IDRIVEACLASSIC reviews: 80s Austin Maestro
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- čas přidán 22. 07. 2024
- Today I'm back in something very British Leyland - an amazing Austin Maestro! And this 1980s classic Austin Maestro is special, because it's the oldest surviving Maestro still on the road today!
In this video, I will cover:
Austin Maestro driving
Austin Maestro review
Austin Maestro road test
Austin Maestro history
British Leyland
80s Austin
1980s Austin
80s British Leyland
Austin Rover
ARMG
Classic car review
80s classic car review
classic car road test
80s classic car road test
british leyland review
girl driving classic car
english classic car - Auta a dopravní prostředky
My childhood was defined by these cars. I'm so glad that there are people our there keeping them alive.
Oh absolutely can’t fault BL 🙌
There's a lot of maestro's in devon & cornwall, seems to be a hotspot for them down there last time I visited that neck of the woods.
We never got Austin or Rover here in America. When I was in London I enjoyed looking at the cars almost as much as Buckingham Palace.
Thanks for your British centric reviews.
We did get them--it may have been before your time.
@@SeattleSoulFan The P6 and the SD1 were here.
You did get Austin what about
A40 Devon and Dorset
Austin healey cars
Austin marina
Austin America
@@danielrussell446 The Marina and the Austin Healeys. Don't know about the others.
As a Brit I always feel the cars you see in London are not representative of elsewhere. Mainly, because "normal people" avoid driving through central London and if you live centrally, you're not likely to have a car due to lack of parking and the tubes and trains being more than sufficient. A visitor could think we are all about black cabs, whereas even most taxis are normal car models outside of London.
My nan used to have one of these when I was a kid, I've got fond memories of her taking me and my brother out in it, when she used to look after us. Driving us out for the day for a picnic etc. Great memories. My nan's maestro was exactly the same as this one.....same coloured interior, and same fabric seats. It's like stepping back in time.
Thanks so much for making this video and thumbs up to the proud owner. Great to see these lovely old cars being both preserved and also used as they were intended.
Hey ! Just discovered ur channel today , love ur style steph and keep up the good work 🙂🙂
Aww thanks Ian
What a special car and thanks again for the enlightening review, especially with all the input by its current owner Scarlett. Thanks Steph!
These videos are fantastic! I hope you're staying safe during the quarantine! I, however, have been spending my time watching your videos!
I used to hire these to take my family on holiday to Devon and Cornwall in back in the early 90's.
They never let me down once.
I loved them. 😊
To add to my last comment, you really are a wonderful presenter Steph. I've subscribed and intend to work my way back through your other videos.
Found your cars series on the Morris marina Facebook page absolutely love it really well Informed cars series keep up the good work
Another great video Steph. That Maestro is lovely. Great when ordinary cars fall into loving ownership. Keep 'em coming. 👍👌
I still like the look of the Maestro and the Montego, maybe more now than when they were new
Ah! The memories. Great vid. Hope the cold clears up soon.
Thanks lovely x
Yay! I've been wanting this ever since the Montego review. Smashing video as always Steph :D
Awwwwww thanks so much!!!! I wanted a perfect example and then I got offered Molly and well, I couldn’t say no!
I've watched this video so many times I cannot remember... 'One of my favourites of yours 👍
I love your channel! And yeah these cars were so clean and contemporary when new.
Aww thanks so much 🥰🥰🥰
My Dad had a Maestro in sky blue, and have many fond memories driving around…the dashboard looked almost space age as a young kid…we had it from 1986 to about 1993…
30,000 mileage on an Austin Maestro, that’s insanely low mileage….
Another very good, informative and enthusiastic review. I had the same colour interior in my metro . It brought it all back lol .
Aww thanks pal x
Another great vid....well done both of you.....
Brilliant video!! My dad passed his driving test in one of these back in the day. Our family always had BL/Rover up until the mid-2000's. With regards to the "flimsy" key design, I was always told it was so the key blade wouldn't dig into your leg when your keys were in your pocket. Maybe a bit of a tall tale but it would make sense.
