Sensible Secondhand Classics: 1979 Austin Allegro Estate 1500 Super Series II

[@timothysimpkins6229]

My dad had the same vintage 1979 Austin Allegro mk2 estate 1500 on a V plate, in sandlewood beige colour. We bought it 2nd hand off Land Rover factory in Solihull. Were my dad worked. The car was 2 years old when we bought it. It was a company managers car for Land Rover.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

That sounds like another typical colour of the era! I imagine lots of these were for company use back in the day. Thank you ever so much indeed for watching and commenting.

[@frazzleface753]

"Symphony of Brown". 70s automotive perfection! I was expecting a brown engine as well, but wow, what a clean engine bay! Thank you, Mr. Lloyd, for bringing this exceptional survivor to us.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

I was ridiculously blessed to be offered this. I even got footage of the previous Allegro I filmed in this video too! It's hard to get something which embodies 1970s British motoring than this. Thank you ever so much indeed for watching and commenting, sir!

[@richardhowlett7398]

Excellent review, sir . A lesson in packaging for modern car designers .

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

It's not bad, is it? Driving position isn't the best, and folding the seats is not particularly easy, but for 1979 it's remarkably thoughtfully laid out.

[@zenzen9131]

I had one of these, same year, same engine, and same colour. I loved it :)

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

I quite enjoyed this as well! They are much better with the 1500 or 1750 engines.

[@TrevorBuick]

Excellent, childhood stuff, dad had a brown 1.5 deluxe 5 speed estate with sunroof at age 5 loved it, replaced with a series 3 vermilion 1.3hl, 4 speed no sunroof 😩

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

That sounds like the newer Allegro was not as much fun as the later one at all!

[@badbooks476]

Great survivor Sir. Very posh Allegro estate with 1500 engine & 5 speed gearbox & velour seats. Estates were not easy to get hold of in the 70’s & mainly 1.3. Credit to the owner for the Beautifully presented engine bay & very straight tidy bodywork

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Sir, this was an absolute delight with the extra power of the 1500 and the five speed gearbox. I would still prefer an even higher specification, though...

[@badbooks476]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting ahead of its time regards the 5 speed, I don’t think either the Chevette, or mk 2 Escort of that vintage, had 5 speed. Still seems mad the Princess never had 5 speed

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, I think that the five speed gearboxes within Austin-Morris were reserved for the Maxi and Allegro.

[@alaricbragg7843]

Thank you for this video. While the normal Allegro was common in New Zealand, not many, if any, wagons turned up here. I like the shape. Other, more highly regarded, cars had similar designs and nobody complained!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

I had wondered whether the Allegro was common in New Zealand. The estates weren't nearly as popular as the saloons over here, so I can't imagine that they would have been a priority for export.

[@alaricbragg7843]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting They were once VERY common and even fondly remembered in New Zealand!

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

A excellent review sir, i forgot to comment on this earlier but i watched this while stopped at Weatherby Services on route to the motorist.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

I very much appreciate it, sir!

[@darrensmith6999]

I owned an Allegro 3 1.3 L Estate virtually identical to this one from 1989 to 1994 amazing car went all over the place in it . The Allegro 3 had sill covers and a metro A plus engine. Wish i still had it (: ps replaced it for a Maestro also good car sold that with 125000 miles on the clock ran as sweet as a nut too.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Well, I think we have had six Maestros on the channel, so definitely you have come to the right place! The A-Plus engines tended to be quite dependable, if you looked after them.

[@frothe42]

I do love this estate version, extremely practical! A beautiful, low mileage example. A great review, thank you very much Joseph!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

No problem at all, sir! Most certainly a rare car, and in excellent condition. Thank you again for watching!

[@alansimpson835]

Great review sir. I was looking forward to this. A practical shape, a good ride and fabulous condition. An enticing combo

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Glad you enjoyed it, sir! A rather agreeable car, actually, by no means perfect, but quite thoughtfully designed and certainly better than some of the other cars that were in its class st the time.

