As a 17 year old in 1982, the maestro and montego were modern looking cars to me A white maestro MG turbo with red seatbelts or a green montego mg turbo were cars to lust after.👍

@kofib3

Жыл бұрын

What got me interested in these cars as a kid, was the digital dash display along with the talking voice that was either an option or standard on the MG and Vanden Plas if I recall correctly.

@superchargedxjr

Жыл бұрын

Agreed. For their time quick cars.

@BlackBuck777

Жыл бұрын

Had a Blue Montego Turbo in 1986 - a beast with almost uncontrollable torque steer, but great fun and surprisingly refined. After selling it and using a boringmobile for a while I actually bought it back. I've moved on a bit since then though!

@kofib3

Жыл бұрын

@@BlackBuck777 did it need any work when you bought back?

@duncanholland5400

Жыл бұрын

Had a white Mg great car very underrated

I’m from Macedonia and remember a neighbor in the late 90’s went to Bulgaria and got one of these exactly like this. A few months ago I drove by the old neighborhood and the car was still there!

The fact that JayEmm can get in a car like THIS and give it an honest and useful appraisal gives great credence to his integrity and the reliability of his reviews of much newer and ridiculously more expensive cars. Honesty on KZread... A rare thing indeed! Definitely my favorite KZread car reviewer!!!

Hey there, a fan from Bulgaria here! So cool to see the story about the ill-fated Bulgarian production of the Maestro. Myself I have seen maybe two of these in my entire life down here (one of them entirely abandoned and beaten up), it's safe to say they are quite a rare beast.

@superbelly427

Жыл бұрын

Kolega

@MartyTheGamer

Жыл бұрын

@@superbelly427 Здрасти 👍

@Random-nf7qb

Жыл бұрын

I have seen one in Sofia, Люлин, а long time ago. здр

@TheCraigy83

Жыл бұрын

id imagine they turned up like a jigsaw puzzle with parts missing and needed endless fabrication , you should of just gutted them and made very basic 4seater go karts and sold them off as a poor dudes 4 seater caterham 😂

@steve-wu7jp

Жыл бұрын

Bulgaria looks amazing 🤩 👍

Whilst cars like the Maestro may have been mocked in their day, I find them quite charming now and I am so glad there people out there who want to preserve them and give them TLC.

That was a blast from the past! 😳 I used to work for Apple 2000 in Culford in 1998/99. These all arrived from Bulgaria in Red, White and black as a left hand drive. I used to remove the storage wax from these, then steam clean and mop the paintwork, ready for the forecourt/showroom. Some were converted in house as right hand drive (as per your example) dash and pedals, but things like mirrors, headlights were forgotten about and when a customer complained that they couldn't see in their mirrors, or cars kept flashing them, it was my job to go to the breakers find Maestro RHD mirrors and headlights, clean them up like new, then fit them. You will probably notice that the wipers go the wrong way and the mat is stitched in the passenger side. O miles on a N plate, however the last handful were sold on an X plate as they had a cat fitted. As for 4th gear, I was forever sitting up on a ramp, while the gear linkage was been adjusted underneath. I would actually love to drive one of these once again, been a good 22 years since! My first car was a horrible clove brown Maestro, for £40! But to see these in 98 in mint condition was something! Great vid, interesting! 👍👍

@testcardsandmore1231

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the info. I was about to ask how this could be a right hand drive car if it was intended for Bulgaria.

Has that...thing...got side pipes? That's gotta be worth at least 3 cool points.

@jonathanharvey2156

Жыл бұрын

It had a single side pipe, it’s not as cool as you think, it was just something that manufacturers did at the time…

@bigal3055

Жыл бұрын

@@jonathanharvey2156 I don't know, man. Paint a couple of stripes on it and it's practically a race car!

@jamesrobert4106

Жыл бұрын

Side pipe 🤔 It is practically a McLaren Mercedes SLR clone.

The maestro 1.3L , B201 MKD in Red was my first car . Took me all round the country 91-92 raving. Never let me down!!

Many memories of tooling around in cars like this in my youth - the bit about dropping ones standards at 17 is very very true indeed! It's incredible how cool a car becomes by the sheer virtue of being able to drive it!

