Austin Montego estate! 7-seats, all brown! Major nostalgia for this family favourite

[@mikecorrigan763]

I will never, ever forget falling asleep in the passenger seat of my dad's diesel Montego in 1992 on a long road trip. The radio station Atlantic 252 was playing quietly on the Philips car stereo. He was such a gentle driver and the experience was the ultimate feeling of comfort and relaxation.

[@martytdd1606]

Crowded house, Tasmin Archer, Extreme, lisa Stanfield, Jimmy Nail, Seal. I passed my test that April, my dad insured me to drive his 1.8L Sierra, the Ford tape deck didn't have FM, so Atlantic 252 was often listened to while I was driving too. 👌

[@MichaelWilliams-jc2ui]

My old company ran 22 Montego estate 2lt diesel’s for our engineers. They were all heavily laden with tools and spares, the fleet average was 55mpg and the engineers loved them for their comfort and all round performance. As the service manager I had the gti fitted with Denovo Dunlop run flat tyres. Whilst returning from holiday at 70mph on a motorway with wife and 2 children we hit a brick and had a double blow out on the nearside tyres at night. Stopped under total control, honestly I think those tyres saved our lives.

[@andrewpreston4127]

@@MichaelWilliams-jc2ui As I recall, that engine was a Perkins diesel bought in by Austin Rover, and reports at the time were that it was a gem of an engine.

[@danross8565]

@@MichaelWilliams-jc2ui What did you do for a job?. Reason I ask is I was talking to a guy I work with (photocopier engineers) who had montego back In the day and clocked up 150000 miles in 4 years

[@twocvbloke]

And the anecdote about my dad and his Monty estate; At the time, he had a silver estate (not the 7-seater, sadly), and it was up for sale, at the same time, he decided to buy a Cello for some reason, which he also decided to sell at the same time, so, few days later, someone interested in the Monty turns up, turns out he's a musician, specifically, a cellist! So, not only did my dad sell the Montego (much to my sadness, I liked that one!), he sold the Cello (cheaply, wasn't a top-end model!) as well, the car being nicely suited for carrying a big stringed instrument with the back seats down... :P

[@mpersad]

@@twocvbloke Brilliant story! Thank you for sharing it.

[@michaelwright2986]

My parents had a friend who played the double bass. So the first priority whenever he bought a car was ....

[@Ord_Wingate]

My dad had a silver estate as well

[@almorgan68]

I can remember hiring this car 30 years ago to travel to Scotland as I remember the was colour looked like racing green but don't quote me on that

[@dwarfshortage244]

I had a good look at this one at Rustival. Gorgeous car.

[@pauldavies6037]

40 year and still looks like a nicely styled practical car that should be made today

[@2760ade]

That's what I think! The styling was way ahead of its time I reckon!

[@robtyman4281]

Exactly. Only problem is that people are now 'obsessed' with SUV's.... because all the car makers are really pushing them hard. Estates still exist obviously, but they're nowhere near as popular as they once were.

[@richardparkersmith4810]

My wife and I had two diesel estates each in the '90s. I used to buy them at about 50k and run them to over 200k. Utterly reliable, astonishingly economical, great to drive and relaxing on the motorway. Just what we needed at the time. They paid for themselves over and over. Miss them 😢

[@woutergijs5246]

Oh yes!!! The 2.0 Perkins diesel direct injection from Peterborough , only 1 competitor somewhere down the Alps. And one of the first encapsulated diesels as well. It were the days you bought a 1 l bottle of graphite oil as diesel additive, and you heard immediately the smoother running

[@scabbycatcat4202]

Never got less than 50 mpg out of my none turbo perkins engine - and the torque was unbelievable. Must have been one of the best caravan towers on the road . In fact I got stuck behined a caravan on one of the very narrow welsh roads and could not see what car was towing. I made up my mind it must have been a high powered BMW or Jag or something at the pace it was going. I eventually pulled up next to it - an Austin Maestro !!!

[@richardparkersmith4810]

@@scabbycatcat4202 Me too!

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

I'd happily have a Montego Vanden Plas in Moonraker blue with a grey leather interior with the 2.0 EFi engine and automatic transmission.

[@DavidFBird]

In 1993 I went for a 2.0L auto Mondeo. It never occurred to me to look at a Montego. But I was keen to get air conditioning, would the VDP have had that?

