The camera operator brings it to the next level, well done.

I purchased one of these for 180 quid exactly the same colour expected it to last 3 weeks. It passed its test and went all over the country for 3 years without any issues.

Imagine going to your local car dealership and telling them "I'd like to buy a brand new, bottom of the range car, in beige please".

🤭 “Didn’t mention the ****** diesel”, and standing by a church too ! Lookout for thunderbolts from Rudolf himself ⚡️😂

My parents used to have a red Maestro, many a happy time sat in the back on day trips to Hunstanton and Skegness.

Ah this is Hubnut in a glorious nutshell. A road test of a beige, base model Maestro. This is why I keep coming back. Great work Ian. 👍🏼

Having Miss Hubnut operate the camera really took this video to another level. Camerawork and overall great presentation aside, the Maestro is also a beauty. I've always liked the styling of Maestros and Montegos and I'd definitely consider buying one if any at all were available in Finland.

Love that A-Series sound. Hoping it won't be too long until my 1988 Maestro City X returns to the road for the first time in 13 years.

As a lighting cameraman of some 30 years, I’d like to highlight Miss Hubnut’s absolute fab job on the camerawork! Lovely framing and keeping kit shadows out to a great degree! Lovin’ your work! 🙌🏼

A car that makes me think, why? Only one thing missing on this video, socks with the sandals Mr Hubnut when dealing with a Maestro!

Always worth watching to the very end 🤣🤣

Such Beige goodness

I think the Maestro is a seriously underrated car. I drove an MG Maestro quite often back in the day, it went like shit off a stick, and my sister had a car with the VW 3+E box which was bloody brilliant - economical, spacious, quiet and reliable.

I consider the Maestro to be a superb piece of late 20th century British industrial design. The very early models painted in light metallic colours particularly please me.

my mate back in the day got one of these from a BMW dealer as a curtsy car .he liked it more then his M3 which by the way was NEVER out of the shop

My Mum & Dad had a 1986 (C202KOF) Maestro City X. I remember borrowing it once I was unable to select any gears. My Dad thought I'd managed to strip the gear box. All it was is there was a small plate that connected the far end of the gear knob to the back of the gear box had popped off. My Dad clipped it back on and it was all sorted. My Brother crashed in to a Siera estate a couple of years later. The Siera was written of. The maestro just needed a new bonnet and front panel. Back on the road for years more enjoyment.

First 8mins of pure anorakism.fabulous

Right, loved this video. And not just because of the beige deliciousness of the maestro. With Miss Hubnut behind the camera filming, i think this channel just went up a level. Ive loved hubnut for 3 years now,. I think Ian is fantastic, but with Miss Hubnut filming and Ian talking to the camera, rather than Ian filming himself, and flipping the camera around to show us around the car, i think this video is one of the best. I feel more engaged by Ian, like hes talking directly to me. The exterior shots are much better, for example who an average sized man sat in the rear of the maestro with all that extra space.. Since Miss H was filming Ian, and the car in the same shot, it gave me a better idea of dimensions. I could rabbit on for hours, but to sum up, well done both. Much more of the same please :)

Hubnut reviewing a Maestro is like a log fire and slippers...perfect

At first I thought this was going to be a video from the Australian adventure Blue skys,Jebus sandals,no socks. It's freezing up here,snow flurries,normal springtime. Hubnut is hardier than we first thought.

I agree with you completely on the small rear windows and side windows in modern cars. I actually find modern cars much more difficult to park because you cant see where the wheels are in relationship to the kerb and, the blind- spots!!!

Loved my Maestro . Reliable and underrated in every way .

I must say this car looks better than all modern cars produced lately...

Back in the 80's I was an advanced police driver in the East End of London. We were lucky enough to be issued with an MG Maestro 2.0L which, when well driven of course, could chase down a Golf GTI from standstill within a mile (The Highway E1). Much better in the inner city than the SD1, small and nimble.

A friend of mine, well into his his cars, and especially ARG ones, owned an MG Maestro turbo. It wasn't fast enough for him, so he tuned it to 250bhp. Very rarely have I ever been scared in a car, but he managed it. The Bulgarian re-imports built at Parkway Service Station in Ledbury were re-imported by Paul Stoddart who owned the Minardi F1 team.

