Memory Lane

Austin/MG/Rover Metro

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British Leyand Manufactured 1980-1986 / Rover Group plc Manufactured 1986-2000

In October 1980 British Leyland (BL) introduced us to the Austin Mini Metro. This vehicle was intended to replace the Mini but as we know the Mini lives on. The Metro was intended to compete with the Ford Fiesta and did cause a stir. It was considered quite a roomy small car with basic running gear taken from the Mini. Also, the Metro did enjoy a bit of fame as a young lady Diana Spencer drove one and was regularly photographed by the press ahead of her marriage to Prince Charles.
For two brief years the Metro was Britain’s most fashionable car and went on to have reasonable success for the company with more than 2 million sales during its 17 year production. The Metro was a small runaround, perhaps even a small funky car, it was nippy but four years later in February 1984 the manufacturer summoned Thor and gave us the 6R4. This was a six cylinder four wheel drive Rally Car and what a beast it was. It brought the first ever victory to Clubman Metro. Sadly, halfway through the 1986 season, Group b in which the 6R4 was included became banned due to a series of fatal crashes in which competitor and spectators lost their lives. The 6R4 was made between 1984 and 1987.


The 6R4 was designed with a normally aspirated V6 engine and was basically the Rover V8 less two cylinders together with some elements of the Cosworth DFV. The fuel injected engine as well as the radiators mounted at the rear replacing its rear seats. Capable of a 0-60 time of 3.2 seconds and an 11.5 seconds to cover the quarter mile, meant the Metro was up there with the big boys.
The 6R4 as a V6 four wheel drive (4WD) rally car had a production total of 200. Although, 233 Clubman body shells were manufactured. The 200 produced as Clubman cars and inspected by FISA with 20 of them offered as Mock Evolution cars. These were intended to be the basics of the Works Rally Cars. The engine was designed, developed and produced by Austin Rover. Originally the car had 250 bhp mated to a five speed transmission, but as we know some had higher horsepower. In average condition a 6R4 will fetch around £168,750 with the most expensive one to sell so far attaining £215,526, but inevitably and as time passes who knows what a collectopr will be willing to pay.
A majority of us will never en joy the thrill of R64 ownership, but for the Metro enthusiast there is the Turbo version which had a Garrett T3 turbo charger installed which helped the engine produce 93 bhp which provided the road car with a top speed of 112 mph. For a small city car that wasn’t bad at all.
At launch the turbo would have set you back £3,085 which I suppose if you had one adding a body kit could make it a 6R4 lookalike, simply because to actually own a proper 6R4 you would need to probably win the lottery. All in all it wasn’t a bad city car or super mini. In 1987 the Austin name disappeared and became the Rover Metro in 1990 and it received the new K series engine available in 1.1 and 1.4 guises. Approximately just 750 Rover Metros remain licensed for road use. The Metro story reflects a fairly successful small car that did not quite live up to the original Mini, but it did try.
Trevor Ferguson 10 November 2023

Cost New
Metro 1.0 L
Metro 1.0 HLE
Metro 1.3 S
Metro 1.3 HLS
Metro MG
Metro Turbo (1987)
British Leyland (Check condition stated)
£3,495/ Top Asking Price Nov.2023 £3,000 (Very Good Condition+low mileage)
£3,695/Top Asking Price Nov.2023 £11,995 (Mint)
£3,995/
£4,296/
£4,799/Top Asking Price Nov. 2023 £5,999 (Very Good Condition)
£4,799/Top Asking Price Nov. 2023 £4,900 (Fair Condition)
Engines
Metro 1.0 L, LS, HLE
Metro 1.3 L,
Metro MG
Metro Turbo

Metro 1.1C
British Leyland
4 Cylinders 998 cc 46 bhp 8v
4 Cylinders 1275 cc 60 bhp 8v
4 Cylinders 1275 cc 72 bhp 8v
4 Cylinders 1275 cc 93 bhp 8v
Rover
4 Cylinders 1120 cc 60 bhp 8v
Transmission

Metro 1.0 L, LS, HLE
Metro 1.3 L, S, HLS
Metro Turbo
British Leyland

Four Speed Manual Front Wheel Drive
Four Speed manual or Four Speed Automatic Front wheel Drive
Four Speed manual Front Wheel Drive
Metro 1.1CRover
Four Speed manual (Five Speed Optional)
Performance
Metro 1.0 L, LS, HLE
Metro Turbo

1.1C
British Leyland

Max 112 mph 0-60=9.3 secs
Rover
Max 97 mph 0-60=13.7 secs
Fuel Consumption
Metro 1.0 L, LS, HLE
Metro Turbo

Metro 1.1C
British Leyland

28 mpg
Rover
32 mpg
Road Tax
Metro 1.0 L
Metro 1.3 L
Metro Turbo
British Leyland


£170-£180 per annum
HOW MANY STILL MOTORING?