@ericpisch2732

Жыл бұрын

Fortunately I didn’t have to drop standards as a kid, I had a carina 1.8GL with electric everything to get my first years NCB, which at 19 I dumped for a 2 year old XR4i which I fit a cossie body kit and torque development turbo 😂

@chrishart8548

Жыл бұрын

even a talbot samba was good at 17 years old

@TheCraigy83

Жыл бұрын

@@ericpisch2732 they needed the turbo , i laughed when i saw they where a 2.8 v6 and barely 160hp at the crank , Japanese at the same time could screw 200 from a 2.0 litre we'd been dumbed down mechanically , average lads didnt understand bhp till gran turismo 1

@davidlang3625

Жыл бұрын

My first car was a 1256cc Vauxhall Viva HC. I dont think I thought it was cool even at 18. Looked awful, rolled like a pig and the engine would disintegrate if taken over 50mph🤔. My second car was a Sunbeam Rapier fastback - much cooler and probably worth a lot now if I had kept it.

@adamzapple67

Жыл бұрын

@@davidlang3625 My first car, circa 1982, was an N reg Mk3 Ford Cortina 1300 base model. It was as spartan as a car of the era could be. It didn't even have a carpet. Kids today don't know they're born. It's crackers that I sold it for something like £200. If it hadn't rotted it would be worth a king's ransom today.

Hi mate. I can't emphasise enough how happy I am that you feature all manor of vehicles as opposed to just the new / expensive ones. Keep up the good work :)

@JayEmmOnCars

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! I love all cars, great and small

It might have been interesting to mention the China connection to the Maestro too - these cars were still being made by FAW in hatchback and van models until 2006 (including the FAW Lubao CA6410, a Maestro/Montego hybrid!) The van model was reintroduced in 2008 as the Yema SQJ6450 which was reworked into SUV-styled wagon versions - the Yema F99, F10, and the F12 in 2012 (some nice pics on the Wiki Leyland Maestro article).

@bazzacuda_

Жыл бұрын

I was going to say the same thing. I think the last one, the F16, lasted until 2014. Meaning the LM10/11 platform remained in production for over 30 years.

I loved my Maestro, I traded in my Maxi for it, loved that too! I went through a multitude of Leyland models as my Dad was a manager at a main dealership.

Bulgarian here:) Very nice video, I didn't know that the unsold cars from Bulgaria have been shipped back to UK. My dad used to drive one of the Austin Maestros built in Varna as a company car for few years (think it's been 2005-2007, somewhere there). It was a 2.0l 60hp. naturally aspirated diesel, dark blue hatchback and in fact it was the first car I drove, so I have a bit of soft spot for it. I remember that the wipers were turning on when going through a pothole and the dash was visibly vibrating when the engine was at idle. But, at the end of the day, I like it, it has its own charm and even back then, it was a bit of an exotic on the road. Regarding Rodacar, as far as I know, one of the reasons for their massive fiasco was that they have had negotiated with the government a significant share of the production to be bought by the state for internal service (police cars, low level officials transport, etc.) but the numbers planned have never been achieved since the government opted for Lada 2105 - a cheaper but crappier car. But we were still defacto ruled by the communists back then...

@GetToHellOut

Жыл бұрын

Lada even looks richer than this POS, not to mention the reliability, price and amount of parts availiable.

@AlejjSi

Жыл бұрын

I think there is somewhere a period test done by Chris Goffey, then already out of Top Gear and on Men and Motors (like Hammond was) and he was testing it as a brand new car. I've also been told that the Skoda Felicia, that was the same price but much better looking and equipped killed the Maestro (hi from Czech Republic 😁). I've been tu Bulgaria two years ago but sadly I didn't see any of these. But I did see a variety of Felicias and Favorits.

@valentinnedelchev1096

Жыл бұрын

@@AlejjSi I don't have specific sales figures from the time but my personal feeling is that the reason for the failure of the Maestro is not particularly Skoda Felicia. In fact, I think most of the Felicias sold new in Bulgaria have been the pickup version and they have been bought as company cars for transport of goods. My observations are that in the late 90s the most affordable new cars in Bulgaria were Lada 2107 and Samara, Daewoo Tico and Espero (they were largely used as taxi cars) and also Skoda Felicia. But the average Bulgarian (at least back then) preferred to spend their money on some used car from a western brand rather than go for a new car from the eastern block. So in summary, I think the Maestro's failure is a combination of several factors - high price, dated looks/technology (compared to a VW Golf 3 or Fiat Bravo for example), bad marketing strategy and no knowledge of the brand whatsoever in Bulgaria.

