IDRIVEACLASSIC reviews: 1990 Austin Rover Montego

[@paulwatts2192]

I was on the production line when the car was first first launched.I know every nut and bolt.Just love them.

[@friedjohn]

Great review Steph, I'm glad to see young people appreciate that British Leyland was not all incompetent and ridiculous, but actually made some pretty decent cars back in the day. I wonder why particularly the British press was/are so hard on them (think of Top Gear). I owned an MG Montego for 14 years (1986 - 2000), it was a very good car, handled well, was reasonably powerful (for the time) and it never let me down (eventually rusted, though). I did not find the interior too 'plasticky' compared to other similar cars of the era. Perhaps it's because Colin's Montego 1.6L is one of the lowest specs and you compare it to the Escort cabriolet. Convertibles are normally top of the line posh spec. I can assure you that a Escort 1.1L of the eighties was much more cheap plasticky than the the MG Montego (and BL even had a Vanden Plas version which was all wood and leather).

[@idriveaclassic]

Thanks for the really spot on feedback Finn! It really annoys me that people are so down on BL. was a great manufacturer. Just poorly managed and poorly marketed. They’d made some real bloopers and it didn’t help matters. A real shame.

[@LairdScooby]

Main reason the British press were so hard on BL/ARG was they got "freebies" from foreign manufacturers to slate the homegrown offerings - mainly from companies like PSA Group, BMW and Fiat - look who owns the remains of the British Car industry now and who bought Rover in the mid 90s!

[@jeff4362]

Not to rain down your party, but according to the statistics the Montego/Maestro/Metro have declined in percentages (both taxed and those kept off road) much higher than other makes of the same time, even Fords. Isn't there an obvious reason why?

[@RightWing1]

I never got to own a Montego as at the time they were available the Maestro made more sense for me as a hatchback. But I agree the earlier cars were basic but as a young driver they were cheap to insure and maintain. I had 3 Allegros, 1.3 DL, 1.3 HLS S3 and a 1500 Vanden Plas. The one car in the Rover Group I really liked but never got to own was the Rover 600 as the quality was like chalk and cheese to the earlier offerings from BL.

[@owensteele1274]

There was one base model lower than 1.6L, I think it was 1.6 Clubman by 1990 (1.3 being dropped 2 years earlier). I owned a two-tone gold-on-grey 1.6L saloon back in 1993 (E61 FLT). I actually found the interior felt more like a car from a class above compared to the 1983 mk2 Cavalier it replaced. I thought it was pretty quick and had fun steering. By 1996, the car had to go, as it was also getting riddled with rust pretty much everywhere. I bought it whilst recalling that 1.6L advert with Russ Swift's crazy manoeuvres through a crowded car park before handbrake-turning it into the last available tight parking space.

[@johnthomas7038]

Where I worked, the road warriors were really not happy when they were told that their new company cars were going to be Montegos and it took a long time for the abuse to subside. When they were in turn replaced by Peugeot 405's and still later 406's or Citroën Xantia's, they yearned for the days of their Montegos as being better workhorses.

[@brickbat246]

Love Montegos, always found them to be more handsome and romantic-looking than their Cavalier/Sierra contemporaries

[@kaasis85]

I'm from a small country in Northen Europe called Latvia. My mum worked at a bank and was given a white Rover Montego and a chauffeur. Unfortunately he crashed the car and she was given another white one. It was one of the coolest cars in a small town of around 4000 people. It was between 1992 and 1994. So many happy memories travelling with my mum to the capital on Fridays. Perhaps because I was skipping school :P

[@merlin3830]

These were never marketed as Rovers, when the Austin name was dropped they simply became Montego and Maestro with no manufacturers name attached.

[@carnbyarst670]

Yet it is registered as a Rover...🤔

[@merlin3830]

@@carnbyarst670 they were registered as Rovers as it was a legal requirement to register both a manufacturer name and model name. But they were never sold or marketed as Rovers because they didn't have the luxury or prestige that Rover was trying to associate with its brand.

[@carnbyarst670]

@@merlin3830 but they could have been registered as British Leyland?

