"Austin Metro The Metro is a city car that was produced by British Leyland (BL) and, later, the Rover Group from 1980 to 1998. It was launched in 1980 as the Austin Mini Metro. It was intended to complement and eventually replace the Mini, and was developed under the codename LC8. The Metro was named by ""What Car?"" as Car of The Year in 1983 as an MG, and again as a Rover in 1991. During its 18-year lifespan, the Metro wore many names: Austin Metro, MG Metro and Rover Metro. It was re-badged as the Rover 100 series in"
"to their very premature withdrawal. The formation of British Leyland in 1968 saw rivals Daimler and Bristol merge with Leyland, bringing the two competing rear-engined chassis (Daimler Fleetline and Bristol VR) together with the Atlantean. Though the Bristol brand was retained, Daimler was dropped and products were re-badged as Leylands. After the re-organisation, Leyland set out to develop a new rear-engined double-deck bus for the London market to replace the troublesome Fleetlines. This new vehicle, the Titan B15 spawned a simpler, non-integral offshoot, the Olympian, which debuted in 1980. Though the Olympian was meant as a direct replacement for the"
"moved to front-wheel drive for its popular 323 hatchback, which will be sold in Australia as the Ford Meteor and Ford Laser as part of Mazda's venture with Ford. The latest 323 had 1.1, 1.3 and 1.5 petrol engines, and the car's contemporary body was designed with the help of Ford's design team. Production of the rear-wheel drive estate, part of the pre-1980 range continues. 1980 in motoring 1980 in motoring deals with developments in the automotive industry that occurred in 1980, listed by country. The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles. British Leyland introduced the"
"and 1980. In 1978, Leyland brought out a simplified model (10351B/1R) intended to replace the Bristol LH which had been in production since 1967 and was a type popular in NBC companies for rural routes. It was available in a single length (10.3m) and had a revised interior that had minimal lighting and without the rear roof-mounted heating unit in previous models. Heating was under the seats, and was basic but effective. These vehicles were lighter, and this characteristic and the lower cost helped make extra sales. London Country bought quite a number of these, which other operators snapped up"
"all of British Leyland. That, along with quick-wearing interior materials and poor detailing ensured that initial enthusiasm soon turned to disappointment. This car was launched on its home market in June 1976 in hatchback/fastback form only, as the V8-engined Rover 3500: SOHC 2.3 L and 2.6 L sixes followed in November 1977, when the Rover P6 and Triumph 2000 were finally discontinued. Although there was no four-cylinder version of the SD1 at this point, British Leyland produced 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2 versions of the smaller Princess in order to compete with the entry-level versions of the Ford Granada, as well"
"Bus Museum. Leyland Lynx The Leyland Lynx was a stepped-entrance single-decker bus manufactured by Leyland in Workington, England between 1986 and 1992. After the takeover by Volvo, it was succeeded by the Volvo B10B. The Leyland Lynx (B60) was designed in 1984 as a replacement for the ageing Leyland National, being unveiled at the 1985 International Bus & Coach Exhibition at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre. Although the B60 was the first bus to carry the Lynx brand, Leyland had previously used it on truck chassis between 1936 and 1940, and again between 1968 and 1979. The Lynx name has"
"Leyland Lynx The Leyland Lynx was a stepped-entrance single-decker bus manufactured by Leyland in Workington, England between 1986 and 1992. After the takeover by Volvo, it was succeeded by the Volvo B10B. The Leyland Lynx (B60) was designed in 1984 as a replacement for the ageing Leyland National, being unveiled at the 1985 International Bus & Coach Exhibition at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre. Although the B60 was the first bus to carry the Lynx brand, Leyland had previously used it on truck chassis between 1936 and 1940, and again between 1968 and 1979. The Lynx name has since been"
"name LC10, using the Leyland Cars project sequence (LC8 became the Austin Mini Metro on its launch in 1980, LC9 became the Triumph Acclaim when it was launched in 1981). Preliminary design work for LC10 began in 1977, with production scheduled to begin around 1980 - which would have seen it go on sale around the same time as the Ford Escort MK3 and the original Vauxhall Astra. LC10 was styled by Ian Beech under the direction of BL designer David Bache. Two main body variations were provided: a five-door hatchback and a four-door notchback. It was a departure from"
