Naming the Austin Allegro as one of my favourite cars might seem wilfully contrarian, seeing as it has come to be viewed as a symbol of what could only be described as a 'malaise era' for British car manufacturing.
People of all ages seem to hate the 'All-aggro'. Some have even put the downfall of the British motor industry on those Harris Mann-designed shoulders, so glaring were its reliability issues and so uncompetitive was its performance in most core respects.
It was downright dangerous in some regards too: a lack of structural integrity led in extreme cases to the rear window popping out when the car was jacked up and there were several cases of wheels falling off in motion.
British Leyland management blamed strikes and the government's three-day week. Workers meanwhile, blamed poor designs, optimised for money saving and efficiency rather than quality.
There's probably a bit of truth to both sides of the story, but there's no denying the issues.
Indeed, the only time the Allegro seems to enter modern automotive discourse is when it turns up near the top of a web article about 'the worst British cars ever made' or similar.
But I can only assume that anyone awarding the Allegro this most dubious of accolades has never driven one or at least has only skimmed the contemporary media coverage.
When the car was launched back in the spring of 1973, reviews were actually positive. Autocar's own read: "Compared with the much older Austin 1300, it is a big step forward in all respects. Apart from its advanced engineering, the Allegro comes with a very complete list of standard equipment and in 1300 Super form offers very good value for money."
And it still holds up today. I once drove an Allegro 3 more than 600 miles, from Peterborough to Seneffe, Belgium, where some examples were made, and back. It was white with a sorrel (brown) interior, making it possibly the most 1970s thing I've ever seen.
It broke down only once, which honestly is fine for a car of that age. And my overriding impression was that it was actually a pretty good car: comfortable suspension, a big enough boot for a weekend away, easy to park and, like with most old cars, a fantastic view of the road. It even sat at 60mph pretty easily.
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Did you know that in Italy, where I live, the Austin Allegro was marketed as the Innocenti Regent and produced under license by Innocenti, like the Mini? It's curious that the original version produced in the UK received an Italian name, while the Italian version had an English one. Unlike the Innocenti Mini Minor and Mini Cooper, the Regent was not a success in Italy. The square steering wheel -which is so fashionable in current car production- was looked upon with pity. But it didn't enter Italian popular culture as the worst car, a title reserved instead for the Fiat Duna of the 1980s.
can someone name a car from the 1970s that didn't break down?
Toyota and Datsun. Our family changed from Rover and Ford to Toyota and Datsun in 1971. I cannot ever remember my father or his brother's cars ever having a single fault let alone break down.
Seem to remember Mazda and Colt ( Mitsubishi as they were called at the time ) having an equally good record. The Japanese nailed reliability when they first appeared, that's why they were so popular.
Edit : Placed the brackets in the wrong place. I seem to remember Colt dealerships after a few years being rebranded to Mitsubishi.
The urban myth that the Allegro was an apalling car, has been perpetrated for many years, and is far from deserved.
I had many Allegro's in the day at the start of my Automotive career at a BL Dealership. Customers came back again and again to replace their Allegro's with another....they wouldn't have done that if they didnt like them!
Yes there was some flex in the shell - for example, when jacked up the doors were stiff to open, but it is easy to forget that most cars in the 70's had issues of one kind or another (there were many 'bad cars' unlike today). It was a huge step forward after the ADO 16 ( 1100/1300 range).
I had a string of Allegro 1750 HL's rounded off (before leaving the company), with the 2 door 1750 Equipe.
To be honest they absolutel flew up the road and didnt handle badly at all. They also were very economical for the engine size. I never ever broke down in one....never heard or seen one with the rear window 'popped out', nor wheels becoming unattached.
I am pleased to see that they have their own following today.