[@andreaduncan1042]

Ahhh, happy memories. Ran a diesel version as a company hack, very comfy. Sadly they tended to rot, though, to be fair, no worse than the competition. I do love your presentations. Thank you.

[@idriveaclassic]

Thanks Andrea my dear! It was so comfy I felt myself dropping off when I got into the passenger seat 😂😂😂

[@brianwhittington5086]

I used to drive these often during repairs in the 1980 /90s, very underrated cars. They were fast, comfortable and had a huge carrying capacity, depending on spec The company I worked for had a repair contract with the MOD, they had plenty of Montego and other BL vehicles on the fleet.

[@paramedicchrisbookseries]

Brilliant review.

[@69Phuket]

When they came out they looked really futuristic. I like the scooped side panels and the quirky little windows at the back on the saloon and the estate was pretty. They won design awards from the off!

[@idriveaclassic]

This was one of my favourite test drives, adored her ❤️

[@69Phuket]

@@idriveaclassic Alas! I'll probably never get to do that...I always wanted to. ;(

[@asdreww]

I want a Montego! it was the first 'nice' car I remember my parents ever having. & the first ever car I drove! I loved the hazard warning light switch as a kid

[@cloudmaker]

Oh my God Steph' i'm reliving my life through your car reviews. My father in-law lent us his Montego so we could go on a belated Honeymoon with our dog Dan. We went from Derbyshire and stayed in a place on the beach in Allonby, Cumbria. We toured all around the Scottish borders and the Lake District in 1991. Yes still married and yes Father in-law is still driving! Thank you so much.

[@MGBetts1]

I had an Austin Montego for a few years. It wasn't a bad car, I think it got stolen in the end. I always thought of it as a booted Maestro, so I'm not surprised they share a club. I'm glad there's a club dedicated to keeping them going.

[@idriveaclassic]

Yeah it’s great isn’t it! I’m sorry yours got stolen that’s horrendous

[@2DEZFUL]

What a great review of cars from the 60's and 70's , excellent presentation, obviously well edited and a refreshing change from the typical automotive reviews. Keep it up ! Robert. (Canada)

[@damian-795]

I rented a few of these in 1990 from British Car Rental, Bournemouth. I was 19 and thought the car was great, it was a 16 Litre :-)

[@adampowell5376]

16 litres. Wow! That must have been powerful!

[@adampowell5376]

I used to be in the Citroën Owners Club.

[@deanjenkins4192]

@@adampowell5376 A 16 litre Montego? As if he meant 1.6 litre

[@timbailey4348]

Hi Steph. just came across this vid. took me back a bit. when i was an apprentice i worked on the very first prototype build of the montego estate. later on my dad had a black one and i had a gray one like the one here, it was also a 1990 1.6. great car.

[@TheWorldofGood79]

Thanks Steph, what a brilliant video yet again. Your knowledge and enthusiasm is infectious and just seeing you enjoy driving these wonderful cars really brightens up my day! It is so sad that only 100 Montego's are left. Keep up the good work.

[@idriveaclassic]

Aww thanks so much James 🥰🥰🥰

[@mattw8332]

When BMW bought Rover Group in 1994 they were a bit surprised that the Montego and Maestro were still being made at Cowley. Montego was replaced by the Rover 600 series which I think is one of the nicest looking cars from the 1990s.

[@lewis72]

"When BMW bought Rover Group in 1994 they were a bit surprised that the Montego and Maestro were still being made at Cowley." - I've heard that story before but it's difficult to believe that that BMW hadn't gone through the entire ARG business and seen what was being manufactured where and at what cost and what suppliers that they had contracts with etc.

[@iana6713]

My dad had a dark metallic blue one of these when I was younger. Many happy journeys in the back of that. That first interior shot took me right back!

[@uhn100]

Hi Steph I owned a 1988 Austin Montego one of the best good all round comfortable and a joy to drive sad to hear not many left I really enjoyed your review thanks .

[@mitchellhoornweg1494]

I'm from the Netherlands and 26 years old, we used to have 2 Montego's Estate and this car always stayed with me. I have been looking for one for years and now have 1 and I am going to restore it completely myself.

[@lewis72]

Yes, the Montego was a very common sight when school finished for me, even though not that many people at my school were picked up by car when I was at high school ('84-'88). The 1.6L Montego, Sierra & Cavalier seemed to make up a large proportion of cars back then !