"Triumph 1300 The Triumph 1300 is a medium/small 4-door saloon car that was made between 1965 and 1970 by Standard Triumph in Coventry, England, under the control of Leyland Motors. It was introduced at the London Motor Show in October 1965 and intended as a replacement for the popular Triumph Herald. Its body was designed by Michelotti in a style similar to the larger Triumph 2000. It was replaced by the Triumph 1500, though it was also re-engineered in the early 1970s to provide the basis for the Toledo and Dolomite ranges. The 1300 was Leyland's first front-wheel drive (FWD)"
"to mid 1980s saw the decline of coupe models on the British market, with British Leyland not replacing the MG B when it closed the famous MG factory at Abingdon in 1980, and even the Ford Capri (a top 10 seller in Britain as late as 1980) had no immediate successor after the end of production in 1986, as Ford felt that there was not sufficient demand in Europe for a new sporting coupe to be launched. This was largely due to the rising popularity of ""hot hatchbacks"" and sports saloons including the Volkswagen Golf GTI. Vauxhall, from 1978 until"
"UK and many other countries. The MK3 Ford Escort went on sale in the autumn of 1980 replacing the rear-drive saloon format in favour of hatchbacks and front-wheel drive. It was available in several versions, as well as the Orion saloon that was launched in 1983. Vauxhall's Astra entered the market with the 1984 MK2 model. Austin Rover, as British Leyland was now called, replaced the Allegro in early 1983 with the all-new Maestro. The venture with Japanese carmaker Honda saw the launch of the Triumph Acclaim, a four-door saloon based on the Honda Ballade with a Honda-designed engine. The"
"to the B10M for 1991, and Volvo decided to cease production and close the factory at Farington. Leyland Tiger The Leyland Tiger, also known as the B43, was a mid-engined bus and coach chassis manufactured by Leyland between 1981 and 1992. This name had previously been used for a front-engined bus built between 1927 and 1968. It replaced the Leyland Leopard, which had been in production for over 20 years. The Leyland Tiger was released in 1981. Initially only one engine was offered, the turbocharged Leyland TL11, which could be rated up to 260 hp. The Leopard had enjoyed huge"
"in the front suspension assembly, addressing a risk that the component might break and render the car impossible to steer. The manufacturers stated they had replicated the alleged defect by driving the car into a solid kerb at between 10 and 15 mph (16–24 km/h). Despite undertaking the recall, they insisted that the condition could only ""arise through misuse"". Triumph Toledo The Triumph Toledo is a compact car which was produced by British Leyland in the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1976. The Toledo was introduced in August 1970 as a cheaper version of the Triumph 1300, which was at"
"Leyland Eight The Leyland Eight was a luxury car produced by Leyland Motors from 1920 to 1923. The car was designed by the chief engineer of Leyland Motors, J.G. Parry-Thomas and his assistant Reid Railton, and was intended to be the finest car available. It was the first British car with a straight-eight engine. The Eight was introduced to the public at the 1920 International Motor Exhibition at Olympia, London, where it was referred to as the ""Lion of Olympia"". The engine, with cylinder block and upper crankcase cast in one piece, had a single centrally mounted overhead camshaft, hemispherical"
"1982 in motoring 1982 in motoring includes developments in the automotive industry throughout the year 1982 by various automobile manufacturers, grouped by country. British Leyland announced the new Austin Ambassador. The Ambassador was a heavily reworked version of the Princess, with a hatchback bodystyle. British Leyland also revived the MG marque, a year after the last MGB was sold. The MG Metro 1300 was a sporty version of the standard Austin hatchback with a 1.3L petrol engine which was capable of 100 mph. British Leyland also expanded the Metro range with the introduction of a Vanden Plas version. In the"
"Rover 800 series The Rover 800 series is an executive car range manufactured by the Austin Rover Group subsidiary of British Leyland, and its successor the Rover Group from 1986 to 1999. It was also marketed as the Sterling in the United States. Co-developed with Honda, it was a close relative to the Honda Legend and the successor to the Rover SD1. The first product of the BL-Honda alliance was the Triumph Acclaim – and shortly after its launch the two companies mapped out a advisable strategy for future collaborative projects. Plans for a midsize car were investigated, but were"
