Fab little car, love the transmission whine, reminds me of the one my Grandfather had

My grandmother had a 1983 A reg Metro City from brand new, and I remember as teenager back in the mid 80s going out in it with her, as you said, they are a very rapid little car and she drove round in it with a very heavy right foot - she said it was "nippy". I remember it had no passenger sunvisor and was about as poverty spec as you could get for the day, but back then they looked quite modern and very popular, they were everywhere by the mid to late 80s. When I was old enough to drive in 1989 I had some driving lessons in that same car with my gran, and I always remember how fierce the clutch was, I kept stalling and kangarooing it when pulling off from junctions, so I ended up going with another driving instructor in a 1986 Fiesta diesel, which was a right old tank in comparison the the Metro. I actually in 1994 bought a Metro of my own, a 1985 B reg 1.0 City X in beige with chocolate brown interior , but it had the more modern facelifted dashboard and a few other changes to the Mk1, but essentially the same car. I loved driving it, and will never forget that characteristic whine from the gearbox when pulling off in first and second gears - you could always tell a Metro was coming even before you saw it from the noise they made - so nostalgic to hear you drive yours - just how I remembered them to be, and just like the days I learnt to drive in my grandmother's 1983 model - reg no A910LFD was its plate, registered in Bilston near Wolverhampton back in August 1983. Sadly they suffered from rot round the arches and sills, and the suspension was prone for "going down" so I had to have my own Metro "pumped up" to raise its suspension back to where it should be. I also seem to remember they had "metric" size wheels that became a problem in later years for getting tyres to fit, and you had to pay more for the only brands that made the metric sizes. My gran after she got rid of her 1983 Metro was so pleased with it she got another one, on a G plate, a GTa in bright red - with the 1275 engine, but sadly it got stolen by joyriders a couple of years after she had it, and whilst we got it back, when I went out in it one night into Birmingham city centre, it got stolen again, and although it was found again, she got rid of it as they were too stealable with poor locks and easy hotwiring. She ended up with yet another Metro, but this time a 1990 new shape Rover Metro 1.1S far more befitting of a granny, and had that until she gave up driving, so yes, Metros played a large part in our family - they were great little cars. I hope you enjoy your ownership of that gem of a timewarp Metro, nearly 40 years old and still going strong.

That's a credit to you. Unthinkable that 20 years ago these were worth buttons and scrap yards were full of them, they're lovely cars. If I was mechanically competent I'd buy a car of this era as a project and get it going again - always great to see them being saved.

It's lovely to see this and amazing how nostalgic seeing and hearing one of these makes me feel.

I had a City model in Eclipse Blue (1984 A), no passenger door mirror and no parcel shelf. No rear wiper. I got VP headrests from a scrap yard. I also got the parcel shelf from the scrap yard. I wish I kept it. It was clocked and completely worn out. It rattled but I loved it. I had it from 1/7/95 to 30/10/98. I used to leave my lights on accidentally. Mine didn’t have a glovebox either I used to keep a spare camera there in case I had a collision.

Very nice example! Such a simple car makes you feel like you're driving your first car again back in the day.

Brings back memories of my dad's Mini-Metro, in this colour, with those headlights, with the "poverty spec" interior (though his was beige-toned colours with I think a houndstooth pattern on the seats and added lap belts in the rear), love the sound of the engines in these and the Mini, that first gear whine on a transmission-in-sump A-series is so classic... :)

How delightfully utilitarian this little car is Sion 🙂 Nice review 👏

Love the sound of the hazards

Keep these up. I own a standard on a Y

One of the things that I love about old Metros is the fact that BL / Austin-Rover were so mean in their basic features. Blanking plates galore! Imagine ordering a Metro from the dealer back then and the salesman going through the “optional extras” - it would be some list! You’ve got a very nice example, enjoy!

This Metro is so cool. We had a same-age Mini Mayfair in Opaline Green which was a beautiful little car, and it made the very same engine and gearbox sounds. So full of character.

Great video full of information thank you 😊

that cool nostalgic car and original radio aswell 👍

looking FAB Sion...well done. Nice little car.

I learnt to drive in my dad's blue 1983 Metro.................thanks for the memories

Another great video with such passion in the narration. A car of my youth but so utterly removed from today’s “supermini”. The irony being it was meant to be a super version of the mini. Love the jumbo box of B&H! Keep up the great work.

Great video. In the mid 80s my dad owned a W reg fairly basic spec metro with the recessed headlamps and red paint that looked orange in low light. Me and my friend ended up on the floor of the car as a result of a low speed collision. Yes I survived a childhood accident in a Metro. Sounds like a good slogan for a tea shirt. 😅 BL really were clever when I came to the cost saving production with those interchangable bumpers and instrument pod that could be moved across to the other side of the dash.

Excellent stuff, Siôn. Really look forward to your uploads, keep it up.

Hooray! Another metro video, brilliant review! :)

I didn't like them when I was a kid in the 80's.....now I'm starting to really want one!