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

@DavidFBird I'm guessing no, never read anything about air conditioning on a Montego Vanden Plas.

[@charliepragnell5791]

We had the same - VP 2.0 EFI, C reg, it was quick and economical… my Dad said! I also learnt to drive in it. 👌

[@nkt1]

@@DavidFBirdJust had a look at the 1990 brochure, no mention of air conditioning. Even electric rear windows were only available on the top model.

[@chrishart8548]

​@@DavidFBird could you get the montego ad late as 1993 I remember the L reg one badged as rovers. They rusted away in just a few years. I hope they were cheap.

[@enwins]

We had a 1.6 HL Montego Estate. Fantastic car. I still miss it. Much much better than people say. Ours was dark blue with a grey interior

[@vettivelumahinthan2424]

Yes as I am from Ceylon having been seen so many of cars of England , Germany , France, Italy and Japan like this shape of in form similar of Mazda station wagon and think is suitable for the long trip with roof carriage.

[@giulianomarco]

In the 70s, we just used to jump in the boot of my mate's Mom's Volvo 245 estate. We had a tartan rug to sit on and for crash protection. 🤯👍

[@jonathanthorpe1653]

True nostalgia. My mother had a countryman in metallic green. It was versatile comfortable and reliable. I would have one in a heartbeat.

[@woutergijs5246]

Yes! That was the car as they promoted it in The Kingdom of Belgium those days. Green with a 2.0 Perkins diesel . And a dog jumping out of the booth.

[@2760ade]

My dad had a metallic blue Montego, but I loved that green colour! Really classy and suited the shape!

[@person.X.]

I loved those British Racing Green Countryman's. They looked great although they seemed to rust at a spectacular rate.

[@andrewpreston4127]

I've never owned or driven a Montego. But back shortly after the turn of the millennium, I bought a 1988 1.6 Maestro Mayfair. At £125 for 8 months MOT, and some road tax, it couldn't be refused. After all the things that journalists had written about the Maestro, the car was quite a revelation for me. I liked driving it, it had a decent amount of power, and was comfortable.

[@zebedep]

Lovely to see a Montego again and fully appreciate what a great car it was.

[@marioavossa]

Ah the Monty, I actually saw one of these driving along a few weeks back. That was a shock. Its looks are in hindsight quite refined and really not a bad car.

[@schlookie]

It looks very similar to the late 80s Toyota Camery wagon.

[@andrewsb4633]

Thanks Hub nut. Another great video. My dad was a sales rep and had a Montego as a company car and the first BL / Austin car that he did over 100K miles with no real issues and was one of his favorite cars of many he had over the 40 years of sales. There is a TV series about company cars made in the late 80`s, early 90`s (which is on youtube somewhere) which my dad is in with his Montego. There was only one very small fault with the car and that was the only clip they used, They didn`t mention all the praise my dad gave the car. It was that awful time when they just put down British cars down. They filmed with him for 2 days and was so disappointed that they only used that very small negative bit.

[@Tubecraft1]

I watched that docu film and thats exactly what I think really sunk the rover company -british negativity. I worked in austin rover dealerships at the time and loved the montego then and still do lesson never listen to media or popular opinions

[@Phiyedough]

I always wanted to put the front end off a Maestro City onto a Montego and create a Monstrocity!

[@chrishart8548]

I did like the maestro front end. I hated the hatchback rear. More like the back of an allegro

[@jonathanprice3362]

Think there’s a pun in there somewhere…the cars a bit of a monstrosity without any alterations…

[@markredman5032]

Once had an MG efi. Bland, no pas, understeer, metric wheels, rotten rear arches but for some unknown reason I loved every minute of driving it. Always hankered after a turbo diesel estate.

[@mikewa2]

I too had MG Eli, I didn’t realise how badly built and poorly engineered they were. Sold it within weeks of purchase. Bought a BMW 518 same year reg for same money. No comparison. I have a Rover 600 now, but it’s a Honda Accord really.

[@shepshepherd]

One of the nicest looking estate cars of the 1980s, in my opinion.

[@tedh7521]

My mom had a 73 Chevrolet station wagon it had the third seat but it faced forward it had a 400 CID V8 connected to a TH 400 automatic transmission when we went on vacation we pulled a 25ft travel trailer with it I to had to sit. In the third seat with my sister I had to repost my comments because I made spelling errors 😐 we love your videos God Bless you and your family !