As you accelerated up the hill after that "tricky junction" I was transported back to the early 80s! Such a familiar sound from a whole range of cars that friends and family owned in the period. Bliss!

I notice your British car videos always do really well for views. Proves there's still love for them out there.

Everything about that is absolutely fabulous. Beige, frumpy looks, A-series... wow. I love how the A-series always springs to life instantly on startup and of course it’s characterful sound. Made my day watching this Ian!

Hubnut goes from chips dipped in gravy (😱) to a car dipped in gravy coloured paint. Great review as always. Ian's commentary one of the best on KZfaq. Having a camera person really adds to the video. Well done Miss Hubnut😀

My brother-in-law had the top of the range talking dashboard one, my god it was a disaster when it inevitably went wrong and wouldn’t shut up 😂.

I had one of these as my first car when I was 17 back in 1994. It was a pale blue 1984 B reg Austin Maestro Vanden Plas with the newer 1.6 S series 8 valve single over head camshaft engine and it had a VW 3 speed automatic gearbox that used to whistle in 1st gear whenever I used to take off fast from a standing start. It had blue velour seats/blue dash trim and that quirky older style (and much nicer in my opinion) 3 piece dashboard with that space age green digital dashboard display and that famous talking trip computer (in some woman's voice !) fitted below the green digital clock on the left (that also served to display mpg/fuel consumption and other cool stuff). I loved the walnut wood trim on the doors and the front electric windows it had not to mention the steel sunroof that always leaked whenever I visited the car wash lol RIP - B597UBV was a great car and I was so sad to learn recently that it had been scrapped/written off at the end of 1996 just over 1 year when I said my goodbyes to it ! (very emotional !) and traded it in for a black 1998 F reg BMW E34 535I auto :( If space wasn't an issue, I would gladly buy another Maestro VDP 1.6 automatic with the older digital dash in a heartbeat (if I could ever find one for sale !), as sadly there are not many of these great cars left now due to the rust problems most of the suffered from :( My S series engine in the Maestro used to always make some sort of toffee/caramel (yellow sludge) in the black plastic oil filler pipe whenever I pulled the oil filler cap off to top up the oil ! Happy memories of a great unique comfortable car that I'll never forget ! :)

Invited to the launch (after my Dad bought an 81 Ital) and sat in a VDP with the talking computer, oh happy happy days. My favourite episode so far and that is a huge testament to you Ian.

Brilliant video Ian lovely old car better than modern and reliable not needing a full diagnosis when it goes wrong

I remember being given a maestro as a courtesy car many years ago and thinking oh no, but to my surprise it was very enjoyable. Also it was some kind of special eco version with a gauge that you'd keep in the green.

Ian, I simply love the way you put these unassuming cars into historical perspective thereby making them the very special cars they were never meant to be. Just brilliant!

Had an F reg 1.3L Maestro, that had the 4 speed gearbox as well.. Also had an A reg mg 1600 too, both great cars. Great to see a Maestro again, thanks for the video Ian. 👍🙂

Sandals Ian very optimistic, it's flipping snowing here 🥶 ..... I think you are spot on about the Maestro my mum had one and absolutely loved it , but it may of been the only thing that talked to her at the time 😉👍

I had a 1986 1.3L with a earlier MG interior, I also fitted a Montego radiator I just needed to alter the pipes because it was a bit wider but the fittings top and bottom were the same, it was all I could find in the scrapyard. Worked brilliantly. :)

A HubNut video looking very professionally made! That cameraperson made this video very smooth! Love it!!

my dad had the 2.0 perkins non turbo maestro, we towed a massive caravan with it all over the UK. I loved that car so much.

Great camera work by Miss Hubnut. Excellent framing and rock steady camera position.

My Friends Dad used to have a Vanden Plas Maestro, had a magnificent talking synthesis in it Trip Distance sounded like 'Twit Distance' hours of fun

Am glad to have you here to give a splendid review. Thank you

Excellent video, the camera work was excellent and I love how your videos are constantly evolving in quality

If only it had a Montego front end and dashboard from launch, I remember that Horrid talking dashboard that Renault got right but Austin failed with. Years ago I saw a lovely maestro van with a Montego front end and updated 2 litre engine. Now I’m in my 40’s I appreciate them more than I did as a kid / teenager in fairness they were no worse than many cars still produced in the 80’s that should have died 20 years ago.