My rover metro had that flimsy key too 😂
My grandad had an A-reg HL in a weird metallic red that looked like rust! Such a maligned and ridiculed car. I love them and its joyous to see such an old one on the roads. Great video as always Steph 👌🏼😎
Thanks for a great review!
I really like your videos, nobody else gives these cars the time of day. But they are part of the car evolution. I was born in the 80’s and love cars from the 80’s and 90’s as they are part of my childhood. Thanks again for showing us these car again before they are all gone.
Thanks so much for your lovely comment 🥰
I went to a dealer launch on these cars. I liked what I saw, you have to remember what cars were available back then, and this car was a quite advanced car when launched. Yes, it had the A plus engine, but it was actually ok in period, I drove many and worked on them for a living. The VP was a lovely place to be 😀
I love an A+
Brilliant review, I've not been keeping up with your content for a while, very bad of me. But at least I've got lots of your videos to binge watch
Another lovely vid, well done!
New subscriber here glad i found you !! My very first car I bought was a Y reg 1983 1.6HLS back in 1988. Great video and happy memories
Aww thanks Carl x
I used a Vanden plas model of maestro often back in the day , gorgeous leather trim and I remember clearly the car had a voice of its own .. You’d hear ( petrol is running low , your door is a jar etc etc ) fabulous car and yet again another fab review.
Many thanks for another great review Steph. Scarlett has a terrific example of a Maestro there. I love those original touches like the service card and the 'Econometer' Just wonderful.
Just brill isn’t it 🥰
Thanks for the ride ❤️👌💕
Cheers x
Excellent video, owned two Meastro's both were brilliant.
Cheers Simon
Another great review Steph👍
Aww you. Thanks!
Thanks for this, Steph! Really enjoyed this review of this incredibly early Maestro in a fantastic colour. My grandfather had about five Maestros in a row, so these are very nostalgic for me indeed...
Aww that’s lovely. He was clearly a man with good taste.
@@idriveaclassic, he certainly was! Never got to drive any of them, though, sadly... My favourites were the 1.6 Mayfair and 1.6 Vanden Plas.
Glad I subscribed. I used to have the direct injection Diesel Maestro van. It was a rocket and sounded like a truck. Best wishes, Dean.
What a channel this is totally me, will be checking out your videos!
Cheers lovely xxx
I love your videos, absolutely hilarious 😂😂
My late Uncle bought one of these brand new D reg.....let me drive it, felt so honoured at the time....very comfortable car....this one looks immaculate!...great video.
Thanks so much ☺️
All the beige, all the brown, all the squares! Lovely! Same Tan/beige/brown color combo as an ‘84 VW Jetta I fell in love with many years ago
I’d like to take a Jetta out for comparison actually.
A much underrated car. My best mate bought a tidy red G plate 1.3 long mot, 150 pounds. I was really impressed by its ride, quietness, and surprisingly lively engine, I could imagine an immaculate one would be a great daily use classic
I love your videos Steph as you dont talk any crap and give justice to some very at one time popular cars, i used to call the maestro as a good old bus as it did what you wanted it for. Old cars are underestimated as im still useing my ford sierra sapphire of 91 vintage and love it and being a fellow northern soul lover you keep the faith :)
Great video and a lovely maestro. I've just bought a 1985 1.6l with 28k miles.
Never owned a Maestro, but I always wanted a British racing green MG.
When I was at college in the early eighties my mate's dad there was involved in the computer voice at the time.
Great vid.
Wow really. That’s cool!
Great discussion Steph of the fact that owners clubs are an important factor when choosing a classic car. Some car brands have got good communities around them, some haven't. It's about drawing on a body of shared knowledge about maintaining the cars and sourcing parts, but it's also social if it's good people.
Great review Steph always loved the mg efi very underrated x
Cheers martin!
A great video Steph and what a lovely car. I remember the maestro as being a good old bus as it was reliable and roomy and you could get all sorts in that hatch,,,,yes they were a good car and didnt deserve some of the bad press they got. I wouldnt mind having one to keep my sierra company lol.
