Austin Allegro

Book excerpt: The stylist of the Austin Allegro, Harris Mann, said of the car that 'It took a lot of stick, but it wasn't that bad a car ... The trouble was that every one off the line was different in some way, thanks to quality control.' As a result, few have bothered to explore the little Austin's background; what it was designed to achieve, how it became the way it was, and what happened to make it so infamous. Austin Allegro - An Enthusiast's Guide redresses the balance, telling the Allegro's tale of grand designs, high hopes, management compromises, failed dreams, industrial unrest, national ridicule and finally, redemption. Now experiencing something of a comeback as a cheap and cheerful classic, the book provides ownership advice and buying information for all models. From the quietly competent series 2 models through to the sportily-styled and now very rare Equipe, the book re-evaluates the place of the Allegro in the classic car world and concludes that it is both a simple, economical classic choice, and an important part of British motoring history. Illustrated throughout with 170 colour photographs.