which was later
dropped. Late in 1987 the MG Metro range received body colour bumpers and spoiler (and bodykit for the Turbo), and revised graphics. A ‘crossspoke’ alloy wheel design also became available for the
Turbo in around 1988, steel wheels with plastic trims becoming optional for the MG Metro
around this time as well. Late in 1988, the Austin Metro GTa
was released, based on the MG Metro Turbo but with the non-Turbo 72bhp MG Metro engine
fitted (I believe this was an attempt to use up some Turbo bodies cheaply when it was
decided that the MG Metro would end production in 1990, in much the same way the MGA DeLuxe came into being to use up Twin Cam shells). Then in 1990,
along with it’s Austin brother, the MG Metro was
discontinued, in favour of the highly revised Rover Metro, powered by the all-new K series
engine in 1100 and 1400cc form. The true successor to the MG Metro didn’t appear
until mid 1991, when the twin cam 1400 Rover Metro GTi was
released, initially with 95bhp and later 103bhp.
The MG Metro and Metro Turbo, along with the MG Montego and
Montego Turbo, were only released in New Zealand from 1987 to 1990 (with a few examples
being registered in December 1986). Most of the cars registered new in New Zealand are
1987 and 1988 model year cars, with few of the later cars with revised graphics arriving
here.
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