[@markdoyle6414]

Every time you or anyone else mentions the Ambassador I'm reminded of John Shuttleworth's song Austin Ambassador Y Reg. Great song.

[@chrishart8548]

The princess was a much better looking car than the ambassador

[@chrisdowns1987]

Ooh, Ken....

[@firsteerr]

back in the olden days my mate was proper caked up and he bought a BMW all singing and dancing , well as usual it was in and out of the workshop on a very regular basis , and as his curtesy car he was given one of these and he LOVED it so much so he demanded his BMW money back and went and bought one

[@2760ade]

"Proper caked up"🤣 Love it! Are you Micky Flanagan by any chance!

[@firsteerr]

@@2760ade no but he comes from my manor went to school with the tart

[@2760ade]

@@firsteerr Wow! I think he is the funniest geezer alive!!

[@firsteerr]

@@2760ade he is a tart

[@Quagmire925]

These are the ultimate videos! Hubnut’S at their finest! Edit: I spent my early employment years fitting Stuart Wilson fibreglass body kits to Montego’s and Rover 800’s with a Renault Chamade boot spoiler in between the odd XJS TWR kit! 😂 I must have plastic welded hundreds of Rover bumpers. If you touched them they cracked! The company I worked for were world leaders in plastic Welding. People assume its new today but we were doing it in the late 80’s-90’s! I’ll never forget my P7 teacher showing off his Maestro Saying “ Please fasten your seatbelts” This was the Era where it took two grown adults to push the computer into the classroom!

[@DIZAZZO]

As a Brazilian, this car is an exotic, and I really like it. This car is old car at the time for you guys, but for us it would be futuristic at the time, our car market at the 80s was hold back by the government, and our market was stuck with the cars from the 60s and 70s.

[@lloydbrock2711]

When we were growing up my Dad had a Peugeot 504 Familiale, 7 seater estate (metallic gold!). The tailgate was rusty as hell and I remember holding on to our Labrador's collar when he was in the boot, for fear the tailgate would open and the dog would disappear behind us!

[@keithbradfield7825]

They were a good car for its time my daughter loved the 3rd role of seats and with all the seats down I got a fridge freezer in it fast and comfortable on long runs

[@jdtseventyfour]

My late father in law had 2 Montego estates. Both 2.0 petrol Auto’s one a 1991 model the other slightly older. Both were very practical family cars. The first he had was the full 7 seat version the latter I must admit I can’t remember. I know they were also great when coupled with the Perkins diesel engine. As always thanks for sharing and bringing back some great memories.

[@paulman2270]

Brings back good memories. I owned a 1989 facelift 1.6l saloon body model

[@simoncarney9944]

When I started as a salesman I was given a Sierra, it was horrible. When it came time to change I picked a diesel Montego and loved it, 120,000 miles and hardly a spanner laid on it so when it came to the end of its time, I opted for another one!! Similar mileage and apart from new shocks nothing to worry about. Very much an underrated car.

[@LeeAllen-lq7ml]

I have owned many many cars, including Jags, Mercs, 75's most rovers , but tot his day G409LYA my Gunmetal Grey Montego 1.6L is still one of the best cars i have ever owned

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

An excellent review Ian, I never liked these cars growing up but now really appreciate these cars for what they are.

[@tivvy-xf4kz]

Once hired a diesel Montego 7 seater to take my son to university. We topped the fuel tank and did the round trip to Loughborough app 60 miles and a day later set off to Scotland on holiday. I really thought the fuel gauge was not working but we did west scotland and got back down to carlisle area on the same tank. Very economical. Shame you don't see many around now as they would make a great family banger.

[@peterlarkin762]

Cream, brown, 6 seats, hidden wipers., car shaped.. I love it.

[@paultaylor7082]

7 seats, if you please here...

[@peterlarkin762]

@@paultaylor7082 Seven! Of course:) Even better.

[@hectorshouse7348]

What a beauty…and better than money in the bank…your taste is impeccable

[@chrishart8548]

Money in the bank ain't worth what it was.