You should get one!
Yes I remember the Austin Maestro, had one as a company fleet car in the 80s. The Maestro was a lovely car to drive, with plenty of room inside and very good all round visibility. Completely forgot about the Leycare Super Cover card, until you pointed it out in the video. The flat passenger side dashboard was really nice, why can't they make modern car dashboards like that. Thanks for the review on this great British 80s classic car, and thanks for the memories!
Had two. A brown 1.3 base model which had metal bumpers and little else. My Dad and I spent most sundays at scrapyards trying to find parts to make it a better spec. Not even fancy stuff, but things like glovebox lid, clock, passenger mirror, parcel shelf, rear seatbelts. Was a reasonable car, had the same brown interior, but much more basic seats and door handles. Then had a 1.6 HLS in gold. Magic car, did me five years with little going wrong. They rusted less than most of the competition and their dowdy reputation is very undeserved. I really liked mine. Fitted a digital dash to the HLS from a VDP. Saw one at a show recently. Always nice to see cars that were once everywhere and now rare and so much more interesting than seeing rows and rows of same cars at a show. Great visibility from inside, comfortable and did everything they needed to. Great video, as always, but so pleased to see a Maestro being reviewed. Incidentally I've owned and driven some high performance and rare classics but I still have fond memories of my Maestros, particularly the HLS. Nice vid Steph, love it.
Somebody did this with Jill re upgrading. I have a full HLE interior 😂😂😂😂😂
@@idriveaclassic posh Jill 👍
It was no more dated than the contemporary Volkswagen Golf, Ford Escort, and Vauxhall Astra at the time.
I agree - although it did look a bit dumpy compared with some of it's competitors and didn't have the kudos of the VW badge
@@chrispenn715
It wasn't so much styling it was the underpinnings like engines and suspension, gearbox etc, couldn't compete with in that respect
yes it was ok when launched i remember the mk 3 and 4 Ford Escorts being rubbish at the time , and the Mk1 Astra was nicer than the Mk2 , the Golf Mk1 was really cool after that they got boring the Meastro could have been a sucess but it wasnt
@@lucindafergusonartmk4 escort was the best other than the mk5.5
I really mourn the loss of Austin Rover. I had a mark two Rover 200 & absolutely loved it.
These were available to buy up until 2006 in China ...including the van version !
Great video !
Top work. Another great film.
Wow! A bit of sentimental nostalgia for me this. Grandad used to have a 1988 Maestro and we used to ride in it a lot when I was growing up during the late 80s and 1990s. Grandad's car had the different dashboard design, shared with the Montego. Great car and as always, great review. Thanks.
Thanks for the love, Steph
Steph I love watching your reviews, your presentation is knowledgeable and enthusiastic, plus you have great style! I hope it leads to bigger and better things for you in the future. And if you ever want to review my Maestro Vanden Plas with the digital talking dash in the future you are more than welcome!
If you pop me an email that would be great x
Hope that's a possibility for a future video, would like to see a comparison. Really loved this review video.
Very interesting channel!
I learned to drive in in the late 70s in my Dad's 1969 Hillman Minx (Hunter shape) and a driving school Fiat 124. My first car was a 1971 Austin 1300 (well, 2 actually that my Uncle - a village garage owner - made into one, using the well-preserved body of one that had shot mechanicals and the running gear of the terminally-rusty second). From there I bought my cousin's Maxi (1976 I think) then a Mini City (in Applejack Green - a horribly lurid colour) and after that, a Metro. (Around that time I borrowed a friend's MG Metro Turbo for a long weekend away - blimey that thing was quick in the early 80s!). Then it was the Maestro - a base model in red - in the Summer of 1982. My first new car and I was very proud of her. Sadly, I wrote her off after 9 months and that was the end of my relationship with BL/BMC/Austin/Rover - though I did drive a couple of Montegos as hire cars around the same time.