[@tomwinch9107]

Excellent review of a very sensible car sir! I had use of then acquired my parents 1976 P reg 1500 4 door in glacier white (I think) from when I passed my driving test in early 88 until it died in late 90 - I was sure I remembered a 5 speed gearbox and thought the indicators were on the right! At the time I preferred the look of the saloon to the estate (the long rear windows and strange up-tick in the roof line looked odd, but I think it has aged better than the saloon ... My wife has a 97 P reg RAV4 3 door with the indicators on the right - it takes a couple of minutes to reprogramme my brain to switch hands each time I switch from my 2008 Seat Altea XL (of the type we don't talk about on this channel). My daughter bought the RAV4 as her first car and took her test in it - then found that it's rather thirsty on fuel (it's an auto) so bought a 2008 Prius with almost 3 times the mileage! I'm not sure a 2008 car counts as a modern classic (especially a hybrid) - a 58 plate is the newest car I've owned!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

One of the cars I have on the list to cover on the channel is a first generation RAV4, but I have never quite managed to do it for some reason. We will have to skip the Altea for the reasons that you have mentioned. The Priuses probably will be classics given time. The 1976 Allegro would have been right at the bottom of its depreciation curve at the time. My uncle had a brown Vanden Plas 1500 at my sister's godmother had a green Allegro in the early 1990s, and they were interesting, but quite valueless, sadly.

[@JC-hu1wd]

I had one of these allegro estates in around 1989. It was a red orange colour. Had 90k on the clock. Think I paid £250 for it. Did a bit of work for me but drive shafts were knackered. I sold it on and shortly after it was found abandoned stolen on waste ground. I also had a saloon version beige colour. Mot failure got rid £50. However my neighbour had a purple Super that went like a train. He was always tinkering with it but it was a fast car early 80s

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Thank you ever so much indeed for watching and commenting! Interesting that you used to own an Allegro Estate. I think that the colour you are referring to is Vermillion. Oh, I remember that whole business of abandoning cars on waste ground....

[@Koulis_]

I've always liked the styling of the estates. I passed my driving test in an Allegro 3 A series saloon and thought it drove comfortably and was quite refined; it was a sorted car in this final iteration. I always preferred British Leyland cars to Ford, Vauxhall and Rootes Group as they were always technically more interesting.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Thank you ever so much indeed for watching and commenting! Glad this brought back some positive memories for you, these cars aren't nearly as bad as many say that they are.

[@seancooke7332]

Not a bad car. Very practical and pretty reliable. The E series is a good engine and the hydragas suspension is very smooth. Lovely interior. Alex's Allegro is still a showstopper though.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Glad you enjoyed the video, sir! The Allegro Alex has with the quartic steering wheel is indeed very interesting, isn't it?

[@elvetwilliams9013]

Nice period colour russet brown .. in 1992 I had maxi 1500 same colour

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Thank you very much indeed for watching and commenting! I would like to try another Maxi, actually.

[@Pidge0386]

was the plate GDG 994V

[@Ravensclawed]

Ah, lots of brown. Very, very nice sir

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

We aim to please, sir!

[@roygardiner2229]

I was surprised how much I liked this practical car. It is hardly beautiful but is very sensible indeed. So spacious, so well thought out. I even liked the interior as it seems to be very light compared to the black upholstery and tacky plastic gloom of most modern cars.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, although the windscreen is relatively small, the large rear side windows and tailgate mean that it seems very airy in there indeed. Thank you ever so much indeed for watching and commenting once again, sir!

[@mattw8332]

Looks really good. That seat trim looks oddly enticing.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

It's a strangely appealing car, isn't it? Thank you ever so much indeed for watching and commenting.

[@nygelmiller5293]

To Matte I had one,but the saloon version. Interior was the same. I called it " Oxtail Soup " brown!

[@willswheels283]

Good vid Joseph, the estate is a bit of an odd looker which put some people off, a lot preferred the saloon. I think the estate is certainly more practicall and having the 1500 E series means it has more power and probably a quieter engine than the A series, especially at motorway speeds, it probably a better engine to cope with the higher speeds. You’ll have to try a 1750 at some point, maybe a rare “Equipe”? I like the Allegro, especially the series 3.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Those 1750s are really rare, sir! I have seen an Equipe in the metal, but only ever once. The estates are unusual, but they are ever so typical of the period in the way that look. The 1500 with the five speed gearbox seems to be a good compromise.

[@brianwillis9673]

Very seventies colour scheme, but at least it wasn't the monochrome we have today with varying shades of grey.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, it's somehow very appropriate for an Allegro Estate, isn't it? Thank you very much indeed for watching and commenting!

[@lordstiffupperlip3095]

Hello Joseph, When I was growing up in the 80s neighbours and friends of my parents had allegros and they where always breaking down ! , so I always think of em as being bad cars . Also they had such a bad press and blamed for all the problems at BL in the 70s .🔪⚰❌🏴‍☠

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, my uncle had a Vanden Plas 1500 and a friend of my mother's had a green standard Allegro both at the same time in the early 1990s. They were not well regarded back then. If you find a nice one these days, however, they can be quite good, as both of them I have driven have been. A very modern feeling car for 1979.