@crown674

2 ай бұрын

​@@AlejjSi Some sources claim that 2200 Maestros were assembled in Varna (van and hatchback variants) and around 200 were sold in Bulgaria. I'm only aware for 3 which are still roadworthy. 1 is located in Sofia and 2 are located in Ruse with 1 of them listed for sale. There are more Bulgarian made Rover Maestros listed for sale in North Macedonia than in Bulgaria, so I believe they're more common there.

My Grandad worked most of his life at British Leyland, he used to tell me stories of driving the bare chassis of the trucks to the coach builders. They used to have to take their own wooden box to sit on, and some goggles. I remember him picking me up after school in his new Maestro.

I loved my MG 2.0i Maestro, so much so that I am on the lookout for one as it's probably my favourite car i've ever owned. Yes it had it's issues (did several headgaskets and really needed a replacement head) but it was a nice car to drive, very comfortable, spacious and most importantly it handled very well. James if you are interested in driving a TVR Chimaera that's been modified and modernised (V8 devs stage 3 top end and modern megasquirt electronics) get in touch and we'll sort something out.

@andrewbatteson3927

Жыл бұрын

Totally agree, I loved my old MG 2.0i as well, it pulled like a train. This video has brought back many happy memories!

@davidhitchen7122

Жыл бұрын

Loved my 87 efi mg too, not half as bad as people made out. Wernt all cars crap then anyways?

@skg8268

Жыл бұрын

I had a 1989 G reg 2000efi. It was perfect, no mechanical issues but the body rusted to dust by 1997. Really miss it, the car sure was fast and spacious for an old design.

When I was 'in the trade' many years ago I had a 1.3 as a courtesy car, with 350000 miles on it!! Although some of my customers refused to use it, it just went on and on... I even sold it on to a customer when I moved and closed that business. I also bought my wife a 2.0l efi in British racing green with red pinstriping what a hoot of a car! Finally I had a 1.3 van that too seemed just to get on with it too. The only major problem with them all was the ever present rust!

I actually filmed a left hand drive "Rodacar" version of one of these about a year ago. Driven tonnes of other Maestros as well, although not an Apple 2000, very interesting to see to one actually in East Anglia!

Ha ha I bought a brand new diesel meastro in April 1992. I had it over 10 years and did over 100, 000 miles it gave 60 mpg! I had a prolapse disc in my spine and it was the only car I felt comfortable in!

Wow this brings back memories, I had a C reg one of these in poo, sorry, Russet brown many years ago, I bought it for £175 as an emergency transport solution, one clutch and 4 years later it was still going, couldn't kill the thing. Best £175 I ever spent, really wish I still had it 🥺 It had the very brittle plastic impact bumpers fitted, I used the tried and trusted gaffer tape repair system to cover the holes up on that car too 😁

I love that you put a camera on the exhaust; ambitious! In some ways, I sort of like these cars. It’s great to see a plan is afoot to keep this one going. I wish the owner every success.

Bloody marvelous. A car most of us can relate to, unlike the top end super cars, which 99% of will never even sit in, let alone own or drive. Yup, right up my street this. A most enjoyable watch. Ian at Hub Nut will be most proud of you.

@richardharrold9736

Жыл бұрын

Most people can't relate to something so utterly wretched when there are vastly better cars out there for very little money, like my E39 535i that cost me only six hundred quid on eBay.

@huleeyaxerssius7

Жыл бұрын

@@richardharrold9736 True, can get things that are indeed better & myself, wouldn't mind a more normal E39 like that too. But wouldn't find one of that price where i live. But yes, there are those of us out there who might be a bit more interested in something like this. These E39's & the like, still a good few of them out there. Whereas these, not that many left, that being the standard Austin version, let alone this variant of it. Seeing videos & reviews, this Maestro is more interesting in that sense than reviews of a 5-Series, as mentioned there's bugger all of the Maestro's left kicking about. Might be a smaller amount of people who are interested in these, but we are still out there, and is good to see these ones being preserved & the like.

@richardharrold9736

Жыл бұрын

@@huleeyaxerssius7 I just can't see how rarity adds any appeal to this. MG Turbos aside, any Maestro still on the road is one too many.

@huleeyaxerssius7

Жыл бұрын

@@richardharrold9736 As most wouldn't really care about these, which is true & fair enough. But yes, whether it is a bog standard one, or even an MG variant, there still are still some people who are interested in them, and wouldn't see it as "any number of them still out there is too many".