[@philnewstead5388]

I had an MG Turbo which I bought when it was eighteen months old as a trade in from the main dealer where I was working at the time, the idea was to run it for about a year and hopefully sell it for what I paid for it. I liked the car so much ended up keeping it for over seven years. Unfortunately the tin worm got to it and although it was nothing structural it was uneconomical to repair. It's nice to find a younger generation of people like yourself and Twin Cam who are so enthusiastic about BL/Rover products which were never as bad as the press and programmes like Top Gear would have you believe. Keep up the good work.

[@ByteGuy]

Ive not heard of this channel before but im SO glad ive found it. Its awesome! I love BL/Austin Rover cars and the information was very interesting. :D

[@idriveaclassic]

Aww thanks so much!!!! Xx

[@rydermike33]

Another super video, thank you Steph. And another terribly undervalued car. They looked good in both saloon and estate versions, and some lovely colours too. I always like the bright blue. ( not sure of the colour name.)

[@idriveaclassic]

Thank you for more lovely feedback Mike. It is always appreciated!

[@petermarshall3880]

The red was called Flame Red. I had a Montego 1.6LX in Flame Red, with anthracite around the bottom. Very well equipped for the time and drove really well. Wish I had chance to have a drive in one again.

[@idriveaclassic]

There are always Montegos coming up for sale (sorry I’m a bad influence)

[@petermarshall3880]

@@idriveaclassic I'd love to, but I'd have nowhere to keep one I'm afraid. They need a garage, and my Mazda 3 already lives in there. 🙁

[@patrickgill8231]

@@idriveaclassic wud love to own one. U did a great review of the Triumph Acclaim. Another BL which shud have been a bigger success especially with Honda on board. Had the CD model way back in the day. Bought it cheap enough, spent a few quid doing it up. Loaned it to a mate and he wrote it off. B.....d

[@janvanrijswijk9488]

I used to own an austin montego 1.6 hl for 11 years and i really enjoyed it. Loved the looks , handeling .still my fav. Car. After my montego i owned 9 years an rover 620si and now for more than 12 years an jag x-type 2.0 d.

[@RichieRouge206]

What a cool car! Ive got a soft spot for anything BL especially from the 70s and 80s. My grandad had a few Montego HLs plus we had Maestros and Metros before his Volvos. Great video and new subscriber from Chester

[@artiexr222]

Another great review Steph,my wife drove one in the Ambulance service for picking up the odd patient and still remembers it as being a nice car to drive. Keep up the good work.

[@idriveaclassic]

+artiexr222 that’s such a nice anecdote. I love hearing how people have owned used or loved the cars I put onto the channel. Thanks for the lovely feedback too x

[@peterchildress7719]

had 5 in my time.3 eatates and 2 saloons.all had 1.6 engine and the estate was brilliant for lugging loads.all went through rust,but would have another in a heart beat.love them.

[@35geordielad]

Steph, I've just come across your videos of BL/Rover car reviews. It's fantastic to see someone so enthusiastic over these cars like myself, I owned a Montego saloon and loved it, even with its temperamental running. My dad own the Meastro MG believe it or not with the talking trip computer . Cars owned. Montego 1988, Rover 216 1990, Rover 600 x 2, Rover 75 x 2. MG-ZTT . Sadly now moved on to a Kia Sorento. Steph keep up the review loving your retro look 😊

[@daveogarf]

You get lovelier with each successive vlog! And your enthusiasm is contagious!

[@arrangrant4614]

Another great interesting video Steph I have found your channel through Hub Nut the Countryman version of this was very popular at the time and had a bit of a cult following I seem to remember👍

[@idriveaclassic]

Ahhh thanks Arran x

[@arrangrant4614]

Thanks Steph they were usually in a dark green metallic with wood trim and leather seats a bit like the inside of the Range Rover Vogue of the time I believe some of the switchgear is the same as Land Rover was still part of BL then

[@danielross7221]

My grandad had a MG montego in British racing green. What a car that was. He loved it.