Beautiful piece of work. Absolutely loved this, especially your attention to detail in showing every aspect of the interior. Had to giggle at the Marimba player that started up when you flicked the hazard warning lights switch.

My first car was an '83 Metro in Opaline Green and your video has taken me back in time. An absolute hoot to drive and gripped the road like nothing else. And that lovely gear whine... ♥️

Noticed on the back of the Service manual the Forecourt Data the first Metro Van versions were badged as a Morris great example of an early Metro

Thank you for sharing this fantastic little car. The mk1 Austin metro was my first car. Everything you have shown is identical to my old car. Would love to get back in one of those. Great job mate. Well done

I loved my metro when I first had my license. I’d love to have another one

Drove a Mini Metro L, during a holiday on the Isle of Man in 1984, an absolute joy. All the good things you mentioned- mid range pull, nice steering, spacious, and a fun drive. Would love one!

I learned to drive in a Metro in just this colour and probably trim level too. My instructor upgraded to it from a Mini part way through my driving course and it seemed so much more modern and refined at the time. I was quite excited the first time I drove it! I'm old enough to remember going to the local BL dealer (with my mother!) to look at the Metro (or MiniMetro as it was then) the week it was launched and we thought it was fab. Or I did anyway. Like a lot of cars (the Volvo 300 series did this too) it went through a phase of seeming a bit crap and is now fab again. I highly approve of your love of base models. I like your videos.

I m french i had a MG metro 1300 and i loved it specialy motor sound !

Great video and great car. We had a few Metros in the 80s and 90s - and I'm sure that handbrake handle is the same as our '87 Montego!

Well done you have worked really hard and you have a superb metro now They must be rare the original version now my uncle worked at longbridge on the metro line and had a 1.0HLE always remember it was silver with a red interior I remember the great ride and gear whine his had a clock where your fuel gauge and temp gauge is They were great cars and so nippy and the later 5 door versions were more versatile

Very nice video and car. Really enjoyed watching this, thank you.

Such a great little car. Owned one myself MANY years ago.

I've had 5 of these little buggers. I had a 1983 City X that had been sprayed Kawazaki green and stripped out and that was a one litre wonder as well. One of the best things I did to mine was an electronic dizzy. Really changed how the car drove. It did have some sort of exhaust system and the GTA wheels. It got a lot of attention, mainly from the elderly. I've also owned a 1995 Metro, 2 1996 111s and a 1997 114 GSi.

It's beautiful. 💙

Lovely motor i really want one great video

Great review. I used to drive a 1.0 City Metro in the early 90s quite often. It was pretty reliable . The only thing that went wrong was an engine Mount. Other than that it was a good little car that could be loaded up and would sit at 65 happily on the motorway

Wonderful video. Wonderful Metro! Never seen one in Denmark, But I truly love 80's superminis, having owned a few Fiestas and Opel Kadett's myself :)

My mother had the base model in 1981 when it was still called miniMETRO. Full orange/tan interior including the vinyl seats. But she loved it and had two more over the years.

14:35 - drive starts here.

I had a B reg metro city and boy was it basic very reliable sadly crumbled away 😆👍👌

love metros they are so easy to work on

Gorgeous Metro and a really nice film! Geek moment: the grommet in the door is for the wood cappings on the Vanden Plas model - the remote mirror adjusters (also up at those stratospheric trim levels) poked through the triangular plastic inset in the corner of the window where the mirror is mounted. Geek moment 2: your knobbly handbrake is actually a very posh one, out of a Rover SD1 or Range Rover/Discovery! I think a standard would have had a plain metal tube, which isn't much fun - I can see why someone would have swapped it.

What was the brochure edition? I’ve never heard of a ‘standard’ spec before, so you learn something new everyday!

I remember a female teacher at my school having a Metro in the same colour, midnight blue A107RFM.

Steph had Jill, her low spec Metro. I find it so unusual to see classic British vehicles like this with no front headrests or rear seat belts. A shame that overdrive was not available, this would benefit from that. We had basic vehicles like this for sale in the US at the same time, but with more features, as US companies like Ford and GM had to compete with imports and the Chrysler badged Mitsubishi vehicles for market share. I really enjoyed this Siôn!

Would love an early Metro 1980 to 83. I like the basic styling esp the recessed headlamps. A few years ago i went to the NEC in the car park was a 1980 that was mint and at the show a skruffy 1980. Sigh I want. Dream Metro is the Van version. Id love one to go with my two one owner from new mini vans. Dads old vans. How many 1980 Metros still exist? Early metros are getting love. You have a very nice Metro. Subscribed to your channel.

We had a 1984 model of this same car, even the same colour.

They always needed a fifth gear I felt when I had mine

My life is just like that Metro , full of blanking plates !!

My mum had one of these

Looks like the mild face-lift included new, taller front seats.

Seatbelt warning lights are useless even on today's vehicles

Such a gloriously dismal car