"production in 1980 and overall, delivered an outstanding return on their original investment. The Triumph 1300 has a following today in the UK classic car movement, though some parts are now scarce and the number of surviving cars not especially high. Triumph 1300 The Triumph 1300 is a medium/small 4-door saloon car that was made between 1965 and 1970 by Standard Triumph in Coventry, England, under the control of Leyland Motors. It was introduced at the London Motor Show in October 1965 and intended as a replacement for the popular Triumph Herald. Its body was designed by Michelotti in a"
"but is due to be replaced by the MAN version. The Leyland Comet was introduced in 1986, specifically designed for export markets mainly in the developing world. As such, it was a no-frills vehicle of a simple and sturdy design, with five- or six-speed transmissions rather than the multi-speed units used on European models. The cabin was a simplified all-steel version of that used by the Roadrunner, designed to enable local assembly. The three-axle version is called the Super Comet. Leyland Motors Leyland Motors Limited (later known as the Leyland Motor Corporation) was a British vehicle manufacturer of lorries, buses"
"Leyland was created in 1975 when the bankrupt British Leyland Motor Corporation was nationalised. In 1977 the South African-born corporate troubleshooter, Michael Edwardes, was recruited as chairman to sort out the troubled firm. Part of Edwardes' plan was to introduce a completely new range of mass-market models to replace the current offerings, designed and built using state-of-the-art technology. The new range eventually decided upon consisted of a new vehicle for each of the small, lower-medium and upper-medium market segments. The first of these cars to be launched was the Austin Metro in 1980. The new cars for the lower and"
"three-door hatchback which used the same underpinnings and bodyshell as the Peugeot 104. British Leyland announced the end of Austin Maxi production in July 1981, 12 years after the car first went on sale. There was no direct successor, although a new family hatchback – first planned towards the end of the 1970s – would be launched by early 1983. Meanwhile, British Leyland enjoyed success with its new Metro compact hatchback. British Leyland ceased production of the Princess after six years. Its successor, the Austin Ambassador, was a facelifted version of the original 1975 car, but the most significant change"
"Morris Ital The Morris Ital is a medium-sized automobile that was built by British Leyland (BL) from 1980-1984. A successor to the Morris Marina, it was available in a variety of bodystyles. The Ital was given the design code ADO73 and was first launched on 1 July 1980. It took its name from Giorgetto Giugiaro's ItalDesign studio, who had been employed by BL to manage the re-engineering of the Morris Marina, a car which had been produced by the company since 1971. BL's advertising emphasised the car's connection with the Italian design house, which had not had a direct role"
"now owned by the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust. Michael Collins, the Irish politician and revolutionary leader, was travelling in a Leyland Eight when he was fatally shot in 1922. Two cars were ordered by the Maharaja of Patiala but are not thought to survive. Leyland Eight The Leyland Eight was a luxury car produced by Leyland Motors from 1920 to 1923. The car was designed by the chief engineer of Leyland Motors, J.G. Parry-Thomas and his assistant Reid Railton, and was intended to be the finest car available. It was the first British car with a straight-eight engine. The"
"policy was discontinued with the arrival of the Rover SD1 in 1976 and the fast-growing popularity of hatchbacks during the 1970s and 1980s saw British Leyland launch a raft of new hatchback models. The Austin Metro, launched in 1980, was only available as a hatchback, as was the 1983 Austin Maestro, which itself formed the basis for the Montego saloon and estate launched shortly afterwards. Although the Rover SD1 was only ever produced as a hatchback, its successor (the Rover 800 Series) was sold as a saloon and a hatchback. On 1 July 1969 John Lennon crashed a white Maxi"
"Triumph Acclaim The Triumph Acclaim is a front-wheel drive compact family sedan made by British Leyland (BL) from 1981 to 1984. It is based on the Honda Ballade and used a Honda-designed engine, but met United Kingdom component-content requirements. It was the final model of the Triumph marque, and the first fundamentally Japanese car to be assembled in Europe. The development process began in 1978, when British Leyland entered into negotiations with Honda to develop a new small family saloon. This was originally intended as a stopgap measure until the Maestro/Montego models were to be ready for production in 1983."