My mum had a Mini City back in the 80's 😊

Im 29 and I love this car. Beige is a winner! As a kid in 2000's id see maestro's/escorts/orions and all sorts of 80's cars being kept pristine by older gentlemen in estate driveways. i love the designs of this era. friendly and utilitarian with a dash of tacky-luxury.

You brought up a good point that it is a fine line between what people need in a car and what a designer thinks you should have. That is a wonderful, practical car that could have been tricked out to appeal to different buyers if the manufacturer had the cash. The base is there and it could have been a very popular car. Nice job and the scalloped sides are a nice touch l think.

My grandad used to have a pale blue A reg Maestro, complete with blue interior. I remember going in it as a kid. Great video!

Had one just like this as a teenager, same model, colour and trim but on a ‘B’ plate I think. Love the detail you go in to, I always learn so much, some of it I should’ve known. Can’t believe I’d never noticed that the Maestro cars and vans had different headlights. I replaced my Maestro for an ‘X’ plate Volvo 343. Even as a teen in the 1990s I had Hubnut tendencies 😉

Another great video. I always fancied owning the MG turbo version. Congrats to Mrs Hubnut too for the excellent hand held camera work! Well done.

Well I must admit that I do love the Maestro very much and it is nice to see you having a drive of one. I always loved seeing them when I was a child and I still have great affection for the Maestro now. I would love to own one for myself to enjoy.

Whenever I see a Maestro, I can't help thinking to myself, how close it looks to the MK3 Astra.

I had an MG maestro and Loved the way it looked

Ah, the beige... What a great video, Ian. Can tell that you really enjoyed making that one. You're enthusiasm for the marque really comes across. Thanks for the interesting bit about the gearbox being VW.

Great review Ian. I do like the beige interior, even the seat belts are in that beige - very nice.

A beige Maestro...if only you'd had socks on with those sandals too...👍

My late dad had x2 Maestros before he got a M reg Rover R8 , the first maestro (1984) rusted quite quickly the later 90 on a G he had lasted better, I remember them being quite spacious cars.

Awesome v log & loving the camera work deffo takes it to another level!!

Haven't watched a HubNut video for a while but I can see some much slicker filming and editing skills - nice one Ian - really enjoyed that! :-)

Is it because I'm partially colour-challenged, or what ??!! I love beige. Why all this beige-hate ? Heck - it's not white. Or worse ... black !!! Buggers to keep clean ! Those scalloped sides were one of the things that I really liked about Maestro/Montego. Though, by that time, BL had lost such a lot of ground in Ireland, and the cars came tainted by Allegro/Marina pub-talk stories. Really liked that review.

A beige Maestro and sandals, oh what a combination!

Had a red 1600, pass on designation, in the mid 1990's. One of the best cars ever. It hauled two adults and twin toddles the length of the Country one Christmas and the back with all the gear in the new year WITH A SHOT WATER PUMP! It never missed a beat. Brilliant in the snow as it weighed almost nothing. My Beloved Boss Lady still has the spare key and still grumps about getting rid of it some 25+ years later! The fact that we traded it in for a Nissan Almera, a car she bent my ear to get for some time, still don't stop her moaning.... Great scenery Ian, camera operative is getting better, another good video, thanks mate.

I quite like the styling on these

Beige is the base color of HubNut !

Great to see a review again and great to see those Sandals out again.👍

Ah yes the Maestro. Having owned a diesel Montego estate I can relate to this car with a degree of affection. Excellent review. Oh and a nice example of a lych gate in the background !

“Enough waffle” - man, that was impressive! A superhuman effort of reciting enormous detail on a car that most markets gave a pass without a moment’s hesitation.

Oh Ian this take me back! My dad had a Montego which was a terrible car and in our household was refered to as MontyWontGo!

Dosent get any better Ian, well done!

Very good review Ian - thank you !

The first time I ever think I've given a thumbs up before even watching the video. The words 'Beige' and 'Maestro' is all that was needed. 👍😍

Beige BL barges - this is what we want! ! 😊👍

I really enjoyed my C reg MG Maestro Efi in the late 80s. Great video.

