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The Austin Allegro is a small family car that was manufactured by British Leyland under the Austin name from 1973 until 1983. The same vehicle was built in Italy by Innocenti in 1974 and 1975 and sold as the Innocenti Regent. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2104x1393, 562 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Austin Allegro ...
Automakers, also known as carmakers, automobile manufacturers, motor manufacturers, or the automobile industry are companies that design and manufacture automobiles. ...
British Leyland corporate logo The British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC), was a vehicle manufacturing company formed in the United Kingdom in 1968. ...
Photo from original press release of Austin 1100 The Morris 1100 was a small family car built by the British Motor Corporation and, later, British Leyland, from August 15, 1962 to June 1974, developed under the ADO16 codename. ...
The Austin Maestro is a mid-sized 5-door hatchback car that was produced by the Austin Rover subsidiary of British Leyland (BL), and its successors, from 1983 until 1994. ...
Car classification is subjective since many vehicles fall into multiple categories. ...
The Rambler American introduced in the late 1950s was an early compact car. ...
Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. ...
The Peugeot 406 Coupé, designed by Pininfarina 1990 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC coupé, noted for its large, angular design 1980s Volvo 480 two-box coupé 1997 Rover Vitesse Coupe, club coupe Mercedes CLS, a modern four-door coupé Gala-Coupé of Leopold II, Brussels 1970s Sunbeam Alpine fastback coupé A coup...
Estate car body style (Saab 95) A station wagon (United States usage), wagon (Australian usage, though station wagon is widely used) or estate car (United Kingdom usage) is a car body style similar to a sedan car but with an extended rear cargo area. ...
A notchback full-size luxury sedan. ...
An automobile platform is a shared set of components common to a number of different automobiles. ...
In automobile design, an FF, or Front-engine, Front wheel drive, layout places both the engine and driven wheels at the front of the vehicle. ...
An 848 cc A-Series Engine in a 1963 Austin Mini Austin Motor Companys small straight-4 automobile engine, the A-Series, is one of the most common in the world. ...
The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ...
An 848 cc A-Series Engine in a 1963 Austin Mini Austin Motor Companys small straight-4 automobile engine, the A-Series, is one of the most common in the world. ...
The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ...
An 848 cc A-Series Engine in a 1963 Austin Mini Austin Motor Companys small straight-4 automobile engine, the A-Series, is one of the most common in the world. ...
The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ...
The BMC E-Series was a straight-4 and straight-6 overhead camshaft automobile engine. ...
The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ...
The BMC E-Series was a straight-4 and straight-6 overhead camshaft automobile engine. ...
The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ...
This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
Kerb (sometimes mis-spelled as curb by Americans) weight is the total weight of a vehicle with standard equipment, all necessary operating consumables (such as motor oil and coolant), a full tank of fuel and not loaded with either passengers or cargo. ...
A Ford Focus, classed as a small family car. ...
The British Leyland Motor Corporation (often abbreviated to simply BL), was a Britain in 1968. ...
The Austin Motor Company was a British manufacturer of automobiles that rose to be a major motorcar brand, the dominant partner after merger with Morris in 1952 but declining after absorption into the British Leyland Motor Corporation, and its subsequent troubles. ...
The Italian machinery works named Innocenti was originally established by Ferdinando Innocenti in 1920. ...
642,350 Allegros were produced from 1973 to 1983. Allegros can still be seen on the roads of certain overseas markets as daily drivers, particularly in New Zealand.
Design
The Allegro was designed as the replacement for the popular Austin 1100/1300, designed by Sir Alec Issigonis. In comparison to the 1100/1300, a generally well-received design, the Allegro is widely regarded as a poor design in almost every significant respect. As with the Morris Marina, the car can be seen with hindsight as symptomatic of the enormous difficulties facing British Leyland during that period. The key factor that British Leyland appear to have missed is that a much more useful and popular form of car, the hatchback, was emerging in Europe, with designs such as the Volkswagen Golf. These cars would go on to dominate the market for small family cars in the space of a very few years, yet British Leyland doggedly stuck to the more traditional and less versatile booted design when they launched the Allegro. This was because of internal company politics; it had been decided that the Austin Maxi should have a hatchback as its unique selling point and that no other car was allowed one. This short-sighted decision hamstrung both the Allegro and the Leyland Princess, both designs naturally suited to a hatchback yet not given one. Photo from original press release of Austin 1100 The Morris 1100 was a small family car built by the British Motor Corporation and, later, British Leyland, from August 15, 1962 to June 1974, developed under the ADO16 codename. ...