@skylined5534

Жыл бұрын

@@richardharrold9736 Lovely cars, I had a 535i. R702HNE gone but not forgotten. Forever replacing suspension parts, worrying shimmy under hard braking, dead abs and traction systems and if you dared to jet wash it it would be a good half an hour or more before all the bongs and dash text warnings would cease. Plus they can also rot, quite badly. Comedy cup holders that sprung out in bits too. Good looking cars mind. Would I have another? No. I'd have a Maestro though, especially a late TD model.

As a panel beater, I approve of the colour coded, gaffer tape wheel arch !

Happy days! I bought one for the wife to use on the by-pass construction site she worked at. Got covered in mud almost every day but soldiered on till it failed MOT due to rust.

Hyundai's IONIQ 5, looks like a modern day Austin Maestro.

My older brother had an off-white MG Maestro Turbo in the late 80s, early 90s, when I was around 10 years old. I thought it was the coolest thing!

Their was a garage in Greenock, Scotland that sold a large batch of Montego's that where built for Russia to use as police cars but Cccp collapsed. All bought by private hire drivers as they where cheap and run on diesel.

There's someone in my hometown who has about 6-8 of these early '80s Austins - Maestros, Montegos, even a van variant. I pass by regular enough and they're all still there, same as they have been for about 10+ years now.

I had a MG maestro it was very quick, and fun to drive. It aslo had a voice computer telling you to put your seat belts on and warning of low petrol etc. Its was a modern good looking car then, and still looks like a modern good looking car today. Wish I still had it !

@maxflight777

Жыл бұрын

Agreed ! Even my Tesla doesn’t have a voice !

@michaeldoolan7595

Жыл бұрын

Each to their own but I think you may actually be insane. My Revell model Fokkerwulf tri plane was built with better plastic. However if your insanity brings you pleasure I own a Robin Reliant.

@skylined5534

Жыл бұрын

@@michaeldoolan7595 They were good cars and clearly you didn't own one. Which plastics were that bad? As I recall them the plastics were all pretty solid and the dash was a more unusual soft feel item.

@michaeldoolan7595

Жыл бұрын

@@skylined5534 The control arms such as windscreen wipes and headlights. My Dad had his a year and they started to discolour and rather than become bendy they became brittle. I'm an old school mini fan and they rattled like a biscuit tin but for bigger a car it just simply failed.

@johnbrereton5229

8 ай бұрын

​@@michaeldoolan7595 Well I had both the MG and later an Austin version and neither had any problems with their indicators stalks or anything else breaking off or rattling and they were both far older than your dads 1year old model. In fact, they were both great cars and all the switch gear was used in many other Austin cars and yet strangely I've never heard anyone else claim what you are claiming about any of their switch gear. 🤔

Had one for years never gave me any trouble. Great little runabout.

I had one of these many years ago, I bought it for for £350. It went quite well but ran out of puff on hills ! The radiator started leaking badly about 90miles from home but I made it with out stopping ! The fuel pump went so I put a new one and that packed up near a scrap yard so I got a second hand one which lasted . Not such a bad car as some people think , it was very useful.

My dad wouldn't look beyond Rover so after buying for many years, he got invited to a Rover day at Knockhill. I went in his place and tried several Rover cars including the 220GSi Turbo which was rapid for a 20 year old me used to a MG Metro. Last car of the day was a diesel Maestro. It was awful but I was quite proud to get flagged by the marshals to slow down 😁

@skylined5534

Жыл бұрын

To be fair the TD models were pretty rapid!

I had a1989 MG Montego 2.0 Efi in White and can honestly say it's one of the best cars I've ever owned. It went like a rocket, handled superbly. It was comfortable, acres of space and felt like it was carved out of granite. The car was totally reliable and never let me down. I've since owned brand new Passats, Golfs, Sierras, Mondeos, Escorts, Audis, BMW's, Range Rovers, Hondas, Toyotas (including Land Cruisers) and more. The Montego was the most underrated car I've ever owned.

My Father had Maestro Turbo when they first came out. Ten days later he wrote it off. It hadn't even had the first service ! I still haven't quite forgiven him !

I once holidayed in Cyprus for a week and, due to a booking mix-up I ended up with a Maestro hire car for the week. I can honestly say that when driven on empty "A roads" in the sun the Maestro was far, far better than no car at all - quite pleasant.

My dad's side of the family were Austin fans. Allegro, Princess, Maestro, Montego, Mini, Metro, I've seen them all. My uncle got a Maestro one day, the only thing I remember about it is how quiet it was inside. Almost no engine sounds.

