Rover 100 Metro

[47802]

Ah yes I was going to say, was there not a City Rover built after the Rover 100, didn't realise it was TATA built, I remember seeing a few around then they disappeared of the face of the earth and I've never seen one for many years, was it absolutely awful then?

The interior was dreadful and not worthy or a Rover badge, ride wasn't great either. The Fiat Panda was a better Car, and the fact a Fiat was better really says it all. Top Gear had a field day as Supposidy Rover wouldn't lend them one to test, so did an undercover Test Drive, although I find hard to believe the Dealership didn't twig what was going on, but it was a good P*** take which didn't do the CityRover any favours that's for sure.

By the time the CitryRover came out BMW had pulled out and Rover were on there last legs, My Dad played Golf with a Senior Production Engineer who had left not long after the Phoenix gang tuck over, and didn't have anything good to say about those guys except Towers and thought it wouldn't end well which proved to be correct.

I had a Number of Rovers and for the most part they were fine, true the K series engine seems a bit prone to HGF, and I certainly wouldn't buy one now except as a classic car maybe.

 

[DarloRich]

The Honda & BMW rovers were decent enough if unspectacular cars.

 

[Stew998]

Well, when the Metro was revamped and relaunched around 1990 it was a genuine contender in its class and much lauded for its new K series engine and ride. My stepmother had a Gti which was a revelation compared to the Nova GTe which preceded it. Quality was much improved by then in the prime of the Rover/Honda relationship (shamefully broken up by the government influencing the sale to BMW iirc - Honda must have been livid!) I think the Rover ones rusted a lot less than their predecessors as well.

The K-series engines got a bad press, they were fantastic engines while they were running but tolerated little neglect especially in coolant levels. A small leak if undetected and/or ignored would lead to overheating and head gasket failure. Once they fell into the hands of inexpert garages and back street bodgers the gasket would be fixed but the root cause often not explored and hey presto they would fail again. The legend of K-series head gasket failures was born. Also of course it was originally designed as an 1100 engine and by the time they'd bored it out to 1800 and asked it to drag along a Rover 75 they were probably asking for trouble

Like other Rovers they were popular with older drivers who were more loyal to their country than the Audi/BMW driving herd. That didn't make them bad cars but it didn't do a lot for their image.

Of course I may be biased as my current MINI is the first car I have owned not to be built at Longbridge!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I don’t think it survived too well. That may have been it’s final day of operation .

Though it sounds like Mrs C managed to make a quick getaway at least!

 

[Butts]

Was the Metro not Car of the Year when it came out ? - I seem to remember !!

 

[Cowley]

Was the Metro not Car of the Year when it came out ? - I seem to remember !!

It was yes. I can’t remember which year but when I was reading up on it due to this thread the other day (what has my life become?) I did read that.

 

[GusB]

It came 3rd in the European car of the Year in 1981 (Ford Escort 1st, Fiat Panda 2nd), but What Car? made it their car of the year in 1983 and again in 1991

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Car_of_the_Year

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Metro