A few years ago I dabbled in "modern classics" owning a (brilliant) 1996 MX-5 Mk1 (in poverty UK spec) and absolutely loved it and would like to give that world another go when I retire shortly. Maybe it could be a 1300 again, or even a Maestro - we'll see. Anyway, Steph, keep up the good work.
Colin.
Another great review thanks.
Cheers Chris!
Classic British leyland door gaps there Steph and that fantastic hearing aid brown colour 😁😁 great video 👍👍
Ade H love the description of the colour! 😂 I’ve also heard it described as ‘heavy smoker’s handkerchief’! 🤣
I didn’t even notice door gaps 🙈
I Believe this is the Sister Car of the Montego -Love Montegos had 5 Saloons Back in the 80s/90s Its Nice to See a Maestro Still Going ,
Thanks For Sharing This Video...
I’ve done a Montego review too ;)
@@idriveaclassic Cool, I Will Check it Out,Thanks.
My gran had one of those cars in her Metro!! 😍
I owned the closely related Montego 1.6 estate back in the mid 90s and absolutely loved it. My brother had an MG Montego Turbo around that time. It was a beast! :)
Oohhh an MG. fancy!
Top vlog as ever Steph! Thanks for the explanation of the spec levels. Please tell if I’m wrong, but I think the base spec Metros had the fog light built into the rear bumper, but without a bulb and no wiring!
Oh god I’ll have to check Jill and let you know 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Back in August 2015 when I collected my Volvo 340, I got quite a few looks. Just driving to the DIY store, someone in an Octavia estate had to stop to take a look. Can't wait to get my Astra on the road.
Hahahaha I love an old Volvo
What a great find and lucky car to find a loving owner. Molly will go on for years and gain in value.
God yeah. Iconic car
80"s cars aren't really my thing but this low mileage example is so clean! And it's in the hands of someone who obviously really enjoys owning it. I can appreciate it for those reasons. Thanks for the ride Steph and Scarlett.
Hi Stephanie, I just love your videos, you're a great classic car enthusiast/reviewer! I love the Mastro too!
If you and your husband ever come to visit Porto (Portugal) I offer you my classic car for a review, I would be honoured... I am the proud owner of a small and quirky Italian gem: a fiat 126 from 1977 - 600cc, 23HP and air cooled rear engine... just like a Porsche LOL
Greetings from Portugal. José
Another great vid,,, I saw one of these at Thakkers car dealership Watford pre release it was down in the basement and not ready for release,,the owner went on to sell Mercedes and later Harley Davidson,,, the proprietor had a purple metal flake Chevy Impala with Stars n Stripes on the bonnet,,,gosh that was 1983,,,Good old days,,,,when he showed us the talk facility we said it would never catch on,,,,Thanx for a great vid,,,have a great week,
Aww thanks for your lovely comment
@@idriveaclassic , My pleasure have a great week,
I'm old enough to remember the launch of the Maestro. The five year old me got really excited by the talking dashboard at the time :)
I do definitely prefer the styling of the earlier Maestro's compared to the later models. Great video Steph!
Aww thanks so much x
Went from a EFI 2.0l straight to a 1.3, and I loved the 1.3, great in the snow and ice, looked very similar to this one, but sadly on the way to work one morning I broke the gearbox casing, and then found out it was from the VW Polo, which was very expensive at the time. I went on to have two 1.6 autos that I loved, the last one was finished by a rear end shunt that I thought was nothing but the boot never opened again and the pan was distorted, so it failed on it's MOT, superb comfortable car. Great review.
Love British Leyland cars . I've never understood why they changed the bumpers from plastic molded to metal in the last few years of production of the maestro though? , To me it it was like going backwards with design , the reason why the maestro, and montego stood out at the start was because of the body coloured bumpers on all spec cars.
Takes me back....
Mind you, I had windscreen leaks from day one.
A dead ECU a little later.
Then the gearbox linkage fell off...
Good old BL.
NO WONDER YOU DIED OUT !