Back in the late 80's when Busby was advertising for BT, I got a brand new yellow BT Maestro van...!! Far better than the other small van offerings of the time 👍

Had one & I liked it, changed front shock absorbers for one MOT & the back ones the year after. Neither were difficult to change, never broke down for me.

Drove one back in '88 and it was so much better than my '76 1.3 Marina coupe, it was a revelation. I preferred it to a Ford Escort I drove around the same time. Simpler (and cheaper times). Later owned a SC1.3 Alfasud and that was great fun to drive.

Owned a taxi firm and had fleet of Maestros and Montegos with the Perkins diesel engine. Bulletproof. Easily got 250k miles from them. Very reliable but would need a head gasket between 151k and 153k miles (yes really that predictable). Once dropped a Montego 2.0 turbo diesel into a 2.0 naturally aspirated diesel maestro (using EFI engine mounts). Boy, that was fun to drive!!!!

I had one of these back in the mid 80s. Did around 30k miles in 18 months conveying me from Benbecula via Lochmaddy to Barnsley, S Yorkshire. Apart from the usual service and wear and tear items the car was 100% reliable, apart from having to fill the carb dashpot every week!

As a child, the red MG Maestro looked amazing in the showroom, I wanted my Dad to get either that or the Rover fastback, but he got a montego instead, it was diesel though!

Fantastic review! Proper nostalgia for me! I had an Red F reg (1989) 1.3L maestro as my first car after passing my test in 2001. It cost £350 and was very reliable and cheap and easy to fix. I would definitely have another.

@skylined5534

Жыл бұрын

Great motors! I had a couple over the years!

@hazelwhite6177

Жыл бұрын

Emma, I have one sitting in the drive, waiting for you! Red Rodacar/Apple, RHD, like in the video. Mine has better bodywork but a dead diesel engine and is looking for a new home.

I loved My Maestro. Top of the range 1600. The engine was so quiet, I often forgot it was running. The acceleration was good. Under 10 secs to 60mph and if you pushed it in 3rd, I could pass long lines of traffic. It handled well too. Loads of space inside.

@highpath4776

Жыл бұрын

Really a 1600cc engine in any car (Hillman Minx/ Ford Cortinas) just were better - less stress that the 1098/1275 sizes of other cars - of course most 1600s I think were about 1597 ? though Simca ran a 1485ish one in one of its cars

@skylined5534

Жыл бұрын

I remember chasing a mk2 XR3i up the hill on the A34 outside Newcastle Under Lyme in about 2000 and just about hanging onto the back of it in my 1.6L Maestro, I think the Escort owner was a little shocked to see me pacing him 😂

I bought an old Maestro in the 80's , fitted a new clutch and set off for Israel to do a bit of travelling. It never let us down, just had to tap the float chamber occasionally to stop it leaking petrol. A year later on the way back, we were side swiped by a French tipper truck on the Paris ring road, tied up the exhaust with a wire coat hanger and carried on home. The police in Dover pulled us in only a mile from the ferry port, he was so impressed by our trip that, after seeing the proof, he let us carry on our journey, on the promise that we scrapped her as soon as we got home, which we duly did. Happy memories, thanks!

You absolutely must have a go in a Maestro Turbo. You will be astounded!

I had a MG Maestro in the 90s loved it.sadly got written off when I was on the M40. Rear ended, only 48000 miles on the clock.

I worked at Rover during the closure of the Bulgarian plant - in fact all the paperwork was kept in my middle draw at International House, Bickenhill. The reason the project failed is that the Bulgarian Maestro was due to use a VW Gearbox. When VW started pushing Skoda heavily in Bulgaria they cancelled supply. And that was that! A few months later the roof of the CKD plant partially collapsed.

"When I were a lad" I was in a training scheme with 9 other people. We shared a small pool of Maestros and Fiesta 1.1's. As you can imagine that as we had petrol cards to fill 'em up, they got ABSOLUTELY THRASHED on every journey. And we never slagged 'em off - we were all just so happy to be mobile. Eventually we got given our own cars and most us chose Rover 213s. I adored that car, really thought I'd "made it" when I parked it outside my parent's house for the first time. And of course I drove that "very enthusiastically" as well :)

@johnlavery6116

Жыл бұрын

213s...Honda engine.