[@alaricbragg7843]

Kind of proves that to some extent the Allegro - especially in estate form - was more practical and intelligently designed than some people like to believe! Was a van version, a la the Ford Escort or that MG Rover you tested, made or considered? Would have been a hit with the post service!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

I can't remember if there was an Allegro van, sir. I have a feeling that the Marina based vans probably fulfilled that role within the British Leyland structure.

[@alaricbragg7843]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting Yes plus the Marina was RWD and had a bigger engine option.

[@version736ha2]

unless i am wrong, retractable parcel shelfs were rare for the 70s

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

I don't think I have seen too many with one from this era, actually.

[@timcarpenter2441]

If I got one i would want a 1750TC automatic in it for more driveabity.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

I can't remember if the 1750 TC was available in the estate now, it's been a while since I drove it! Thank you ever so much indeed for watching and commenting.

[@bobeden5027]

Beautiful design, hey?

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

It's a very interesting looking car.

[@JustinGeorge-x9q]

Hello , I do find the tailgate design a bit odd and the LHD wipers too ? You would think they would of sold more but they had such a bad reputation I can see why . I do remember Quentin Willson and JC being very rude about them .

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

In the context of what else was available at the time, the Allegros really aren't that bad. The trouble is that they depreciated quite quickly (similar to some of their competitors), and due to the styling, build quality faults on early cars and British Leyland's other woes at the time, they garned a reputation for being terrible, and by the early 1990s, they had ended up as a bit of a laughing stock in the eyes of the public.

[@carlbirtles4518]

Richard Hammond has left the chat.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

I drove a Vanden Plas 1500 six months later and enjoyed it even more.

[@minimaxi802]

The Allegro is probably the most maligned British Leyland car with the Marina in second place, and many people think the saloon is an ugly shape with the estate even more ugly, this is a dull brown one, a yellow one looks like a banana, and a black one like a small hearse. Just imagine a van version competing with the Mini and Marina. Probably no better or worse than a Mk2 Ford Escort estate.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

I don't think that it would be possible to confuse this one with anything else. These estates are extremely rare, especially in this condition, so I was quite privileged to be offered one. Not the best cars in the world, quite possibly, but neither were the Mark II Escort Estates.

[@classics144sportscarschannel]

these were very badly made as tend to rust quickly in many areas. sorry about that .very cheap car.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Everything used to rust badly at the time, you don't need to apologise. The ADO16s which proceeded these, and the Chevettes which were contemporary with the Allegros were even worse.

[@classics144sportscarschannel]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting do remember those terrible

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@classics144sportscarschannel , yes, I used to travel in a Chevette in the early 1990s. They were almost extinct by then.

[@classics144sportscarschannel]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting still see some at car events in the south east , somepeople go out of there way to spend money re building them.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, I have driven two Chevettes, one last year (an HSR) and then a more normal one in September. They definitely aren't as common as the Mark II Escorts.

[@colinevans39]

The music at the start not very classic like lol too noisy sorry old and like regal more refined music 👌👍

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

You may prefer that sort of music, but the KZbin copyright system did not.

[@MGBetts1]

Russet Brown is the colour. 🤎🤎 There's nothing wrong with them, all the teething problems with the series I were ironed out before the series II came out. Take no notice of Jeremy Clarkson!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

The Blaze Red 1974 Allegro with the Quartic steering wheel I filmed in 2021 actually appears in this, and both this and the older car are in fantastic condition. These are not nearly as bad as their reputation, and I am hoping to try a Vanden Plas 1500 in 2024. Thank you for watching and commenting, sir!

[@nygelmiller5293]

To M G Betts Wise words - Good car - take no notice of Jeremy Clarson". I do hope you don't take any notice of Jeremy Clarkson ANYWAY!

[@nygelmiller5293]

To Mr. Lloyd! Thank you for NOT trashing Allegros, they're some of my favourite cars, since I had one for 11 years. I didn't sell it because there was anything WRONG with it - I just liked the look of a fairly huge Vauxhall Carlton I saw! And, because the Allegro had been Z I e b a r t treated from New, it had NO RUST. ( after 21 years!)

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@nygelmiller5293 , the Allegros were actually more rust-resistant than a number of cars of their era from what I understand.