Sir Alec Issigonis (1906-1988) was a designer of cars, now remembered chiefly for the development of the Mini in 1959. ...
The Marina was a car manufactured by the Morris division of British Leyland throughout the 1970s, a period of great turbulence and difficulty for the British car industry. ...
Peugeot 306 hatchback, with the hatch lifted and the parcel shelf tilted for access Not a hatchback: a fastback shape like this 2004 Bentley Continental GT can be confused with a true hatchback Hatchback is a term describing an automobile design, consisting of a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo...
The Volkswagen Golf (Mark 1 and Mark 5 badged as Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada, Caribe in Mexico) is a compact car / small family car that Volkswagen manufactures. ...
The Austin Maxi was a medium sized 5-door hatchback car from British Leyland for the 1970s. ...
The Leyland Princess is a medium-to-large car that was produced in the United Kingdom by British Leyland from 1975 until 1981. ...
The Allegro used front-wheel drive, using the familiar A-Series engine with a sump-mounted transmission. The higher-specification models used the SOHC E-Series engine (from the Maxi), in 1.5 and 1.8 displacements. The two-box saloon bodyshell was suspended using the new Hydragas suspension system (derived from the previous Hydrolastic system used on the 1100/1300). Front-wheel drive is the most common form of engine/transmission layout used in modern passenger cars, where the engine drives the front wheels. ...
Single overhead cam (also SOHC) refers to the internal combustion engine design where one camshaft is located above the valves. ...
Hydragas is a type of automotive suspension system used in many cars produced by British Leyland and its successor companies. ...
Hydrolastic is a type of automotive suspension system used in many cars produced by British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successor companies. ...
Stylistically, it went against the sharp-edged styling cues that were becoming fashionable (largely led by Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro), and featured rounded panel work. The original styling proposal, by Harris Mann, had the same sleek, wedge-like shape of the Princess, but because British Leyland management wanted to install the bulky E-Series engine and the heating system from the Marina, the bodyshell began to look more and more bloated and tubby. This was acceptable to BL, however, which (according to Jeff Daniels' book) wanted to follow the Citroën approach of combining advanced technology with styling that eschewed mainstream trends to create long-lasting "timeless" models. Its unfashionable shape was thus not an issue. The final car bore little resemblance to Mann's original concept — originally thought up as an 1100/1300 re-skin. This appearance—as well as British Leyland's faith in it as a model that would help turn the company around—led to it earning the early nickname of the "flying pig". The car was offered in the usual range of uninspiring British Leyland colours; notably beige, brown and matt green. Giorgetto Giugiaro Giorgetto Giugiaro (August 7, 1938) is an Italian car designer. ...
Harris Mann (b. ...
The Leyland Princess is a medium-to-large car that was produced in the United Kingdom by British Leyland from 1975 until 1981. ...
Citroën is a French automobile manufacturer, founded in 1919 by André Citroën. ...
 Allegro buyers preferring a car with a tailgate had to opt for the estate There was also an upmarket version sold as the Vanden Plas 1500/1700 which featured a prominent grille at the front. The Allegro name was not officially used on this version. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 480 pixelsFull resolution (2008 × 1205 pixel, file size: 312 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I took this picture myself and hereby release it into the publuic domain to the full extent possible in relevant jurisdications. ...
Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 480 pixelsFull resolution (2008 × 1205 pixel, file size: 312 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I took this picture myself and hereby release it into the publuic domain to the full extent possible in relevant jurisdications. ...
Vanden Plas is the name of a company of coachbuilders for specialist and up-market automobile manufacturers. ...
The early models also featured a curious "quartic" steering wheel—that is, nominally a rounded square. This was touted as a sales feature though its merits were questionable—some felt that it was introduced because insufficient room had been allowed between the driver's legs and the base of the wheel. According to Geoff Daniels, it was ordered by George Turnbull, who saw a stylist's rendering and decided it suited the advanced image he wanted for the Allegro. George Turnbull (1698-1748) was a Scottish philosopher and writer on education. ...
Dimensions
 Vanden plas 1500 variant, 1977 model - Overall length: 3,852 mm (152 in)
- Overall width: 1,613 mm (63 in)
- Height: 1,398 mm (55 in)
- Wheelbase: 2,442 mm (96 in)
- Track: 1,346 mm ( 53 inches)
- Weight: 869 kg (1,915 lb)
- Tyre size: 145 x 13 (155 x 13 on 1750 and Sport)
Image File history File links Austin_Allegro_publicity_shot. ...
Image File history File links Austin_Allegro_publicity_shot. ...
Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 522 pixelsFull resolution (2068 × 1349 pixel, file size: 331 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 522 pixelsFull resolution (2068 × 1349 pixel, file size: 331 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Range | Types | Years | Body Style | Engine | Transmission | | Allegro 1100 DL | 1973–1975 | 2-door Saloon
4-door Saloon | 1098 cc | 4-speed Manual | | Allegro 1300 DL | 1973–1975 | 4-door Saloon | 1275 cc | 4-speed Manual
3-speed Automatic | | Allegro 1300 SDL | 1973–1975 | 2-door Saloon
4-door Saloon | 1275 cc | 4-speed Manual
3-speed Automatic | | Allegro 1500 SDL | 1973–1975 | 4-door Saloon | 1485 cc | 5-speed Manual
3-speed Automatic | | Allegro 1500 Special | 1973–1975 | 4-door Saloon | 1485 cc | 5-speed Manual
3-speed Automatic | | Allegro 1750 HL | 1974–1975 | 4-door Saloon | 1748 cc | 5-speed Manual | | Allegro 1750 Sport TC | 1974–1975 | 4-door Saloon | 1748 cc | 5-speed Manual |
Allegro 2 (1975–79) The 1975 Allegro 2 had the same bodyshell but featured a new grille and some interior changes to increase front leg room. Changes were also made to the suspension, engine mounts and drive shafts. A 2-door estate car version was added to the range. The infamous "quartic" steering wheel was also finally dropped at this stage. Estate car body style (Saab 95) A station wagon (United States usage), wagon (Australian usage, though station wagon is widely used) or estate car (United Kingdom usage) is a car body style similar to a sedan car but with an extended rear cargo area. ...
Some models of Allegro 2 were equipped with four round headlights, rather than the usual two rectangular items.
Range | Types | Years | Body Style | Engine | Transmission | | Allegro S2 1100 DL | 1975–1979 | 2-door Saloon
4-door Saloon | 1098 cc | 4-speed Manual | | Allegro S2 1300 Super | 1975–1979 | 2-door Saloon
4-door Saloon
3-door Estate | 1275 cc | 4-speed Manual
3-speed Automatic (75-76) | | Allegro S2 1500 Super | 1975–1979 | 4-door Saloon
3-door Estate | 1485 cc | 5-speed Manual
3-speed Automatic | | Allegro S2 1500 Special | 1975–1979 | 4-door Saloon | 1485 cc | 5-speed Manual
3-speed Automatic | | Allegro S2 1500 Speical LE | 1978–1979 | 4-door Saloon | 1485 cc | 5-speed Manual | | Allegro S2 1750 HL | 1975–1979 | 4-door Saloon | 1748 cc | 5-speed Manual |
Allegro 3 (1979–83) The Allegro 3, introduced in 1980 used the "A-Plus" version of the A-Series engine (developed for the Metro), and featured some cosmetic alterations in an attempt to keep the momentum going. But by then the Allegro was outdated, now competing against the relatively high-tech Ford Escort Mark III and Vauxhall Astra. The Rover Metro is a supermini car that was produced by the Leyland Cars division of British Leyland and its successors. ...
The Ford Escort was a compact car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company from 1967 through 2003. ...
Vauxhall Astra is a model-name which has been used by Vauxhall, the British subsidiary of General Motors (GM), on their small family car ranges since 1979. ...
The axe finally fell on the model in early 1983, upon the launch of its successor, the Maestro. The Austin Maestro is a mid-sized 5-door hatchback car that was produced by the Austin Rover subsidiary of British Leyland (BL), and its successors, from 1983 until 1994. ...