@rostokmcspoons

Жыл бұрын

@@johnlavery6116 fantastic engine

@johnlavery6116

Жыл бұрын

@@rostokmcspoons Ross!, Honda make the most reliable engine's on the planet.

Loved this review and your commentary. There's a lot to be admired in simple cars, something i miss a lot these days! If only we could still buy something similar now!

i notice old cars on the road, the same way i notice supercars. just something so appealing about them

Interesting story for quite an interesting car! I have always been interested in cars that are out of the ordinary, original even in their own way, and the Maestro is one of them. It wasn't bad and it wasn't a mass car; I think the title is wrong. I didn't know anything about the Bulgarian production. Interesting.

My mum had a maestro in the early 90's, it was thoroughly unremarkable

@adamzapple67

Жыл бұрын

Which is a good thing in a car.

@skylined5534

Жыл бұрын

Pretty much par for the course for any car of the same era.

You’ve gone all Hubnut 😆. I genuinely thought this was a Hubnut video until I saw your drive by intro

The MG Maestro was a brilliant drive - no power steering, rickety suspension but responsive acceleration. Great fun

Back in the early 80's I was an Industrial Design student. During that time we had a trip to the Hannover Industrial Fair. While there we met a designer at VW. He told us that because the Maestro used a VW gearbox that they had seen the car and driven it. His conclusion? And I'll never forget this was 'He wished VW had produced a car like that'. The Maestro was a good car. We had one and it was superb. The 1.6 had bags of performance and was also economical. It looked great and the interior was a great place to be with lots of light and all round visibility. It never gave us any issues in the 5 years we had it. It's a cheap and easy shot to attack a "British Car" when the reality when in this case it was actually pretty good. VW certainly thought so.

@Londonsteve56

Жыл бұрын

It was often the case with BL/Austin/Rover Group products that the fundamental design was often great, sometimes even downright stylish and innovative, but the execution varied between terrible and mediocre. While the Maestro might have exhibited superior design in some aspects compared to the Golf, the sheer number of Mk2 (even Mk1) Golfs you still see in daily use across the Balkans is testament to the fact that the Golf was the much superior product. We couldn't truly understand the sheer integrity those things had until 20 or even 30 years had passed and they continued to reliably serve their owners, often in circumstances with poor maintenance and horrendous road conditions. Our Rover 820i at 10 years old with 80k miles was, essentially, on death's door. Corroding, on its third head gasket and second manual gearbox, having had umpteen plastic door handle replacements and a collapsed wiper mechanism, it was extremely flimsy compared to its competitors. New prices also weren't cheap compared to often much better built competitors. It's a good exemplar for why the British mass market motor industry failed.

I had a Maestro back in the day. It was a great family car that was a lot more reliable than the Vauxhall Astra diesel I had before it. Very easy to maintain - it's weak spot was gear linkages used to wear out, but they were easily changed. Not a bad car to drive and did it's job well.

I had a new one in the 80s, it was actually a great wee car, no frills and easy to fix. There was issues with quality, but I ran it to death hahaha

Pleeeeeeease do more of these, this is fantastic 👍👍👍

Great review Jay. The 1.6 and 2 litre OHC engine versions with a higher spec were a better bet, the 2 litre MG Turbo versions could burn off most of the other so called hot hatch backs. They're very much a collector's item nowadays.

The maestro wasn’t a bad car, it was a terrible one! My dad had one and the best feature was how easy it was to bump start on cold mornings when it wouldn’t start with the key😂

@ianstewartorr8455

Жыл бұрын

Your correct a terrible car

@andrewgent5887

Жыл бұрын

Probably a lack of maintenance?😉

@andyh5978

Жыл бұрын

I still get panic attacks when I think of my time with a C reg maestro, awful car, always breaking down

@slartybartfast666

Жыл бұрын

Careful you will trigger some fanatics on here who think the maestro is the best car BL ever made

@gc7820

Жыл бұрын

@@andrewgent5887 he bought it brand new and it only lasted 3 years before he got rid of it and bought an Orion, during that 3 years the clutch disintegrated twice and all the door handles snapped off so that at one point we had to climb in through the boot.