[@RichardPhillips-qg8yz]

Love this car! Thanks for highlighting Mr Hubnut

[@sixandtwothrees]

I never had a Montego, but I had a 1988 Maestro 1.6L in two tone with a winding sunroof as a company car, but only because the father-in-law of my boss worked at Cowley and got the employee discount (I wanted an MG Metro as a younger chap, but MGs were excluded from the scheme)! It was OK at a push, but not economical at max 28 mpg and was shoddily built, it still had masking tape on it from the two-tone grey/white paint scheme and I found a small screwdriver embedded into the white paint under the driver's seat, which in turn fractured its runners (they all do that, mate!). I really tried to like Austin/Rover products, but they were really thrown together....

[@mikes747]

My dad had an MG Turbo version that was just insane! My sister had a poverty spec 1.6 base model too! The cambelt went on that and destroyed the engine at about the same time as the MG succumbed to terminal tin worm. The 1.6 suprise was then born and that was a really hairy bit of kit! Sadly also now gone but great fun!

[@2760ade]

I got to drive an MG Turbo once. Blimey, I've honestly never driven a car since with such crazy acceleration!

[@mikes747]

@@2760ade mad weren't they?

[@2760ade]

@@mikes747 Oh yes!😮😮

[@mrc7478]

Easily your best video. Stunning car. ❤

[@detectacache6220]

My Dad had one of the last of the 7 seater Montegos an M Reg countryman I loved it so many good memories 😊😊

[@2760ade]

My dad also had a Montego 1.6 HL in a light blue metallic colour. I loved driving it. Never understood the negativity towards the Maestro and Montego. I also once got the opportunity to hoon around in a bright red Montego MG Turbo owned by one of the directors of a company I worked for. Blimey!! Did it shift!😮😮

[@richardmendham5278]

Yes, it brings back many memories! Dad had two in a row! The first was dark blue. The second, was exactly this colour! Why did we have Montego estates?! Well, as you know, I am severely disabled. The back of this estate was big enough to take my electric wheelchair on board without putting the back seat down! All dad had to do was lift the chair back off and 'drive' it up homemade ramps with the controller and that was it! No folding car seats or anything like that! Obviously, I have had vans now for quite a few years, which I an just drive up into!

[@smudgey46]

Memories, l had 4 Montego's, 1984 1600L, 86 16L, 88 2.0 si and finally a 1990 1.6L, thanks for the memories and your excellent review. 😊😊

[@adriangiddins6065]

Yes !! It was a good car....had many rude remarks directed at me when I bought one but it did what it said on the tin. You've proved it has stood the test of time !!

[@MrNaKillshots]

With all the troubles going on, these vids are a welcome respite.

[@MrSupercar55]

I find the fact that the Maestro came first very poetic. When I was a little kid, my mother had an Austin Maestro and then she had an Austin Montego.

[@hinchh8874]

We bought a 2.0td LX estate when starting a family, It was a great car, huge boot that swallowed everything, and managed 55mpg all day every day.

[@mondujar279]

I had a saloon version as a new company car. Same colour as this, a 1.6. Was doing about 40 k miles a year in those days. After 3 years it was worn out and struggling but had been reliable. Later had a 2 litre diesel version in green. Noisy and sluggish but again reliable

[@maximumattackrallying]

A friend of our family had a Montego estate when I was a kid. I think it was a 2.0-litre HL, on an F-plate. I went all over the UK, but it used to make me feel so so so car sick, and it was rusting within about two years. A nice bit of nostalgia now of course.

[@neilcussons4744]

We had a 87 E964 FBD, saloon 1.6L it was a decent car and drove well, it rotted, sunroof mainly, and the metal frame the windscreen windscreen was held in by rotted too, nice car to drive, happy memories xx

[@rawry100]

My brother had a blue montego estate absolute British classics ❤

[@markcross6864]

My mum had a 1.6L estate in blue. Was my first drive unsupervised too after I passed my test in 89. Still remember the reg, C813 RCU…..ahh memories 😊

[@2760ade]

Isn't it funny how you remember all the reg numbers of your dad's cars, but struggle to remember the reg of your own current car! Or is that just me!?😂

[@donaljamescaddye3805]

When i lived in Norhern Ireland 25 years sgo the RUC had loads of Montegos with armoured doors and bulletproof glass ! They were fairly new but all looked very rough - A combination of a bad quality car and a poorly executed retrofit of armour didnt help them at all ! We had a Countryman ourselves for a while - A great practical family car - We used to road race bicycles and my dad used to take 3 cyclists and 3 bikes in the Montego no problem ! Could have been so much better the Montego Thats a real lovely appraisal HubNut - brought the memories flooding back !

