Austin Allegro 1100/1300

Launched as a replacement for the well liked and successful 1100/1300 range the Austin Allegro first appeared in 1973. Unfortunately for the Allegro it appeared during the darkest days of the Leyland empire, constantly let down by poor quality and industrial disputes amongst the Leyland work force. The Allegro 1100 and 1300 used the trusty A-series engine and the well proved Hydralastic suspension system which gave the Allegro an impeccable ride. The main criticism at the time was the Allegro's peculiar styling which was not to everybody's taste to say the least, the interior became famous for its quirky "square" steering wheel, which quietly disappeared on later MKII cars! The Allegro survived until replaced by the Maestro in 1983, if only the Allegro could have been developed and styled better in the first place...