I fixed my iffy gearbox linkage with the inside of a bottle cap. What's your point?
I had a red Rover Maestro courtesy car for a wk & liked driving it very much. Nice&Comfortable to sit in.
I learned to drive in my sister's MG Maestro 1.6, and my first car was a 1.3, so I'll always have a soft spot for them. Had an MG 2.0EFi for a while about ten years ago and I still maintain it was one of the best 'hot hatches' I've had, although sadly it was basically a roughly car-shaped collection of rust particles held together with paint by the time I let it go.
Such GREAT value!
Beautiful example. All that beige!! Love it 😀😀
Great vid thank you. Worked for an Austin Rover dealer and was at the launch of the Meastro in 1983.
The econometre should be on green until the engine is revved then amber then red at rest green there might be a problem with this gauge. The keys were deliberately made bendy so when you put them in your pocket they bent rather than hole your pockets. Not kidding ! As I seem to remember they whent on to build a 5 speed HLE. However the 4 speed HLE according to Austin Rover could manage 60 .5 Mpg at 56mph.Not too shabby.
I am an a BL Geek myself and love the Meastro and owned a 1.3 HL it had 125,000 when I sold it. Moved house in it twice great car. Ps sounds like there may be a wheel baiting going on that one.
Thank you for a great video your enthusiasm is amazing.😁
Your right it has noisy wheel bearings, fitted loads in the 80s never lasted long, same on Montego cheapo bearings to small for the size of the car . penny pinching bl .
Everyone has said about this wheel bearing 😂😂😂😂😂😂. It’s the noise from filming. My camera girl on this job is a mechanic and she didn’t note any concerns.
My family owns a scrapyard and I remember playing in lots of these when I was wee. I used to think they were sporty looking 😂
Very in depth video!
Cheers!
Good vid as always. I don't think we ever had one, but as you know my father was an Austin rover salesman. I do remember seeing them about but by then would be MG versions I guess.
Yeah cracking cars!
What a brilliant review by a very enthusiastic test driver , i had two maestros a c reg vanden plas and a g plate MG both brilliant reliable cars that were faster than people thought believe it or not i beat a XR3 away from the lights in the vanden plas which surprised the ford driver as much as me
It looks almost new, cracking vid again Steph. Nice work by Scarlett keeping the car on the road and looking after it. What a bargain at that price.
I never knew that about L, HL etc - I always thought it was Line, High Line and High Line Special
I got it wrong. Sorry! The perils of being given duff info x
@@idriveaclassic did you? It sounded more plausible than what I thought it was!
Hi Steph another great video My older brother had a maestro 1.6 special as his first company car would have been around 1990.It was white with purple special graphics down the sides and had a grey interior with purple trim. I thought it was a great car it had a different higher quality dashboard steering and interior to the one that you are reviewing here he didn’t like it much as he saw it as being bottom of the rung car at the insurance company where he worked
That would have been an advantage they had mg alloys on them powder coated white
the dash was much improved in later cars. I also remember periodically drying out the rear light clusters and cleaning the boot button as the would get very dirty.
My mum had a maestro van de plas and was the first car I got to drive after passing my test. And my dad had an MG 2.0 Efi, happy days 😃
aww lucky!!! Xx
My parents owned a silver MG 1600 (ERW 333Y) between 1988 and 1993. It had red seat belts, red pinstriping, digital dashboard and a voice synthesiser. On hot days the instrument panel would go blank and once I snapped off a door handle. Fortunately it was outside a Unipart shop. 😅 The grey interior plastics went pale green because my parents smoked a lot. I think my lungs have just about recovered.
This is one of my favourite ever comments 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@idriveaclassic Thank you. ☺️ It's true I swear.
Great video as per usual. These cars were quite interesting. Much of it was modular, you could swap out quite a bit by unclipping clips and springs! Typical BL, Austin Rover etc, wonderful ideas poorly executed sometimes! Loved the drive, not so keen on its styling back in the day.
Keep it up please, love your videos!
Aww Andrea that’s so lovely. Thanks for your comment. Agree on poor management.