[@kieranwhite6647]

Great video!, I've always had a soft spot for the Montego and felt they were overlooked

[@idriveaclassic]

Aww thanks so much Kieran!!!

[@kieranwhite6647]

@@idriveaclassic You're welcome!!

[@themglifestyle670]

So good to see this car running and looking so well - 1st car I ever drove (at age 14 on holiday in Wales when my parents were out!)

[@Jon-zj2nj]

Great to see Steph, thank you! I owned a 1.6 HL estate, from new in 1986 and ran it until 1992 and 103,000 miles, then bought a used 1989 2.0HL in 1992. Sadly, when AR face lifted it in 1989, they fitted the sunroof (which robbed the headroom) and thinned the padding on the seat base to try and make up for it. If you think that car was comfortable, you should try a pre facelift, HL or above, Montego. It was why a jumped at the chance of a, last of the line, low mileage, used 1989 Montego estate in 1992. Sadly, when that one needed replacement in 1994, these changes meant I had to buy my next car elsewhere 🙁

[@paulhumberstone4843]

i had one early 2004 the kids loved the rear facing seats it drove really well and just look at all that glass in the estate fantastic visibility i wish i had it now!

[@robertbransby]

Great vid, really love the old BL stuff and loving your style as well 👍

[@idriveaclassic]

Cheers robert

[@michaeltutty1540]

Great video as always, Steph. I always enjoy seeing cars we did not get in Canada, or else were very rare here. I always had a soft spot for English cars. The engineering is top notch, even if build quality could be spotty and rust prevention unheard of. I still wish I could have saved the 67 Austin A60 Cambridge I was given in 1977. Too bed the whole frame made Swiss cheese look solid. Keep up the good work.

[@RoxhamCottage]

I love this car! I'm watching 'The Last Detective' with Peter Davison on BritBox (kind of like British Netflix for North America) and he drives one.

[@andrewlamb7490]

A lovely video. It really makes me regret selling (some 16 years ago) my 1990 Montego 2.0 GSi automatic. It was a lovely car with a beautiful interior, electric sun roof, front window and mirrors and very fast, far quicker than my other car, a MkII 2.3 Granada.. It was, however, quite rusty, especially around the rear window.

[@TheChrysler56]

Cricky where do I start? Hi Steph. New subscriber here. Four, yes, four Montego’s ive owned from the age of 22, I’m now 58. My first one was just the bog standard 1.6L saloon in cream. The second one was the 2.0 Vanden Plas seven seater estate, lovely dark metallic blue with leather and roof bars, seeing the VP logo on the rear quarters made you feel a little special, that was a posh looking car. I traded that in for one of the very last Rover SD1’s on a 87 E plate I bought brand spanking new, same colour as the Vanden Plas estate. I then went for the Rover 820e in metallic gold. I then went back to the Montego, a 1989 G reg Montego Advantage in British Racing Green with white imitation cross spoked alloy wheels then my final Montego was 1989 G plate Montego 2.0 ltr diesel in white. All my own cars of choice as I’m a lorry driver and not a rep. Lol..I’ve had three Metro’s too, the first was the Metro turbo. I won’t go into detail. I’ll just say that I enjoyed owning all my BL vehicles. X

[@KevinOReillyswl]

I had a 1.3 saloon. No ball of fire but comfortable enough. As has already been said rust was the Montego's main enemy.

[@idriveaclassic]

Such a shame really. Good cars and a comfy drive.

[@thesundowner.5648]

Just discovered your channel. It's very very impressive. Wishing you every success with it. GOD bless.

[@idriveaclassic]

Thanks so much!!!!

[@timelwell7002]

Great video Steph. If you had the opportunity to do videos on any older Rovers - such as the P4, P5 and P5b, and P6, I for one would be most interested.

[@idriveaclassic]

Honestly I’m trying 😂😂😂

[@mandoprince1]

My brother considered buying a Montego, or it may have been a Maestro. He was put off by the lack of headroom (no beehive, but he's about 6'4"), which he reckoned was down to the sunroof. Apparently the headroom was fine on ones that didn't have the sunroof.

[@KarlHamilton]

No beehive 😂😂😂😂

[@nothere7300]

S Series engine - very underated. I ran them on test beds at Acocks Green in Birmingham whilst testing hardened valve seats for unleaded petrol.