[@thomassjcowley]

I also learned to drive in a Montego estate, which was my folk's car. However, not wanting to laud it over you commoners in your 1.6HLs but we had a brand spanking C-plate 2.0 HLS 7 seater.... but only for a few months, because it was the worst car my folks ever bought. It was so bad that they rejected it and Austin Rover took it back! Being high-potential gluttons for punishment they replaced it with a brand new D-plate Montego Mayfair 2.0 EFi 7-seater estate, which was........truly excellent! I spent many hours travelling in the boot, as we were a family with four kids. Looking out the back was great fun and you got to see loads more cars on journeys, which was my motivation for being in the boot. We did trips to South West France and other long hauls in it and it delivered great service, for a large family, especially with the self-levelling rear suspension to deal with a full car. Learning to drive in it was great and then I got to cannon about it in after passing my test, which was ace. I didn't/still don't drink, which made it just the best car to take 6 mates out clubbing in and as for the roof bars... all I'm going to say is 'roof surfing'

[@simonpage2941]

Brings back memories of my Dad's courtesy car he let me borrow for the evening at 17 years old..... Courtesy of Lex in Stourbridge I had an evening with a brand new G reg MG in Gloss Black! When I jumped into it the Speedo was on 14 miles! I made sure it was obviously thoroughly run in when I parked it on the drive that evening.... 😂

[@charlieskelhorn]

We had an F reg one of these in red, memories of mum struggling up the Peak District with us in the back. It got stolen for a joy ride in Scotland and I'll never forget seeing it taken away on the back of a lorry to its final resting place.

[@HubNut]

Aw!

[@james011974]

In the 80s in Somerset my Dad was buying and selling a few cars. He had all the good ones from the day fast fords, vauxhalls and on and on, however the ones I remember most were the MG's, Montego 1.6, 2.0 with talking dash and the ultimate was the turbo. He also had a metro turbo which was cool as well and tbh he had a gordini r5 turbo around the same time and as a little boy I preferred the metro turbo because of the cool MG interior and deadly little colored boost gauge. I'll also throw into the mix the daddy of them all, orange Supermirafiori. What a peach it was a rusty peach but magnificent 👌

[@matcarter1975]

My dad had a 1988 E reg salon. Great memories. Nice Video Ian and that car in wonderful condition

[@wannyyydilliamsss]

Fond memories of the Montego. My grandad had a blue, G-reg one. We borrowed it once and took it to Alton Towers. On the way home, we had to pull over for my mother to be sick because, according to my dad, I'd done 'the smelliest fart in human history.' It still comes up 25 years later at family gatherings.

[@elliottpeters2996]

Oh the joys. Used to fit a manual choke conversion on these almost daily. And the real delight of ownership when the drives haft bolts fell out and left you stranded without drive. The gearboxes were stolen from the VW parts bin. The MG Turbo had , probably, the most dangerous torque steer I ever experienced .. but we're still a hoot to drive!

[@joshbrailsford]

Before I was born, I'm told my grandad had a Montego Vanden Plas Estate. I'd love to have experienced that car.

[@bloodybrit]

Definitely a trip down memory lane and what an amazing example, they always popped up in the oddest places - I remember seeing an early one in the back streets of Dubai in the mid 90s. I was never a Cavalier fan (I owned one as well as a Maestro), they did not handle nearly as well as a Montego or Sierra. The rattles comment made me smile, my father's BX had more rattles than Mothercare and changing gear was always like stirring porridge.

[@chrishart8548]

I went in a BX I was surprised how firm the ride was and how everything rattled. I thought the fancy suspension with the spheres would have been better

[@andylucas4031]

I had a red GTI one great car.But had a rusty door i replaced and a leaky sunroof i could never repair.Geat vid.

[@tangerinedream7211]

There was a White G reg saloon as a spare pool car in our company, I borrowed it one day when my Astra estate was out on a job with some of the girls . It was winter, sub zero, I accidentally tapped ever so lightly a concrete parking bollard, about half of the rear bumper shattered, I wasn't popular with the fleet controller . My previous estate was an Escort, I'd ordered it in burgundy, the sales rep at the Ford garage said the interior could be either brown or grey when it turns up, fortunately it was grey.😁

[@simon-b]

Wow, what a blast from the past that was!

