[ROVERNET - UK] Horror on e-bay

[Steven Dibdin]

I know these cars well. They are based on the Austin Allegro (Or 'all-aggro' as the UK press dubbed them at one point). My first venture into car ownership (they, and I were cheap). 

The interiors only suitable for the series II Allegro and other VDP 1500s. They were quite advanced for their day, front wheel drive, hydralastic suspension, monocoque body with only a rear subframe (reduced weight and manufacturing costs). The natural development of Issigonis's 1100 1300 plateform. But poorly implemented by tragically bad BL management. 

You could get an 1100 and 1300 with what was basically a beefed up mini drivetrain/engine unti. Or the 1500 and 1750 OHC setup. The gear selection on these (5 speed box, mind) was so bad that one journalist at the time commented that the gear change was like waving a knitting needle in a jor of marbles. 

In the UK now they have a sort of cult status (rather like the Gremlin does in the USA), but the prices have never realy got that high.

As a side note they didn't rust like a 1300, but were a little light on stucture. I killed mine in a rather bad bit of driving, it crumpled like a wet cardboard box.

I'll stop rambling on about un-rover stuff now.

Cheers,

Steven