[@stephenclarke8540]

New to the Chanel and loving it it makes such a change to watch someone with a genuine passion for these cars loving your work steph

[@juancarloslopezrodrtiguez4787]

Que maravilla me encanta lo bien cuidado que tienes tu MG Montego, espero que este gran coche te dure mucho tiempo, me gustan los coches británicos, y otro de mis coches británicos favoritos, es el Rover SD 1 con el motor V8, me encanta, aunque es un coche muy grande.

[@paulillingworth1242]

Biggest problem with BL was poor management to staff relations and some of cars had rust problems but a lot of other car makes back in the day rusted, best two cars I’ve had / got is Rover, she’s 20 years old 2.0 600 SLi and still looks stunning also still tow with it and it never misses a beat, she’s well loved and part of the family now. I’ve had many other cars ranging from Peugeot’s, Citroen, Vauxhall’s , Chrysler , Nissan and Mercedes. Rover still one of my favourite and most reliable cars I’ve had.

[@idriveaclassic]

Yeah I think management needed a blinking good shake down!!!!!!

[@theaylesburycyclist8756]

1990... The year I left school, and was buzzing about on my Vespa. Very happy days!!

[@mariaparatore7318]

I remember these cars from when they first came out and loved them.

[@adj3602]

I had 2 saloons and before that my grandfather and father had one each at the same time! One of mine was a 1.3 base model. Surprisingly nippy too for it's power to weight ratio. Love these cars especially the saloon, as you get that 'awkward' stepped up rear window arrangement, which to me was the cars signature design, making it more interesting than the more balanced shape of the Maestro and the Montego Estate. Keep up the good work Steph, and if you ever get chance to review a saloon (Maybe an MG?..) I hope to see the video

[@chrisbury4635]

I've never owned a Montego but would of loved to, I have had 3 Maestro Diesel's though 😇

[@jeff4362]

Apparently the Maestro Turbo Diesels had very high fuel economy.

[@arthuritchybollix5064]

You poor thing you have very bad taste

[@marinacoupe]

Great video. Loving the wheels on this Montego - they suit it very very well

[@idriveaclassic]

+P W thanks!

[@ron2256]

I had a Rover Montego Countryman Estate in Caribbean Blus as a company car, going all over the UK as a computer installations engineer.. It was an absolutely brilliant car.. Luxurious, seven seater, 2 litre Perkins Diesel engine with self levelling suspension.. It was like driving in your favourite armchair.. I loved it but when it had done the company's prescribed mileage, I was forced to change it for a Ford Mondeo Estate which wasn't anything like as good as the Monrego and kept breaking down. I had several Austin Montego Estates before the Rover Montego.. I don't know why they got such a bad reputation, they should have been much more successful. They just seemed to be regarded as uncool but why,? Well done for reviewing it..

[@kellybrickey4300]

I was just laughing when you talked about looking in the rear view mirror and seeing how much car was back there. In the 2000s, we bought a Chrysler minivan. The first time I looked in the mirror to reverse, I thought, theres NOTHING mini about this van. It seriously looked like a bus back there. LOL

[@MarriedToTheKGB]

had two of these in estate version. Very good cars. I especially loved the diesel. Great on fuel and could put loads in the back of the estate

[@martinwilkinson2344]

My Dad bought a silver 2.0 in 1986. We also had a pool Montego at work, and a Sierra. The Montego compared very favourably, it was easy to drive and comfortable, with none of the jerking when applying/releasing power like other FWD BL cars e.g. Allegro. My dad's example had a new engine under warranty after about a year, so that would wipe out any profit they made from the sale. Maybe the first signs of quality control problems?

[@brianevans656]

Lovely review and a pleasant drive, as usual.

[@DD66]

My ex wife and I went to buy a less than 2 yo estate montego from a large car supermarket in Cheshire just after our daughter was born because we quite fancied one, they had loads of them there. We didn't buy one because everyone we looked at was already starting to rust and we had previously had a beautiful white Rover 213s (her car) and were devastated to watch it just evaporate in front of our eyes 😢

[@roadrelics8162]

Hey, it's a lovely car! Unfortunately there were not many of these cars here in Italy. Another great video ! ;-)

[@idriveaclassic]

+Road Relics thanks!!!!