Range | Types | Years | Body Style | Engine | Transmission | | Allegro S3 1.1 DL | 1979–1981 | 2-door Saloon
4-door Saloon | 1098 cc | 4-speed Manual | | Allegro S3 1.0 L | 1980–1983 | 2-door Saloon
4-door Saloon | 998 cc | 4-speed Manual | | Allegro S3 1.3 | 1979–1981 | 2-door Saloon
4-door Saloon | 1275 cc | 4-speed Manual
3-speed Automatic | | Allegro S3 1.3 L | 1979–1981 | 2-door Saloon
4-door Saloon
3-door Estate | 1275 cc | 4-speed Manual
3-speed Automatic | | Allegro S3 1.3 HL | 1979–1981 | 4-door Saloon | 1275 cc | 4-speed Manual | | Allegro S3 1.3 HLS | 1980–1983 | 4-door Saloon | 1275 cc | 4-speed Manual
3-speed Automatic | | Allegro S3 1.5 | 1979–1981 | 4-door Saloon | 1485 cc | 5-speed Manual | | Allegro S3 1.5 L | 1979–1983 | 4-door Saloon
3-door Estate | 1485 cc | 5-speed Manual | | Allegro S3 1.5 HL | 1979–1983 | 4-door Saloon
3-door Estate | 1485 cc | 5-speed Manual | | Allegro S3 1.5 HLS | 1980–1983 | 4-door Saloon | 1485 cc | 5-speed Manual | | Allegro S3 1.7 L | 1979–1983 | 4-door Saloon
3-door Estate | 1748 cc | 3-speed Automatic | | Allegro S3 1.7 HL | 1979–1983 | 4-door Saloon
3-door Estate | 1748 cc | 5-speed Manual | | Allegro S3 1.7 HLS | 1980–1983 | 4-door Saloon | 1748 cc | 5-speed Manual |
Reputation The Allegro gained a reputation for unreliability, poor build quality and terrible pedal settings. Another unfortunate nickname applied to it was the "All-Aggro" ("aggro" referring to "aggravation"). The car was somewhat underdeveloped at the time of its launch and a number of design flaws plagued the early cars. Most of these were fixed in the Allegro 2 edition of the car, launched in 1975.
The suspension and aerodynamics combined on some models to produce and alarming roll at speeds in excess of 60 mph (100 km/h).
However, the Allegro was largely free of the chronic rust-proofing problems found on many British cars of the time, due to better manufacturing techniques and a design largely free of structural "rust traps". [citation needed] Richard Porter, in his book, Crap Cars says "the only bit of the Allegro they got even vaguely right was the rust-proofing". The Allegro placed 2nd, beaten only by the VW Beetle.[1] The Volkswagen Beetle or Bug is a small family car, the best known car of Volkswagen, of Germany, and almost certainly the world. ...
Despite being derided for many years, the car is now seen as something of an icon and has a large cult following.
Engines - 1973–75 — 1098 cc A-Series Straight-4, 49 bhp (37 kW) at 5250 rpm and 60 ft·lbf (81 Nm) at 2450 rpm
- 1975–80 — 1098 cc A-Series Straight-4, 45 bhp (34 kW) at 5250 rpm and 55 ft·lbf (75 Nm) at 2900 rpm
- 1973–80 — 1275 cc A-Series Straight-4, 59 bhp (44 kW) at 5300 rpm and 69 ft·lbf (94 Nm) at 3000 rpm
- 1980–82 — 998 A+ cc A-Plus Straight-4, 44 bhp (33 kW) at 5250 rpm and 52 ft·lbf (71 Nm) at 3000 rpm
- 1980–82 — 1275 cc A-Plus Straight-4, 62 bhp (46 kW) at 5600 rpm and 72 ft·lbf (98 Nm) at 3200 rpm
- 1973–82 — 1485 cc E-Series Straight-4, 69 bhp (51 kW) at 5600 rpm and 83 ft·lbf (113 Nm) at 3200 rpm
- 1973–82 — 1748 cc E-Series Straight-4, 76 bhp (56 kW) at 5000 rpm and 104 ft·lbf (143 Nm) at 3100 rpm
- 1974–? — 1748 cc E-Series twin-carburetted Straight-4, 90 bhp (67 kW) at 5000 rpm and 104 ft·lbf (143 Nm) at 3100 rpm
An 848 cc A-Series Engine in a 1963 Austin Mini Austin Motor Companys small straight-4 automobile engine, the A-Series, is one of the most common in the world. ...
The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ...
An 848 cc A-Series Engine in a 1963 Austin Mini Austin Motor Companys small straight-4 automobile engine, the A-Series, is one of the most common in the world. ...
The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ...
An 848 cc A-Series Engine in a 1963 Austin Mini Austin Motor Companys small straight-4 automobile engine, the A-Series, is one of the most common in the world. ...
The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ...
An 848 cc A-Series Engine in a 1963 Austin Mini Austin Motor Companys small straight-4 automobile engine, the A-Series, is one of the most common in the world. ...
The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ...
An 848 cc A-Series Engine in a 1963 Austin Mini Austin Motor Companys small straight-4 automobile engine, the A-Series, is one of the most common in the world. ...
The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ...
The BMC E-Series was a straight-4 and straight-6 overhead camshaft automobile engine. ...
The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ...
The BMC E-Series was a straight-4 and straight-6 overhead camshaft automobile engine. ...
The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ...
The BMC E-Series was a straight-4 and straight-6 overhead camshaft automobile engine. ...
The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ...
Notes Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
October 13 is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
A press release (sometimes known as a news release or press statement) is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something claimed as having news value. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...
is the 115th day of the year (116th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
External links - Allegro Club International
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