My father had the maestro 86 on a d plate the vp model same beige and brown seats what I can remember it was very comfy car he loved it. Great vid would make you a great next or even expand your fleet Steph
Well at the mo I’m trying to thin the fleet 😭
I know what you mean I have 6 cars and need to thin them out the other half isn’t happy lol
Being honest I wasn't a fan of the looks at the time these were common. My driving instructor had one and it surprised me with it how easy it was to drive. I passed my test in it, so the Maestro has a special place in my heart. Great video
325K Austin Maestros taxed on the roads in 1994. Now just 173. That's just 0.0005% remaining of those you saw in '94!
I know this is an old vid, but just wanted to add that as an 8 year old in 1988 I vividly remember being sat in the back seat of my mum’s brand new Maestro HL in that lovely light blue the later ones came in as she drove it off the forecourt of Lex Maidenhead. It was a 3 month old demonstrator.
By then the upper spec Maestros at least had a passenger wing mirror! I recall it was totally reliable and was good for the school run everyday. My mum eventually got bored of being in a Mum’s Taxi and traded it in for a brand new Mazda MX6 In 1993!!
Never owned a mk1, but owned around six Maestro's. 2.0l Turbo diesel could be quick once the turbo spooled up but no power steering so was terrible around town. Also owned a 2001 Y-reg Ledbury but that was terribly made if I'm honest. My fav was a 1989 1.3 L lovely engine and body colour bumpers with rust everywhere, but none that was structural. ran and ran that one and seems so quick! Great video :D
Thank youuuu 🙌🙌🙌🙌
Keep up the good work !
Cheers lovely
Keep up good work. 👍
I love your down to earth approach to the cars - who else would say 'glorious beige Maestro' or enthuse over a brown and beige interior? However, that is an amazing survivor and it's good that people now appreciate a car that was underrated and ignored for years.
Great channel
Great video!
My granddad used to drive an Austin Allegro.
This Meastro is a very nice more ' modern' version
It's 99 percent Allegro, same engine
I love the allegro
I had a maestro van in faded yellow lol think it was ex BT,cool road trip car plus earned cash with it👍🏻🇬🇧
Thanks for taking me around Yorkshire. BL built Leyand P76 in Oz, circa 71, it was bagged and rubbished by Australians, I can assure you this is a classic the V8 is magic very comfortable fabulous over long distances handled brilliantly due to power weight ratio. . Best car ever built here. Such a threat to Holden and ford out of date bangers it upset every one because it was British when there was lots of anti British sentiment here. Now they are worth a fortune.
The Beige colour , is what always springs to mind, when I think of a Maestro .
Hahahaha same. Or red.
Steph, my friends Dad had a Vanden Plas Maestro, it had a talking synthesis, it sounded hilarious trip distance sounded like 'twit' distance
Love the 'econometer'😀
Steph you lovely lady. You never put any thing down and big up it's good bits. Most vehicles get to be poor when compared to much more modern vehicles and or they lack maintenance or have had poor maintenance.
Great video Steph, there’s a guy who takes his Maestro to the garage I work at once a year for MOT, it’s a 1994 2.0 Turbo Diesel, he reckons it’s one of only 5 turbo diesels left on the road and the only Maestro Left in that particular colour, I was having a chat with him and he said checked on how many left, he added the trim levels together and reckons there’s 227 of all Maestros left, I was asked to pull the Maestro on the MOT ramp, although I only drove it a few yards it felt so awesome. This isn’t my only fond Maestro memory. Back in 2013 I went on holiday to menorca and the first vehicle I saw on the road after getting out the Airport was a Maestro still on British plates, I must admit the cars are growing on me, I never used to be a fan but now I think there great, along with Marinas and Maxis it’s such a shame there’s so few left.
This is such a nice little comment 😊😊😊
The 2.0 litre Perkins diesels were phenomenal. They were so grunty. My dad had one that he eventually sold to one of my pals. I'd have bought it myself, but I already had one.