[@idriveaclassic]

+Road Relics thank you ❤️❤️❤️

[@jaggass]

When Rover stopped building the Montego and Maestro in 1995 some years later a Chinese tobacco company called Etsong bought the rights to both cars and built them over there. The facelifted version has a Montego front end.

[@idriveaclassic]

I didn’t know that. I think the Chinese value our heritage more than we do.

[@jaggass]

It seems that and it's very sad to how many British car companies have disappeared over the decades. The government and foreign car companies killed them off.

[@NapalmBond]

Mum had in 1987 Montego VDP sedan Rare in NZ. Went well, well appointed for its time. What killed it was not being able to get metric tyres .

[@hendoiii3487]

I love this my dad had a blue montego. Always thought it was nice

[@mattfoster]

hi steph, this brings back memories, a old support worker at my first school had one similar to this i never got a ride from her though in it although the school did have a tatty old ford transit minibus which she drove a few times i wish i had of been able to be up front in the passenger seat sadly in those days only the teachers were allowed in the front, had a rubbish week had to attend a funeral but you my friend have made me smile, apologies for long post. matt

[@idriveaclassic]

Hi Matt I am so sorry about the funeral - rubbish news ☹️ I do love a Montego. I’m away camping this weekend and there are lots of exciting cars so hopefully I’ll be able to review a few and show you them as though you’ve been on the trip 😊 Hope next week is better for you!

[@mattfoster]

@@idriveaclassic thanks steph and yeah tomorrow would of been my grandad's 90'th birthday shame he couldn't last a few more weeks but that's life, enjoy your camping trip hope you have some fun in some cars as well.

[@alanratcliffe7714]

You are the female hub nut, Steph, brilliant,

[@idriveaclassic]

I’m absolutely rubbish at taking compliments as all my friends would tell you, but thank you so much! I’d argue I’m an absolute novice compared to Ian but it’s a flattering comparison and I properly appreciate it. Thank you xx

[@69Phuket]

She's got more hairs!

[@idriveaclassic]

Aww thanks so much. Well watch this space you never know what’ll happen :)

[@RichieRouge206]

Ive been a long subscriber of HubNut, yes I’d agree she’s a female version of Ian!

[@grantmarshall3026]

100% the female hubnut, I thought this earlier this morning 🙂

[@ishz3260]

I don't know why Austin rover cars got bad press. I've had montego mg efi, turbo, gti and rover 800 vitesse. Never let me down. Good fast comfy cars.

[@paulanderson79]

I bought a 1986 2.0 HLS in early 1990. 19 years of age at the time. Some of us were ahead of the game.

[@edwardgwatterson1618]

great work Steph loved the Maestro as well as this one

[@philipcroser6740]

Haven't seen one of these for years. Mum and Dad had 2 litre 7 seater montego for a while. It was replaced by a Volvo for two reasons firstly rust, an annual task I can remember dad doing was taking the wheels off to do the arches, which must have been mostly filler by the time the montego was replaced. With a Volvo 740 no rust issues and more power so more able to tow the caravan. Rot was certainly an issue on ours but is an issue on a lot of 80's and 90's cars.

[@CortinasAndClassics]

I always liked the montego over the maistro. Such a good looking car. The estate always looked very upmarket and I wish I had the chance to drive one, I'm jealous Steph 😁

[@idriveaclassic]

Loads of owners would be willing to give you a little spin I’m sure! The MMOC as they’re known are a super friendly bunch xc

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Gosh, that Montego looks absolutely beautiful! You are quite right, you hardly see these any more, and I did have a friend whose mother had a classic Montego Countryman estate in dark green. I am hoping to get one of these for review on my channel at some point...

[@banditman1970]

I once had the MG Montego. A propper power house and beautiful to drive. I bought it off a customer from the first car repair centre that I owned in Sheffield which was called Metro World. As the name suggest's we specialised in metro's. Ahhh fond memories.