"..cars like this offer a real tangible connection to the past.." - you're not kidding, just watching the interior footage was enough to send me back to the late '80s when we had a maestro.

excellent, I like the number plate, the coin holder and the wheel arch sculpted out of red tape 👌

I've been driving round in my early turbo diesel Maestro much of the summer.... It's a very good car, does 55+/gallon and attracts a lot more attention than my earlier classics because it's something everyone over 40 can remember

@bobarmour597

Жыл бұрын

@Bercilak de hautdesertThanks, but ouch!... I've run Maestro Diesels since the mid 90s and never had such a frightening failure, but I am habitually careful with oil levels tho😉

Just realised I never actually commented on the video, Thank you James for taking the time to take the old girl out for a drive, I thought the video was very fair and did justice to both how the car is to live with and my plans to bring her back to her former glory! I did respond to your email but it may not have gone through to you, I will send you another over the weekend. Kind regards and I look forward to seeing you again at some point during my travels. William.

Ah this takes me way back

Epic, I own an early maestro with tin bumpers it's the no frills model but it's so cool and great to drive.

The smaller engine versions had a VW Golf gearbox while the 2.0 had a Honda gearbox and the engine mounter the ‘other way’ about, but still transverse. That’s what I remember. What I do not remember is any mention of a van at the time. Most gearboxes had rather short final drive ratios to keep engine revs higher back then compared to modern units.

@skylined5534

Жыл бұрын

Aye Bob on, Huw! 1.3 and 1.6 got the VW unit and the 2.0 variants got the PG1... which was a much nicer gearbox to be honest!

I had Maxi's and I had a Montego, I liked the Maxi's much more. Never had a Maestro though. Friend of mine has an MG Metro non turbo which was fast and he loved it. Actually so much he hedge planted it, when I asked him what happened he said the car made him feel Immortal.

Brilliant video! Also enjoyed the ZT T video that you’ve done. Love these cars

Sort of my first car. My grandad was a taxi driver back in 89 so for a part time job got me a plate and a car...yes a bright blue metallic Maestro. In the first year I racked up 20k+, only a few things went wrong but like you say allowed you to get out and about. After a year I had an upgrade to a Montego in beige.

The writing/presentation on this are excellent - personable, clear, comprehensive.

When I started to take driving lessons in 1986, the first car was an mg maestro. The instructor changed it for an mg metro turbo a few weeks later and it seemed less easy to drive than the maestro.

Loved this video and I’m glad that there is more love these days for past unloved cars.

A great save, sounds pretty good and perhaps we can see this car at FOTU 2023! Thank you James, a fun rare car review video at lunchtime, leaving a like naturally 👆👍

@frglee

Жыл бұрын

Yes this looks like a possible FOTU concourse choice! But it really deserves some TLC on the bodywork, so it'll be really interesting to see the results of the Winter refurb.

Great review as usual James. Keep them coming.

Back in the early 90's my mate's dad had a diesel Maestro from his job at Manweb. Even then it was a dismal car but he did a bit of racing on the weekends so every ride in it was a bit white knuckle. You can sustain 70-80mph on an A road in one if you wind them up enough but it felt like 270 even at 12 years old. It was the first time I have ever been worried about my life in a car. I doubt much of it would have been left if it met a tree. Fond memories though. EDIT: Just remembered he always put the orange light on the roof so it would look like he was on official business 😀

Enjoyed your video. As regards the safety aspect, my Maestro was rear ended by a Jaguar in 1992. We never felt a thing, no injuries, but the boot was totally caved in. I liked my car, but there was no such thing as a 3 point turn, unless you found an extra wide road. Build quality was crap.

😂love the description on this car…. Yes the MG an turbo are a bit more interesting especially the mg that talks back to you from the dashboard 😂 The Turbo was a bit of a flyer surprisingly.

My dad ha d reg 1.3 in 2000 ironically and he loved it, reliable, easy to drive and more importantly for him no cam belt to worry about either lol it seemed pretty nippy at the time aswell

Hallelujah to cheap motoring. Having had a couple of these beasts and also a van, the only thing that used to fail often was the door handles. I always had spare ones in a bag in the boot and could change them in 15 minutes. Simplicity is the word with the Maestro. They really do drive quite well and although not quite as roomy in the back as the Maxi, they are still very spacious. Mine was replaced by a mk2 Mondeo. Another fine car to drive!

I've had 1.3, a 1.6 and a 2.0efi MG which was brilliant.

