Austin Montego 1.6HL

Posted on 23/09/2010 by Sam Skelton

Monte-No-Bad Despite the fact that it was in the nicest spec, the first Montego 1.6 I drove didn't make as good an impression as I had wished. To quote my original review, the steering was heavy, the gearbox didn't leave me overjoyed, and it just did not feel as good as I'd hoped. I've driven a few 1.6 Maestros since, and they were enough to convince me I'd been wrong. The heavy steering must just have been a defect on that - accident damaged - Mayfair, and the gearbox seemed far more pleasant Read more [...]

Austin Maestro 1.6 Mayfair

Posted on 26/07/2010 by Sam Skelton

More than a Mayfair... Simon Heap is my kind of chap. He doesn't always like his cars to be the way they left the factory, but the way he chooses to improve them is to make any addition look like a factory fit. Rear head restraints, for a kickoff - never fitted to a Maestro yet his 272000 mile Mayfair has them. Ditto a CD player - made by the same company as the standard radio, and subtle enough to not look out of place. Power steering - a genuine factory option - is another retro-fit to the Read more [...]

Austin Montego 1.6 Mayfair

Posted on 18/02/2010 by Sam Skelton

Montego Love I nearly bought a Montego the other evening. Sight unseen, a 1988 Vanden Plas 2.0i automatic, in Diamond White over Hurricane Grey. I've known the majority of the car's owners since June 2006, and it only needed a little work to get back on the road. Sadly, it had gone by the time I asked about it, two days after being advertised on the Club site. Not that I had anywhere to store it anyway. I blame my mate Ray. Well, if I'm honest, blaming Ray isn't fair. I've had a bit Read more [...]