[@idriveaclassic]

I wish metro world was still open. Could’ve easily popped there on weekends 😂

[@brianfearn4246]

Great review Steph . I had the LX .. H reg version it was very nice indeed with sunroof I even retro fitted a instrument dimmer switch from a scraped MG which is easily done. Those small seats at the very rear were only designed for children of a certain age, not for adults. The only thing the missed was power steering. I think it was only standard on the MG ..

[@pj100565]

Another great video Steph, loving the enthusiasm! Looks like Rochester, only 25 miles from where I live. Hope the good people of Kent made you welcome! 🙂

[@idriveaclassic]

+Paul Johnson hahahahaha - an astute eye. It was indeed Rochester but I very rarely tag an exact location for security reasons 😂

[@bloodybrit]

Really enjoyed this, thank you. I had an MG Maestro 2.0i and would love another, or a Montego. I have a Rover 216SE for my 80s classic, same engine as the 1.6 Montego.

[@jim_jam_dseries]

Really enjoyed this video and the Montego. Really versatile vehicle. Your view about the length of the vehicle is interesting. This would be considered a small car in Australia.

[@idriveaclassic]

+Jim Barlow yeah but driving in Australia is a doddle compared to over here. I was driving my aunts car around Margaret River and was shocked how dead all the roads were from Margs to Perth! I wish it was like that over here.

[@jim_jam_dseries]

Thank you for putting me back in my box! Why can't modern cars be as comfortable?! There is something very appealing about similarly sized wagons, especially as practical everyday vehicles.

[@idriveaclassic]

Yeah deffo! Honestly though, you guys in Oz have the best driving roads. Wide and no other drivers 😂😂😂😂😂

[@kenday4812]

Lovely Car, Very Spacious, and good on Economy.

[@philryan7254]

Hi there I use to have these on car hire fleet when I worked for Europcar back in the 90s .they came straight from the factory to me on a transporter so I could PDI them .most of the time there would be 80psi in in all the tyres the so called carpet was in the boot and the paint on the bumpers was so thin in the when you jet wash them the paint all came off . And it was the same for the Maestros and the Rovers 213 and 216 ...Cheers Phil from Newark

[@pilskadden]

I don't understand why anyone would choose a Sierra or Cavalier over this when they came out in 1984. The Montego just looked so much nicer and more modern. The two American/Germans were extremely basic inside unless you got the luxury versions. The Sierra still had the all iron and rough Pinto engines + RWD and the Family II engine in the Cavalier was just as rough albeit more modern than the Sierra's. None of them had advanced technology like the programmed ignition on the Montego or the talking dash.

[@jaggass]

The S-Series was a good engine and had it's own engine management system like the O-Series engine.

[@Greenturkeyman]

Had a 2.0 in British racing green as my second car. First was a 1.2 nova, so 9.1 secs to 60 felt really fast. Wish I had it now. My dad welded the sills and arches for me but more rot at the front meant the end of mine.

[@idriveaclassic]

Such a shame when we look back on the cars we lost 😭😭😭

[@davidfos84]

The most confusing thing is that the last of the Austin Metros were also Rover Metros on the V5, despite technically being identical to an Austin Metro and never being badged as a Rover lol. Absolutely love Montegos and Maestros, just something about them. Had a chance to buy a Ledbury Maestro on eBay for 600 quid last year, wish I'd got it now. 1.3 A-Series and a manual choke with a SU carb in a 1997 car, happy days.

[@RichieRouge206]

Your attitude is amazing and refreshing! I love odd and quirky cars. And driving big cars is easier I reckon lol

[@idriveaclassic]

Aww cheers x

[@stuart121972]

I didn’t have a good relationship with the D reg Montego 1.6 HLS I had in the mid nineties. The auto choke was awful and seemed to randomly kick in when the car was warm so I ended up having a manual choke fitted. It had metric tyres which cost a fortune to replace, so they got replaced with 14” rims off a later model. I hated the gear change, my mates used to call it a “taxi” because they where commonly used a taxis. After having a minor front end bump in it I got rid of and traded it in for an E reg Rover 213S.