My Father-in-law gave me his Maestro as it had packed up and he couldn’t get it running again despite his best efforts. Imagine his dismay when I had it back on the road after a weekend of tinkering and then took it on a road trip to France shortly after. It certainly doesn’t rate as one of my favourite cars but it served a purpose as (very) cheap transport for a year, after which it was part exchanged for a Opel Kadett GT/E, which was an altogether much more memorable ownership experience. 😀

Never had a Maestro but remember hours of fun with an MG Metro Turbo my parents gave me. Lasted well over 125,000 miles until replaced by Rover 100

@BlackBuck777

Жыл бұрын

Now that was a real fun wee car. Went like stink and very few of them around too.

Greetings from Bulgaria , Jay! I've beeen watching your videos from long time, good job!

I'm just old enough to remember the Maestro and Montego and the number plate is pretty accurate on the perception of them, but I must admit, it does make me smile when I see one on the roads today (Same for the Austin Metro). And fair play for giving it the same treatment as any other car.

An MG maestro wasn’t a bad car! More torque than any other hot hatch. Spacious with supple ride but high levels of grip.

That brings back memories, I had a 1990 Clubman diesel, non turbo, a great functional box on wheels, open the hatchback, fold the back seat down and you had a van, And that petrol engine was OK, we also had a 1.3 Montego, the only problem with that was the 1275cc engine was great, ex. MG Metro I think, but with the 4 speed gear box it was whizzing a bit on the motorway, great fun though. You did a very fair review, not setting out to slate it, just realistic.

Still a good looking car in my opinion! I like the "french solution" for the exhaust. Thanks from Germany for the great content of this channel. I love it!

My uncle owned a Maestro, and apart from sill rust problems and an engine that couldn't decide what idling speed it wanted, it was rather good!

I hope you get to try an MG Maestro Turbo. Huge torque steer fun.

I spent most of my time laughing at this video it’s brilliant more please James, you don’t have to spend tens of thousands to have some motoring fun, I’ll tell you this car will get more looks and smiles than an RS3. A lot of youngsters are buying old retro cars and modding them for their own enjoyment it’s a growing trend and good on them.

I love how you get some of the coolest cars on the road and also review things like this.

Love it 🙌 what a cool little car. Great content

I had two red Maestros A reg and Greg. Very cheap to run and easy to maintain .Back in the mid 90s I had no problem with taking them on the Motorway. Wouldn't like to take one on a Los Angeles freeway now though!

A rare car indeed these days! They were ok for their time, but outdated quickly. Thanks for the memories J! 🙏🙏

My dad had a Maestro in the 1980's, selected as it was the largest engine available on the list of company cars he could have and he used to do a fair amount of towing. 2 weeks into his 2L NA Maestro ownership he was heading to work one morning when a ridged lorry coming the other way failed to see the tractor attempting to pull out the farm entrance. The lorry hit the front axle of the tractor, snapped the tractor clean in half where the engine attached to the gearbox. The lorry itself rolled over onto its side and discharged its full cargo of limestone boulders down the road towards my dad. Faced with a choice of trees on one side, deep water filled ditch on the other and a moving bolder field speeding towards him erratically from ahead he threaded the Maestro first between and then over the advancing boulders. Talk about being in a mess 🤣. This was back in the day when companies like British ropes had their own mechanics and purchased cars for the fleet. It took them about a month to decide to repair it and then about 3 months to complete the work. What followed was 4 some years of regret that they did. Many many breakdowns and considerable amounts of tin worm were the theme of ownership, I seem to remember it went very very well, but that was largely due to having no weight and indeed no structure. As my dad could attest to having run it into a bunch of moving 1ft diameter boulders. His biggest regret was trying to miss them and always said he should have tried to collect as many as possible so it wasn't repaired.

I had 2.0 turbo diesel bloody good car towed a caravan with it never let me down reliable as hell

It used to be possible to see the Rodacar factory just off the road into Varna coming from the motorway, I no longer think it's there but I could be wrong as they have somewhat upgraded since the early 2000s written I first saw it. Car magazine ran a Setright piece I think in the eighties and he actually said that all the car anyone actually needs is a mid spec maestro, he was impressed with the packaging and the all round ability. He didn't own one as he was a Honda man at the time. The MG with the 2.0 was actually a decent car if not pretty.

Nostalgia at its best,I was given one as a stop gap when my then new Chrysler Avenger was in for warranty repairs again, to be fair I found it not that bad,unlike the Avenger it didn't rattle as much, and the ride was better plus it was an hatchback.If only they had improved them and built them properly they may have sold in more numbers.

James, love you're going back to 80's/90's again , That Mercedes's CL500 @7.12 in you're video looked gorgeous, Another Great video James !!!