Jonathan Sellars, founder of the Maestro and Montego OC
Jonathan Sellars is a name that few will know outside the world of the Austin Maestro. Yet he is responsible for the creation of one of the friendliest and most welcoming owners’ and enthusiasts’ clubs in the world; that catering for the unfairly derided Maestro and Montego ranges from Austin-Rover.
“It’s hard to say where my love of the Maestro came from,” he tells me as we contemplate his award-winning MG Maestro EFi. “Years ago I used to like “The Brittas Empire” where a Maestro featured quite prominently. By the time I’d read-up on it and found out about those talking dashboards I had to have one.” Originally after an MG1600, Jon came across his EFi in the small ads of his local newspaper. “I find the whole range interesting – particularly the early models – and some of our members have stunning examples.”
Jon created a website for Maestro enthusiasts, and ‘Maestroweb’ became the Maestro + Montego Owners Club in 1999. “There’s quite a leap from setting up a casual website about a car to running a full-blown club where the postman starts to arrive with sacks of mail every morning and the phone never seems to stop!” Jon laughs, “I would regularly stay up through the night replying to letters and emails, updating the website, enrolling new members and trying to come up with original new ideas. The best bit for me is that there are some wonderful friendships among people who’d never have met had there been no club”
“I’d never sell CHO. It’s often said that your first car is the best you ever own, and that’s certainly been my experience. I’ve had the MG for 12 years and now that I’ve spent so much time and money on it, and had so many great times driving it, I don’t think I could ever let it go. I’ve seen too many fall into the wrong hands and end up neglected. I’m a firm believer in keeping one or two very good cars rather than trying to spread my resources over a large fleet. Now the earliest cars are 27 years-old you have to be prepared to put in the effort to keep them in good order if you want them to last long-term.”
Clearly Jon is an enthusiast of the highest order, and it will surprise readers to learn he does not work in the motor industry. “I’m quite passionate about cars and motoring in general, and also own a Rover 75 and 1985 Jaguar Sovereign. Beyond the basic concepts, though, the inner workings don’t interest me – my eyes glaze over when you start using words like pistons, cams and valves. I have a lot of respect for the folk who do make their living repairing and developing the cars I enjoy driving, though.”
Is he tempted? “I have quite a comfortable career in the rail industry at the moment, but I certainly wouldn’t rule out the motor industry should the right circumstances come together.”
