Sensible Secondhand Classics: 1987 (Austin) Metro 1.0 City - Lloyd Vehicle Consulting

Welcome to Sensible Secondhand Classics, the series where we take a sensible classic car worth between £1000 and £5000 and put it through its paces in a very straightforward manner! This time we test a 1987 (Austin) Metro 1.0 City, a base model variant of one of Britain's most iconic 1980s cars. Join us as we get excited about gearbox whine, discover the lack of gearbox, describe a bus-like driving position, talk about headlight recesses and generally experience little of any consequence at all. Nothing untoward then!

Theme Music "A Song For Humans" by Laurence Callaghan and The Tin Cans
Copyright 2013 Bezalel Records

As an independent vehicle consultant, I take potential buyers through the whole car buying process from choosing a make and model to a vehicle handover and road tax. In addition to information on this service, I also have a selection of written and video reviews of cars that I have owned, hired, borrowed or have somehow come into my possession. Please use the Contact Me page on my website to get in touch, visit my Facebook page for latest updates and share this video if you like it! Thank you for watching.

[focusrssteve]

What a fine example of the lovely metro, well done for getting this in for review, and thank you to the owner for allowing you to review her, I have a friend who owns one these in very similar specification, but his is not in such fine condition. Thank you again very much enjoying this.

[mwheatley]

There’s definitely something endearing about base spec cars that really appeals to me, especially (for some inexplicable reason…!) exposed interior paintwork. The colour on this one is superb - the non colour coded bumpers and mirrors etc really set it off

[roygardiner]

Great! I love the Metros. It was the only car I ever owned, a Metro 1.0 L. I cannot remember what features that had that this car does not.
I liked the shape, the space, the ease of maintenance. They charm me.

[badbooks]

Nice survivor Sir, credit to the owner for preserving such a nice Metro. I wonder if that is wedgewood blue same as the mini, brings back memories of servicing Metro’s & mini’s back in the 90s. You definitely need sunglasses when driving these 1980’s cars, without the luxury of tinted glass, in the wonderful summer we have had

[richardhalliday]

An utterly basic, no frills easy on the pocket, in both running costs and maintenance car. Marvellous. Alas the days of these down to earth cars has sadly gone with perhaps the exception of the Dacia range. When I worked as a TV service engineer we were provided with 3 door Metros - carrying a couple of 22 inch colour sets on board together with servicing kit ! A bit cramped but got the job done !

[alansimpson]

I love this. Another essence of motoring car with very few extras and one that you have to drive. I love that gearbox whine too and I thought it looked like it was on Mini wheels. Being a Mini owner I'd love to drive one too for comparison

[mpersad]

Always loved the Metro, a really practical urban car. No fuss, no fripperies, just honest to goodness basic loveliness. Thank you, sir!

[iainmclaughlan]

I miss my Mk.1 so much. Most days I think about it. I had it from 1/7/95 to 30/10/98. Mine was a City. I teach in a Skoda Citigo and it is the same dimensions. Mine had no adjustable mirrors, only one mirror and no glovebox, also no rear parcel shelf but was able to get one from the scrapyard. I thought mine was 41 or 44bhp. Mine had the metal handbrake. I really wish I kept it. I loved the gearbox whine, it is so nice to hear it again. It was just so unreliable. I wanted to keep 2 cars, maybe I should have just kept it. I think they are so good looking. Yes, mine I had to use the key to lift the hatch. Mine didn’t have headrests but I put Vanden Plas ones from the scrapyard.

[scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Another great looking Metro, love the sound of the A series and the Gearbox Whine, takes me back to when I done a Walkaround of a Metro City X back in April 2021.

[davidw]

There was a Vanden Plas 500 too. Limited edition with some tasty extras. For me though the Moritz special edition was lovely. Navy blue padded MG seats. You got matching luggage too.

[zzhughesd]

A charming darling Of a car. Thank you for upload this Thur sunny evening up here in Cheshire. Brilliant. There is always time for another. We’d all be boring as sin if done once. Ticked off. Done. No return. What’s wrong with people who do once ! !!!!

[Dantianblue]

I had an ARX, which I think are quite rare, for a decade. Great little motor, though it was rusting quite badly and the tailgate came off at one point and it was easy to pull the door handles off! So simple as you say. It was great fun and a nice design inside and out with the grey and red. IDRIVEACLASSIC has a nice feature on this special edition. I then ran a rover metro 114 which was relatively luxurious, until a radiator hose went and it blew up on the m6!

[davidrumming]

These were so commonplace

HLE variants had a higher ratio 4th gear for slightly better economy at higher speeds (no 5th gear option folks with these engines).
I often wondered whether that meant worse economy around town-you couldn’t take 4th gear so often because not going fast enough around town. We still have similar thing nowadays with 5 and 6 speed manual cars.

The sunken headlights…earlier Vauxhall chevettes had that until they were facelifted.

[seancooke]

I regret that I have never driven a Metro but I have travelled in them and found the interior to be exceptionally roomy and airy for the size of the vehicle. Having driven a Mini 1000 and revelled in the steering, handling and braking I was excited to hear that the original Metro drove like a Mini.
My small car experience has been in Peugeot 106/205, Citroën Visa and AX, Fiat Uno and Panda, Vauxhall Nova and Corsa and Ford Fiesta Mk1/Mk2/Mk3/Mk5. Non of these have the steering and roadholding characteristics of a Metro. In my opinion that would make the Austin Metro an equal to the 2001 MINI in steering, handling and braking. The difference being that the Metro was one of the cheapest cars on sale while the MINI has always been very expensive.
Would love to drive a Metro.

[camperlustig]

Good Morning Sir!! Metro heaven, I always thought this colour looked good on the Metro and the Maestro. I cant remember it being on the Montego but I may be wrong.

[davidrumming]

I wasn’t old enough to drive but I knew something like this was on the cards for me.
Would be great fun to drive up really steep hills in this 😀
That’s just me.

I always thought fiesta was the way to go until I went in a metro.
I know it’s loud by modern standards but fiesta 1 and 2 were absolutely horrendous for noise

[robbrady]

Fine review Sir. In the warning light cluster at 8:25, why is there a picture of a caravan?

[richardhowlett]

Shear luxury ! Padded seats, carpet, 2 band radio, it's even got 4 wheels !

[markonmotoring]

Low cost motoring at its purest.
My dad had an original 1980 base model metro with the recessed headlamps.
The rear wiper having a separate accessory switch certainly wasn't unique to.the Metro. My Renault 5 had a similar set up.

[adarbs]

a 1989 metro city 5 door for sale in Donegal that I'm really tempted by, but there is no rear wiper and no radio - just a blanking plate. The car was repainted due to paint fading and is immaculate with only 10k miles.