"Turbo, the final production Acclaim and the only known nut-and-bolt restored Acclaim. Triumph Acclaim The Triumph Acclaim is a front-wheel drive compact family sedan made by British Leyland (BL) from 1981 to 1984. It is based on the Honda Ballade and used a Honda-designed engine, but met United Kingdom component-content requirements. It was the final model of the Triumph marque, and the first fundamentally Japanese car to be assembled in Europe. The development process began in 1978, when British Leyland entered into negotiations with Honda to develop a new small family saloon. This was originally intended as a stopgap measure"
"by 1991 as a result of the recession and the fact that it was being replaced by a facelifted model towards the end of the year. By 1998, yearly production figures had fallen to just over a tenth of its 1987 peak. Rover 800 series The Rover 800 series is an executive car range manufactured by the Austin Rover Group subsidiary of British Leyland, and its successor the Rover Group from 1986 to 1999. It was also marketed as the Sterling in the United States. Co-developed with Honda, it was a close relative to the Honda Legend and the successor"
"be built in the Cowley plant for the British market. The US-market (Acura) Legends were built in Japan. It was finally launched on 10 July 1986, taking the place of the decade-old Rover SD1. At launch, the 2 litre versions of the 800 used two naturally aspirated 2.0 L 16-valve developments of British Leyland's stalwart O-series engine, dubbed the M series. However, in 1988 an 820 Fastback (no letter after the 820 badge), with a single carburettor version of the O series was launched for the fleet market. The M series was divided into two versions; the M16e fitted to"
"Marinas today on UK roads, although the Morris Marina Owners Club and Morris Ital Register are making sure the few remaining examples survive. As of 2018, there were only 37 Morris Itals still taxed and on the roads in the UK, with another 145 Itals declared SORN (Statutory Off-Road Notice). Morris Ital The Morris Ital is a medium-sized automobile that was built by British Leyland (BL) from 1980-1984. A successor to the Morris Marina, it was available in a variety of bodystyles. The Ital was given the design code ADO73 and was first launched on 1 July 1980. It took"
"in 1994, it was followed by the X300 platform XJ. Throughout the 1970s Jaguar had been developing ""Project XJ40"", which was an all-new model intended to replace the original XJ6. Scale models were being built as early as 1972. Due to the 1973 oil crisis and problems at parent company British Leyland, the car was continually delayed. Proposals from both Jaguar's in-house designers and Pininfarina were received. Eventually, it was decided an internal design would be carried through to production and, in February 1981, the British Leyland board approved £80 million to produce the new car. Launch was originally scheduled"
"Czech truck maker, Avia, is entering the European truck market directly. With its purchase, in 2010, of a 25 per cent stake in UK-based bus manufacturer Optare, Ashok Leyland has taken a step closer to reconnecting with its British heritage, as Optare is a direct descendant of Leyland's UK bus-making division. During the time of British Leyland's transition into Austin Rover during the 1980s, a version of the Rover SD1 was licence built in India as the Standard 2000 from 1985 to 1988, briefly reviving the Standard brand which had been axed in 1968. British Leyland also provided the technical"
"been discontinued without a direct replacement, most notably British Leyland's MG B which was not directly replaced when the Abingdon factory which produced it was closed in 1980. Vauxhall had launched coupe versions of its MK1 Cavalier in the late 1970s but when the MK2 Cavalier was launched in 1981 there were no coupe versions. Renault did not replace its Fuego coupe which was discontinued in the mid 1980s. Despite being the most popular sporting model in Britain for most of its production life, the third generation Capri was also one of the most stolen cars in Britain during the"
"joint development of a range of cars which spearheaded the company's revival in the 1980s and 1990s. Lastly, the number of BL dealerships in the UK was trimmed down drastically. The new, slimmer British Leyland was organised into a series of groups. Austin Rover handled the mass production of cars, with the smallest and cheapest models being sold under the Austin brand, while the more upmarket models carried a Rover badge. High performance version of the Austin hatchbacks and saloons made use of a revived MG badge. Light commercial vehicle production (4x4s and vans) was managed by the Land Rover"
"Leyland Super Viking The Leyland Super Viking was a bus chassis manufactured by Leyland between 1980 and 1984. Following the closure of Albion's Scotstoun plant in October 1980, production of the Albion Viking VK was transferred to Leyland with the chassis relaunched as the Leyland Super Viking. Production ceased in 1984. The Leyland Super Viking was purchased by a number of Sydney operators in the 1980s including Bowman's Bus Lines, Busways, Delwood Coaches, Hadfield's Bus Lines, Interline Bus Services, Busabout Sydney, North & Western Bus Lines and Westway. A fleet of 10 Super Vikings was purchased by Sunshine Coast, Queensland"