Austin Maxi 1500
| Produced: |
1970-1980, 472098 produced. ((all variants)) |
|---|---|
| Types: |
Saloon,5 doors,4 seats |
Launched in 1969 the new Maxi promised to be a comfortable family car with a unique and practical body design, unfortunately the Maxi suffered from the usual Leyland build and image problems. The Maxi came with a choice of two different four cylinder, overhead cam engines a 1500cc and a 1750cc , both of which offered good levels of performance.
The Maxi body was similar in style to the old 1800 models but now included the useful addition of an opening rear hatch, the first of a whole new generation of medium sized family cars. The engine was transversely mounted and carried over the land-crab front wheel drive layout first used in the 1800 range.
The Maxi sold in steady numbers throughout its life, early 1500 versions suffered with poor gear change linkages and were dropped from the range after 1979. Production of the 1750 ended in 1981, by then 412,000 Maxi 1500/1750 models had been built.
| Capacity | Config | Model | Bore/Stroke | CR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1485cc | S4 OHC | BMC E-Series | 76mm x 81mm | 9 |
| Drivetrain | Steering | Front Suspension | Rear Suspension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rack-and-pinion | Independent/Hydolastic suspension | Independent/Hydolastic suspension |
| Top Speed | 0-60 | SQM | MPG | Engine Pwr | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 86 mph | 16.6 s | 20.6 s | 74 bhp 5500 |
| Lot Num |
Description | Auctioneer | Date | Hammer Price | Hammer Price (inc premium) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 203 | Austin Maxi (1978) | RTS Auctions Ltd | 19 Aug 2001 | £50.00 | - |
| Title | Pages | Options | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Article |
Maxi power - Austin Maxi |
38 |
 |
|
| Publication | Practical Classics May 2006 | |||
| Maxi power - What starts out as a nostalgic trip to the seaside ends up turning the world on its head. Maxis are now cool...apparently! | ||||
| Article |
Group Test - Maxi vs Cavalier vs R16 - Middle England |
112 |
|
|
| Publication | Classics Monthly December 2010 | |||
| Group Test - Maxi vs Cavalier vs R16 - Middle England - Stalwarts of Seventies suburbia when new, today this trio make great-value family classics. | ||||
| Article |
Wide open spaces |
42 |
|
|
| Publication | Classics Monthly December 2005 | |||
| Wide open spaces - When they first appeared, the Renault 16 and Austin Maxi were just downright strange. Mark Robinson meets the cars that created the hatchback | ||||
| Article |
The Maxi - Austin Maxi |
20 |
|
|
| Publication | Classic Car Weekly 26th November 2003 | |||
| The Maxi - The Austin Maxi was the first flowering of British Leyland - but don't let that put you off. The cars are cheap to buy, inexpensive to run and very practical, says Richard Gunn. | ||||