I had an '87 500 City van, roomy, drove and handled well, and that little A+ motor was really good, and worked very hard for me! I liked the Maestro van because it was that little bit bigger than the Escort Mk3 and 4 that we had at work. I paid £1000 for it, and two years later sold it for......£1000.

Fantastic as always, but as mentioned the recruitment of an Art Director has raised the standard even further. Could be a TV segment!

That beige interior kinda reminds me of early Lada Samara (84 to 88).

I had a brown B reg 1.3L. l loved that car. Had all sorts of fun in it. The gearbox worked fine until the linkage started coming off occasionally. Me and a mate once drove up to Scotland from the West Midlands, and we were pretty deaf due to the lack of a fifth gear. The lower models had little wheel trims that just covered the middle bit of the wheel. I replaced it with a G reg Montego 1.6SL which was much more smooth and quiet at motorway speeds.

Perfect hub nut video. Its why Ive been hooked since the early days. Great car, great knowledge , and a full 20 mins plus! Hats off to the camera work. Also as a side comment over covid lockdown 1 and etc I’ve loved your content and wish you all the success in the future. Id I’ve liked a sandal warning tho! Keep it up. Tristan.

Beautiful car, beautiful condition. There appeared not to be a spot of rust inside the engine bay. Someone gave the old girl a lot of TLC...

Gd little cars in their day . The forestry commission had hundreds of vans with the perkins prima 2l diesel . A very noisy but gd engine . The meastro allways put me in mind of a modern maxi . Thers a few still goin around but not many left .

My father had the Montego and the maestro and I drove them both not long after passing my test brings back memories 👍

Hi Ian, another good review,I always like the maestro,, quite a nice looking car,I would still have one today, keep up the good work.

A rear wiper for 95 pounds seems like a good investment I reckon.

The moving camera just isn’t hubnut but matching the sandles and trousers to the car is genius and definitely is. All that was needed to complete the ensemble was a flask of weak lemon drink. 😁

Excellent video bought back some good memories when I heard the noise of that great engine 👍

Thoroughly enjoyed this tour. A "you name it it doesn't have it" car. That expression was first heard when I saw a blog on an early Hyundai Excel (Accent) in Australia. This car happened to remind me of an early Excel in the back. I was impressed with the low loading lip and find the front quite handsome and the car overall inoffensive and contemporary in it's time. Thanks for covering an underrated model like this.

Always liked the look of Maestros and Montegos. Looked those from local car-magazines annual catalogs with cars sold allover the world. Sadly those cars weren't sold in Finland, but there could be some those as grey-imported cars.

I blame the motoring journalists of the time (1980//90's), they HATED BL.Austin Rover, had they just given the cars a fair review I'm sure we would still have a Rover company making new cars here in the UK.

Might I say, very nice camerawork by Miss Hubnut. I really enjoy these test drives/history lessons of British and European engineering of a bygone time.

Ohhhhh Beige Maestro City spec. Very HubNut. Reminds me of first car a 1ltr Beige Austin Metro City X. Yes not Any old City it was a CITY X with brown PVC seats. £250 off a student, massive rust whole in the wing & the speedo never worked but got me to work and back everyday for two years and not one blip of trouble🙂👍

Man finds the extra in the ordinary. 👍

The fan speed control placement sums it up really... Bob: "Where shall we place the fan speed control Bob?" Bob: "Dunno Bob, where'd you think?" Bob: "Under the steering wheel so the driver can't see it Bob?" Bob: "That's a brilliant idea Bob!" Bob: "Thanks Bob" Bob: "Strike Bob?" Bob: "Yes Bob" Bobs: "EVERYBODY OUT!"

Tremendously professional video, I'v never seen such an amount of beige in one place before.

This car is sooo HubNut You've come a long way mate

Needs some back to black on the front bumper its bugging me lol

Request for Beige Hubnut T-shirts

Brilliant! Can't believe I've subscribed to a channel about cars! My first car was a Rover 213 of the same year and colour.

Mine was an EFi, B377 VNM hubnuts in his element with this aweome vlogg !

We had a City from around 92 to 98, it was a brilliant basic family car that was cheap to run and cheap to maintain, it was never meant to compete with sportier models, it was just a good functional family car and was perfect for our needs, its one of those cars that seemed to become part of our family. Ours was much loved and never once let us down!!