[@pizzalover3]

Classic HN video, thank you sir. Really appreciating those wheel trims too. So delightfully of their time.

[@chriscanham7130]

My only experience of the Montego estate was when I went through the back of one when it reversed out in front of me while on my motorcycle. Wrote off both vehicles and got lots of compo from injuries. Happy days.

[@edwardwilliammorris1340]

So brown so beautiful ♥️

[@PJ-om2wq]

My dad had a turbo diesel Montego. I drove it to south of France once. It was a fantastic car.

[@danieleregoli812]

I always loved the Montego! I remember that the Estate kept soldiering on for a very loooooong time here in Italy....In Countryman form (and especially diesel) it was a popular, yet cheap alternative to many station wagons... I swear that over here it still appeared in the Rover pricelist until 1996! Another fun fact is that the importer here would stick a sort-of-postiche large ROVER lettering on the back, presumably to give it a bit more 'gravitas'... together with catchy 'Countryman' decals! The front enamel logo however never gained the Viking longship sadly... It certainly looked the part though, especially in nice brg metallic!

[@dunnockdan]

Simple styling, always stands the test of time, this Monty is no exception! Great video Ian, they were very underrated cars at the time, the instrument layout/design, reminds me of my grandpa's 1993 Discovery, he had back then.

[@MrFatknacker]

We had a 7-seat Montego Countryman Estate when the kids were young - brilliant family car back in its day

[@thereverendsam413]

I had a Montego estate. It was terrible. Mine had a failed radiator fan, so summer driving involved turning the engine off at traffic lights, and a failed heater fan, so winter driving meant having the trickle of heat running straight to the screen at all times, and wearing a hat and gloves. We did do 100 mph with all the windows down on the way home from a gig once. It was eventually written off by an old fella who drove straight into it when it was parked. Once I'd checked he was ok, I thanked him.

[@patricksmodels]

Failed radiator and heating fans are maintenance issues, generally one has them repaired asap.

[@Jimages_uk]

I had the saloon 2.0, I can't remember the letters, but it was high spec, and it was a brilliant car for caravanning, quite economical as well for the time. It was pretty good to drive as well. I swapped it for a 190E Merc in the end, but had it for about 5 years.

[@WhiskeyGulf71]

My family had three of these, new from the local Austin Rover dealership, the first one was a 1985 VP model, it had two clutch replacements & then became a casualty of the great storm ( a huge tree fell on the garage it was parked in & was directly on top of the car) The second one, a 1988 VP model lasted just 7 years, had 4 clutch replacements & the third, a 1995 Countryman (ex demo) was a problem child from day one ! (Bad electrics, bad fuel system).

[@jamarranger]

Very nice car! I ran a Diesel Montego in the late 90s, nice car with a cracking engine. I had a problem with It being VERY sore on front wheel bearings. I always banged my head off the boot lid when putting stuff in the boot too.

[@kevwalton272]

memories, i had a red montego 1.6 245k miles original engine. it used to eat ecu for breakfast. coils for dinner. but i loved it!

[@WestYorkshireGuy1]

My Dad hired one on our Holiday in Jersey. There were loads of them as well as Maestros and Escort cabrios used as hire cars. I remember me and my Brother sitting in the boot as my Grandparents were with us too.

[@glen1555]

I had 2, an Austin 1.6L mark one, which I did 155,000 miles then traded it in for a Rover 2.0L mark 2. Again I did 150, 000 miles then gave it to a friend when I went to work abroad. When I returned 9 years later, I bought a Rover 75 1.8 turbo estate which could be argued was the mark 3

[@drd6416]

My boss was so stoked to get the countryman . Deadly on a wet road but with the 2 litre it shifted

[@MeMe-qr3go]