​Austin/MG/Rover Metro How Many Remain on UK Roads

ModelStatusNumber
Austin Metro 1.0Licensed11
Austin Metro 1.0SORN24
Austin Metro 1.3Licensed1
Austin Metro 1.3SORN3
Austin Metro 1.3 MoritzLicensed0
Austin Metro 1.3 MoritzSORN4
Austin Metro ARXLicensed1
Austin Metro ARXSORN3
Austin Metro AutomaticLicensed16
Austin Metro AutomaticSORN78
Austin Metro CityLicensed65
Austin Metro CitySORN298
Austin Metro City AutomaticLicensed1
Austin Metro City AutomaticSORN11
Austin Metro XLicensed28
Austin Metro XSORN158
Metro GSLicensed7
Austin Metro GSSORN26
Metro GS AutomaticLicensed0
Metro GS AutomaticSORN8
Metro GTALicensed7
Metro GTASORN40
Metro HLLicensed1
Metro HLSORN0
Metro HLELicensed22
Metro HLESORN66
Metro HLSLicensed5
Metro HLSSORN18
Metro HLS AutomaticLicensed1
Metro HLS AutomatcSORN1
Metro Jet BlackLicensed1
Metro Jet BlackSORN6
Metro Jet Black AutomaticLicensed0
Metro Jet Black AutomaticSORN
Metro LLicensed44
Metro LSORN255
Metro L AutomaticLicensed4
Metro L AutomaticSORN27
Metro GALALicensed1
Metro GALASORN1
Metro LELicensed0
Metro LESORN1
Metro MayfairLicensed6
Metro MayfairSORN29
Metro MosaicLicensed3
Metro MosaicSORN18
Metro PrinciplesLicensed0
Metro PrinciplesSORN1
Metro Red HotLicensed1
Metro Red HotSORN8
Metro Red Hot AutomaticLicensed0
Metro Red Hot AutomaticSORN3
Metro SLicensed9
Metro SSORN29
Metro SportLicensed0
Metro SportSORN18
Metro Studio 2Licensed3
Metro Studio 2SORN18
Metro Vanden PlasLicensed16
Metro Vanden PlasSORN67
Metro Vanden Plas AutomaticLicensed7
Metro Vanden Plas AutomaticSORN49
Metro VP 500Licensed0
Metro VP 500SORN6
Metro Metropolitan CycleLicensed7
Metro Metropolitan CycleSORN1
Metro MGLicensed76
Metro MGSORN292
Metro Turbo MGLicensed28
Metro Turbo MGSORN182
Metro 6R4Licensed6
Metro 6R4SORN43
Rover MetroLicensed16
Rover MetroSORN57
Rover Metro AdvantageLicensed3
Rover Metro AdvantageSORN14
Rover Metro CLicensed44
Rover Metro CSORN174
Rover Metro CaribbeanLicensed1
Rover Metro CaribbeanSORN6
Rover Metro CasinoLicensed11
Rover Metro CasinoSORN24
Rover Metro Casino RoyaleLicensed8
Rover Metro Casino RoyaleSORN7
Rover Metro CDLicensed9
Rover Metro CDSORN58
Rover Metro CityLicensed1
Rover Metro CitySORN3
Rover Metro City XLicensed1
Rover Metro City XSORN1
Rover Metro Clubman Licensed10
Rover Metro ClubmanSORN57
Rover Metro Clubman LLicensed8
Rover Metro Clubman LSORN74
Rover Metro Clubman L AutoLicensed15
Rover Metro Clubman L AutoSORN54
Rover Metro GSLicensed8
Rover Metro GSSORN42
Rover Metro GS AutoLicensed1
Rover Metro GS AutoSORN10
Rover Metro GSiLicensed3
Rover Metro GSiSORN23
Rover Metro GSi AutoLicensed1
Rover Metro GSi AutoSORN7
Rover Metro GTALicensed30
Rover Metro GTASORN172
Rover Metro GTA 16vLicensed3
Rover Metro GTA 16vSORN41
Rover Metro GTA AutoLicensed0
Rover Metro GTA AutoSORN3
Rover Metro GTiLicensed18
Rover Metro GTiSORN
Rover Metro GTi 16vLicensed33
Rover Metro GTi 16vSORN154
Rover Metro ImpressionLicensed3
Rover Metro ImpressionSORN19
Rover Metro KnightsbridgeLicensed3
Rover Metro KnightsbridgeSORN12
Rover Metro LLicensed56
Rover Metro LSORN229
Rover Metro L AutoLicensed27
Rover Metro L AutoSORN69
Rover Metro LDLicensed2
Rover Metro LDSORN33
Rover Metro ManhattanLicensed2
Rover Metro ManhattanSORN12
Rover Metro Manhattan ALicensed3
Rover Metro Manhattan ASORN3
Rover Metro Manhattan DLicensed0
Rover Metro Manhattan DSORN4
Rover Metro MGLicensed15
Rover Metro MGSORN39
Rover Metro MG TurboLicensed1
Rover Metro MG TurboSORN6
Rover Metro MosaicLicensed0
Rover Metro MosaicSORN1
Rover Metro NightfireLicensed14
Rover Metro NightfireSORN57
Rover Metro Nightfire SpecialLicensed2
Rover Metro Nightfire SpecialSORN15
Rover Metro QuestLicensed19
Rover Metro QuestSORN81
Rover Metro PlusLicensed2
Rover Metro PlusSORN10
Rover Metro RioLicensed55
Rover Metro RioSORN191
Rover Metro Rio GrandeLicensed23
Rover Metro Rio GrandeSORN72
Rover Metro Rio Grande DLicensed2
Rover Metro Rio Grande DSORN10
Rover Metro SLicensed66
Rover Metro SSORN327
Rover Metro S AutoLicensed2
Rover Metro S AutoSORN3
Rover Metro SDLicensed1
Rover Metro SDSORN6
Rover Metro SiLicensed6
Rover Metro SiSORN45
Rover Metro Si AutoLicensed10
Rover Metro Si AutoSORN35
Rover Metro SLLicensed8
Rover Metro SLSORN35
Rover Metro SL AutoLicensed1
Rover Metro SL AutoSORN2
Rover Metro SportLicensed1
Rover Metro SportSORN
Rover Metro Studio 2Licensed0
Rover Metro Studio 2SORN1
Rover Metro TahitiLicensed12
Rover Metro TahitiSORN36
Rover Metro Tahiti SpecialLicensed2
Rover Metro Tahiti SpecialSORN21

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