Factoid: The Italian location might explain why CAR tested it in Italy when it was new.
As early as April 1983, it was clear UK Sierra sales weren’t meeting expectations & the Mk2 Cavalier was proving a tough competitor, but Ford needed a saloon version of the Sierra not a car like the XR4i…
Factoid: A halo car that Ford expected great things of, the Sierra XR4i got this short promo with just the soundtrack of the ‘Cologne’ V6 & the stunning scenery of the former circuit of the Circuito delle Madonie which was used in the famous Targa Florio race.
youtu.be/u2JM6ooI95A?...
Thanks & I’ve corrected that oversight.
03.03.2026 12:23 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0Sorry, that should be 70yrs ago of course…
03.03.2026 12:23 — 👍 5 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
Photograph: Ian Dawson
Factoid: Decisions, decisions…
The Escort was the small family car of the moment in 1980, but there was that damping issue, the Kadett D/Astra Mk1 was a worthy rival & then there was the Golf.
Not easy, was it?
(📸: CAR Magazine)
Let’s not Q why Porsche photographed it in a field, let’s just bask in the brilliance (& browness) of the Porsche 911 (930) Turbo.
(📸:IG a/c finecarbrochures)
Factoid: Looking more like a mock-up on a drawing board, this was actually a Bentley ad from exactly 60yrs ago…
02.03.2026 23:22 — 👍 12 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 1
Factoid: While Pam was having her dream & Bobby was waiting to jump into that shower, Patrick Duffy in real life was presenting this promo for the brand new Ford Taurus.
(Hopefully younger followers will get all these references)…
youtu.be/Sj4VxsN5WBs?...
Factoid: The turbo, the decals, the alloys & the spoiler, the R11 Turbo had all the necessary features of the mid-‘80’s hot hatch & the typical advertising of the era…
02.03.2026 19:37 — 👍 20 🔁 1 💬 3 📌 1
Factoid: For the time it was well-equipped & there was the typically attractive price too just don’t mention this ‘driving man’s’ car’s ‘interesting’ handling.
Btw, anybody want to suggest why luxury in this ad meant ten dogs, as I haven’t got the foggiest…
Factoid: Austin Rover always tried to make the Montego look glamorous, but it seems their Spanish subsidiary tried that little bit harder.
Btw, I do like the way the voiceover pronounces the car's name.
youtu.be/Yrm_8HrGfjU?...
That press launch was memorable for Chris Goffey who hit a patch of oil while testing & it ended up on its roof.
The great punchline to this incident was related to me on Twitter by his much-missed Top Gear colleague, Sue Baker, as to what the talking Maestro said when it came its unplanned halt…
Photograph: John Mason
Factoid: The Austin Maestro at its Spanish press launch driven by @stvcr.bsky.social & showing the scalloped sides shared with the Montego which limited the possibility of effective facelifts without extensive & expensive body changes…
(📸: CAR Magazine)
I don’t believe so.
02.03.2026 14:08 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
Factoid: Did you know that Austin Rover introduced larger format badges for the Maestro in Oct 1984?
Well, now you do…
(📸:IG a/c plankhond)
Factoid: 1982 & with sales headed downwards Alfa Romeo needed help in the UK hence this limited edition Sprint Veloce.
Named Trofeo, it came in Silver with a dark grey met side stripe & dark grey met alloys while the seats had blue/grey tweed seats.
200 built, but any exist today?
(📸: Autocar)
Factoid: From the ‘Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday’ file & the legendary Quattro doing what it did best - winning rallies…
02.03.2026 07:54 — 👍 25 🔁 6 💬 0 📌 1
Factoid: The Maestro wasn’t the 1st European car with a voice synthesiser (the Renault 11 just beat it) but that shouldn’t stop us hearing it in all its ‘glory’ & in three other languages too (German & Italian versions had a male voice so there’s another factoid for you)…
youtu.be/FUstFe-Jiwc?...
Factoid: You know it is truly amazing what you’ll stumble upon on YouTube - this is a cassette tape that was given to people who tested the Austin Maestro & aside from the sales push (as you’d expect) there’s some period music to enjoy…
youtu.be/ZmU6ekTDvKE?...
Factoid: If you think that Maestro single was unique then you haven’t heard of a folk tune recorded to mark the revised Austin Maxi’s arrival onto the Swiss market & called ‘Have A Good Trip In The New Maxi’.
Sadly I haven’t it heard but possibly that’s a gd thing…
www.discogs.com/release/7578...
![Jenny Austin - Maestro, enlève-moi [Musique du film publicitaire] [VF: Maestro, Take Me] [1984]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:wer7u4k4bvylqja65fbjjjnp/bafkreiaivnxzjol3fmldos4ch7ykpgubiibkunn6jicgl3hwdn3hfypo24@jpeg)
Amazingly, that song was released as a single sung by Jenny Austin (which was handy) & here’s a chance to listen to it in all its glory.
As a finishing touch, the single starts with a Maestro cranking into life & no, I’m not making that up...(2)
youtu.be/MjMKK8icDao
Factoid: Sadly I can’t find the Dutch Maestro launch ad featuring a dog relieving itself against the car’s back wheel, but there’s this French one which combined power ‘80’s ‘hair rock’ with a Maestro parked on a stage.
It’s quite the ad & not in a good way..(1)
www.ina.fr/ina-eclaire-...
Factoid: Obscurity Corner time & did you know the Italian market had a special Austin Maestro offered with a HLS model equipped with the digital dashboard (with a male voice incidentally) but also the 1,275cc, A+ engine & a 5-spd gearbox - a spec not offered in the UK?
youtu.be/jia7Rx0S2SM?...
Factoid: The Maestro’s Geneva world debut featured two cars (both with the digital dash - one ‘speaking’ French, the other German) along with this display of a Vanden Plas model that ultimately wasn’t sold in Europe…
(📸: Autocar)
Well, the 2nd pic tells you how…
(📸: Autocar)
Factoid: The future is exciting though how did ‘the Austin/MG Maestro Digital Magic’ happen? (1)
(📸: Autocar)
Factoid: I like the fact this Pirelli ad not only promotes the tyres (as you’d expect), but also shows off the 244’s safety cage…
01.03.2026 11:35 — 👍 17 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
Factoid: There’s the hard sell & then there’s this…
The Maestro’s UK launch ad possibly sounded good on paper but nowadays seems & appears a little desperate.
youtu.be/yEBVCBq3iFM?...
Factoid: In order to inspire their workers to better quality, Lancia had this poster placed throughout their Chivasso plant in 1983 asking their workers ‘Is their quality better than yours?’, the ‘their’ in this case being cars from England, Japan, USA, Germany & France’…
(📸: Autocar)
Factoid: It’s the Austin Maestro’s 43rd birthday tomorrow & while it had a Geneva world debut (though Continental sales started in Sept), the UK show debut was at the 6th Manchester Motor Show in Apr.
While initial interest was high (like some big early fleet orders) it wasn’t to last…
(📸: Autocar)