A great video and a great review Ian. When I was 21 I had the privilege of owning a 2.0 vanden plas EFI. Gold in colour with a brown leather interior. Not the colour combination I ever expected to like but somehow it really appealed to me. And strangely, all my mates loved it too. In the end I liked it so much that it was too much of a distraction and I sold it to my mate Henry, who was more accustomed to boy racer cars like Escorts and Astras and he loved it as well! It went like manure off a chrome shovel that had been polished for a week beforehand and was considerably quicker than most 2.0 8 valve cars of it's day. Everyone who rode in it said they felt important! The leather seats were slippery in the back though. So if I cornered too fast it sent all the rear seat passengers flying. Thank God that it had good strong door locks, otherwise it would have spilled people onto the road. I ended up buying a 2.0 Sierra estate that was better for work but despite being decent, was a real step down in terms of performance and particularly low end torque. If you drove the Montego EFI sensibly it gave extremely good fuel economy, even into the mid 40s on a long run. It almost had the torque of a turbo diesel too. Funny to think that I sold that car back in 1993! C767RSF

[@baronthorsteinn]

So, you have a great regard for the Montego; I have a great regard for that Now! That's What I Call Music 12 tape, as that's where I was introduced - aged nine! - to Iron Maiden. CAN I PLAY WITH MADNESS! *thump of drums*... *galloping guitars*... *air-raid siren*... *etc.* It's a slightly odd experience knowing that when I was a nipper and a teenager, I'd not want to be seen dead in a Montego, but I... sort of... like them, now? Maybe it's because I'm 45 and it's a car that appealed to the 40-somethings (and upwards) of the day. I did have a knackered old Sherpa van in my 20s, though, so I recognise the binnacle and the stalks. I reckon half the problem was that this was never, *ever* going to be a "cool" car in the way a Sierra could be, just because it was a Ford and had that "cockney wideboy from Dagenham (never mind it's not within the sound of the Bow bells)" image. Lord Clarkson of Chipping Norton is right (cue horror further in the comments) when he says that cars have personalities; unfortunately for the Montego, I always got the impression that its personality was that of an accountant called Colin, who wore beige slacks and thick horn-rimmed glasses, had an adenoidal voice and a penchant for trainspotting (and I don't mean the film). The colour of this one only exacerbates that. Even so, I've never thought it was an *ugly* car; the Maestro may have been a bit ungainly with the huge glasshouse, but the Montego is better-proportioned and I never had a problem with the slightly oddly positioned rear window on the saloon. I've heard the Maestro described as looking too much like it should have been launched circa 1977-78 because it had such straight lines - but with the benefit of hindsight, the Maestro and Montego it really don't look at all out of place against their rivals from around 1984; the jellymould Sierra is the exception rather than the rule, and all this is before we consider the origami designs coming out of Japan at the time...

[@Extreme_Rice]

I can imagine Now 12 introduced a lot of people to metal - and jazz, in fact. Sadly Montego Bay by Amazulu isn’t on there (although it’s from 1986 anyway).

[@baronthorsteinn]

@@Extreme_Rice Technically, my first introduction to "metal" itself (quotes very necessary) was via Now! 10, at Christmas 1987 - but that was Whitesnake and they're not considered metal enough for Metal Archives. What was the jazz on Now! 12? I must have missed that one.

[@clivet3252]

​@@baronthorsteinn maybe he meant Yazz? The Maestro and Montego never looked that dated to me in the '80s. They were quite rounded. The Vauxhall Cavalier at the time had very straight lines and the '88 model even looked like it had been influenced by the styling of the Montego.

[@baronthorsteinn]

@@clivet3252 Yazz would make a lot more sense. Although, for the Austin brand by this time, the only way was down. Here's a further Vauxhall/Austin hot take: to me, the 1991 MkIII Astra looks like the Maestro should have been its predecessor, rather than the MkII Astra. It's the same kind of shape, only a lot more rounded.

[@Extreme_Rice]

@baronthorsteinn A Love Supreme is based on a John Coltrane piece, and was apparently intended to introduce his music to a wider audience. Also Miles Davis appears on the Scritti Politti song (which I'm not sure I was ready for when I was 10 but I love it now).

[@belfastbusfan]

My dad used to own a Blue Rover Montego, still to this day says it’s the best car he’s ever driven.

[@paultaylor7082]

Likewise, I had a 1.6L estate in Henley Blue, a G reg, by then they were classed as Rover Montegos. The estate car was a beautiful design and won awards for it.

[@phil25051]

My Montego 1.6hl Red ended up crashing through a dry stone wall and cracking the front of a lovely cottage on the A34 outside Oxford about 32 years ago. I spent a night in hospital and the montego got made into bean tins.😳😳🥺

[@HubNut]

Ouch!