[@douglasrobertson7658]

My Dad had a Austin montego it had the extra seats in the back when he baught it the paint was faded on one side and we put it into the garage for a respray aster that it looked really nice

[@idriveaclassic]

I do love a Montego

[@DarrenCoull]

I had a C Reg 1.6L Saloon as my first 'proper' modern car - loved it to bits - also had several more over the years, my last was a T16i engined MG Montego (the engine from later Rovers such as the "Tomcat" 200 Coupe). Now living in Australia, there are none to be seen, but I believe some were sold in New Zealand.

[@idriveaclassic]

Aww that’s such a sweet story Darren! I loved the Montego. It was a comfy drive and can totally see why people pick them xx

[@marcburger8458]

Absolute brilliant design, back then the Austin logo was just unwished by the concern, wanted to buy me a maestro or montego, then they went off. Bought a rover 111, German, you know

[@spainter1985]

Quite a smart car, definitely brings back memories. That looks a smart example. The ones I remember tended to be full of rust despite them being less than 10yrs old!

[@idriveaclassic]

It’s a shame we never remember the good examples isn’t it 😂😂😂. Yeah this was so tidy. Looked so new tbh!

[@spainter1985]

@@idriveaclassic True, I guess they weren't as loved in the late 90's/early 2000's!

[@idriveaclassic]

Sadly very true!

[@chrisrichmond403]

Heck that’s a blast from the past .. When I was a early teen till my late teens my Dad owned one .. It was a 1.3 base saloon in white , It never broke down but it finally died due to age old corrosion. It did have a lot of faults In life with us such as.. drivers outdoor handle broke , Indicator / wipers stalks faults , wiper arm system fell apart under scuttle , engine run on when key taken out , bumper so flimsy if you sneeze on it it would shatter .. Yet it was the first ever car I drove as a learner , I enjoyed the first try as I kept moving with good flow , However second time I did not as the clutch bite was a sod , It was ok when the engine was cold but at running temp it was a pig .. I defo annoyed other motorists when it would not pull away how it should do at a junction from stop and they did not care I was I learner .

[@patrickgill8231]

Always thought the montego was a lovely looking car. As was the maestro. Great looking dash. Have a soft spot for BL and Rover. The press never gave them fair play

[@stephenluke2347]

I had a Rover Montego and loved it.

[@graemetaylor629]

I had the saloon version with the Perkins Diesel engine. It could pull a house down. I owned it for six years and covered sixty thousand miles without even a bulb going.

[@idriveaclassic]

+graeme taylor aww what happened to her?!

[@graemetaylor629]

idriveaclassic I sold it and bought a 306 sedan. Great memories with the montego though. Traveled the length of France on many occasions on holiday with the family. I’m also from Huddersfield ! Keep up the good work, it’s nice to take a trip down memory lane

[@idriveaclassic]

Aww brill! Thanks so much x

[@lewis72]

1:17 Dad's on school run... Yes, has to be the *Austin* Montego for me, a 1.6L in mid met. blue. My dad had a very-embarrassing 1973 VW bus (way before they were cool) but then he got a 2.0 GL Sierra estate. Unfortunately, my mum had a *yellow* 1983 Skoda 120LE Estelle. I was NOT cool then but before that she had a super-cool Fiat 128 3P in met blue. I loved that car !

[@richie6921]

I had one of these. superb Car I like the really light steering as well

[@lewis72]

I think that the Montego estate gave quite a good account of itself. With the 1.6 having 85bhp, it was 13% more power than the 1.6 Sierra. The 2 litres both had about the same power, I think. The Cavalier estate came along a bit later and was only available with a 1.6 engine and in (I think) L & GL trim. Montego estate was the only one of the three available with leather seats.

[@marksterriker4724]

All part of our heritage. I love them all, especially the Morris marina.

[@d.w.j.1114]

What an attractive little wagon. Is it called an estate or touring there? In the US we call them wagons, & I love the sharp lines of this car, it's huge windows & surprised to see a third row of seating in such a small car. I agree with you about the interior plastics, they really haven't improved much & I feel really cheapen a car. Great car, great review 👍🏾 TY

[@glenjarnold]

I had the Turbo. Great fun wiping the floor with XR3i drivers at the time!

[@dazspurs9899]

An RS turbo or Renault 5 turbo would have left your turbo in there rear mirrors mate

[@markarrowsmith6928]

Grim Reaper... Not so