[ROVERNET - UK] Horror on e-bay

[Vern Klukas]

How do these relate to the Austin 1800 (aka Land Crab or the 1300 
with a thyroid problem)? I had one of those once and quite enjoyed 
it, excellent party car as I recall though not at the top for 
engineering excellence.

Yours
Vern






>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
>
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-- 
Vern Klukas                             I'm a little . . .
Inkspot Type & Design
vern at inkspotco.com