[@Tastytentacle]

I was given a montego saloon 2l auto that didn't like going into 4th gear on occasion, interesting times! Part exchanged it for a Peugeot 605 2l turbo auto, that didn't mind going into 4th and much quicker than ye olde montego! Happy days.

[@daniellee9015]

Absolutely brilliant video Ian miss hubnut ❤👍 what a beautiful iconic classic lovely car my mates dad had one saloon and he borrowed it one night and loaded 10 ppl in it some were all piled up in the back and even the boot but he told me it pulled OK with all those ppl on board absaloutly brilliant

[@markpunt9638]

Look how amazing the visibility is with such a narrow A-pillar

[@chrisbury4635]

I'd choose a Montego over a Sierra too, especially the 2 litre petrol or even diesel version, my friend from school owned a 1.6 Montego of similar vintage and it drove great with a great engine sound 😊

[@AlfieTheHammer363]

Love Montego Estates , British Racing Green and the Roof Bars ❤️ should have been what saved Austin, miss them My Fav Make along with MG 🇬🇧

[@jameskvo]

Several of my friends were driven to school in Montegos in the late 80s to mid 90s. I was driven in a Lada Samara 😒

[@woutergijs5246]

Oh, my sincere condoleances .

[@stonerjamie]

not seen an Austin Montego for years nice to see one in great condition thanks for the video HubNut love your channel and keep up the good work mate

[@AndreiTupolev]

Now That's What I Call Music 12 came out July '88. Featured Car Wash by Rose Royce, Pink Cadillac by Natalie Cole, and non-car related Theme from S Express, Boys by Sabrina (not Carpenter), Circle in the Sand by Belinda Carlisle, and best of all I Think We're Alone Now by Tiffany 👍 And many many more! 😀

[@samronin1141]

My father had an MG 2.0 non turbo. It was a 90 G plate which we got around 1993/4. It was a world ahead of our previous family car. A 1.3L Vauxhall Chevette Estate. Later he went full Nissan with a Sunyy followed by a couple of Almera. I still miss the MG to this day.

[@EdgyNumber1]

Saloon was the first car I owned after passing my test. 1.3, 4-speed. Did lots of mods - 5-speed Maestro gearbox, MG Montego wheels, lowered springs, modified head, 2.0 litre exhaust system mated to a custom manifold. Good fun.

[@gg_vard]

Cream and beige what a combination! Congratulations to the owner for the excellent condition. Of course never seen one in real life, as sedans and Japanese cars were all the rage here

[@danieljuggins3439]

Crikey that brought back memories, we had a 7 seater too, red C300TLC I remember it well. It was about 3 years old when we bought it to replace our mk5 Cortina estate.

[@aaronhughes4562]

This unlocked some memories, my grandad who died in 2009 had one exactly like this. We nearly inherited it, but at the time it was seen as just an old banger my dad wanted rid of.

[@HubNut]

Aw!

[@matthewscott8947]

When my father was ready to change our fabulous MK2 Cavalier, he test drove a Montego. It was OK, but in an act of sheer abandon, Dad opted for a Mazda 626. Now that was an excellent car. I think we lived on Baked beans for the next three years!

[@mattw8332]

My parents owned a well worn example of an early MG Maestro 1600 but I would have preferred a Montego. I quite liked the 1989 facelift. As well as the new grille and smoothed tail lights the saloons also had adjustable rear head restraints on higher trim levels. And they all got a revised dashboard. The Countryman estate was initially a limited edition version but became part of the range a year or two later.

[@sholdfield]

Had 3 as company cars back in the day. Biggest piles of cak I've ever driven. Couldn't pass a garage without it throwing a wobbly. Glad to see the back of them.

[@bigjohno242]

Good vid Ian. I had a white 1988 MG Montego 2.0i - bought it in 1995 and it was faultless and pretty quick. I eventually passed it onto my Great Uncle and he had it for the last couple of years before he passed away.

[@steveglover5032]

Always fancied a Montego back in the day. But never got around too owning one. Did drive my father’s Montego 2.0 GTI few time though.

[@davidhills3100]

The 1989 changed a bit more than the grille and the lights. The dash was redone and there were revised interior finishings. I had a 1989 1.6SL which had a bunch of kit on it - electric front windows, mirrors and sunroof, central locking and a very lifeless-feeling power steering. In comparison to the 1-litre Nova I had before, it felt very refined and luxurious.