Meet The Owner – Neil Allen and his Austin Metro

‘A British car, to beat the world’ was the Metro’s advertising slogan in 1980 – and British car fans certainly took the model to their hearts. One such fan was Neil Allen, who’d spent his childhood in and around them, took driving lessons in a Rover Metro, and, before his 1983 Mk1 came along, had a 1988 Metro City in the garage.

Longbridge’s supermini was a big part of Neil’s motoring life, though it took an eBay visit and an excited viewing to arrive at the car you see in front of you – one which travelled to the NEC and competed in the Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership at this year’s Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show.

Neil takes up the story with happy memories; a story that, to this day, is still being written.
“I decided on a Metro mainly because at a younger age I was brought up with them, always in or around one during my childhood and the memories that they have for me is what makes me so fond of them”, he said.

“I will always have that connection, whichever the version, as like a lot of people out there, had driving lessons in one too. In my case, it was the later Rover Metro. I did previously own a 1988 Metro City in the rare Atlantic Blue Clearcoat Metallic, but with-it needing a fair bit work and lack of storage space, it had to make way for my very special Mk1.

With such an interest in Metros, online searches were bound to have the model in mind. One night, browsing eBay, Neil struck gold – but the clock was ticking. There’s a small but eager community involved with converting unassuming Metros into 6R4 recreations, with varying degrees of accuracy (and success).

Had Neil not intervened, his Metro – built during the period that development work started on Austin-Rover’s Group B contender – would have become one of those cars. With an affinity for the pre-facelift Mk1 Metros, it was spared the cutting torch.

Neil recalled: “I came across the Mk1 on eBay and found that it was reasonably local to where I used to live, so I arranged a viewing. On seeing the car with my own eyes, I knew that it was the one for me. It was indeed the Mk1 that I had the most connection with in my lifetime thus far.

“I found out that the previous keeper intended to cut it up to construct a 6R4 replica, so with this an offer was made and accepted.” Pushed for space, and with the earlier car now taking priority (let’s face it, it was nearly made into a 6R4 replica, and needed some respite), Neil’s 1988 City was moved on. “I was the owner, for about a week, of two Metros,” he said.

Plans were soon hatched to return the Metro to its former glory – and Neil didn’t wait around. The Metro may have one time winced at the thought of a body shop, but the one Neil employed had very different intentions to its previous owner. What’s more, preventative measures were taken to make sure that the Metro wouldn’t deteriorate again.

Neil recounted: “During the first six months of 2022, the car went through a comprehensive body refurbishment where the work was commissioned to Taylor Motors East Coast Classics at Attleborough, in Norfolk.

“It involved a complete strip down, new front floor panels, repairs to the nearside door sill, new jacking point, repairs to the door skins, two new front wings, a full respray to include the underside, lower sills, wheel arches and the lower half of the engine bay with a Raptor coating applied which will hopefully keep the car in fine shape for years to come.

“This was finished with some cosmetic improvements, which included a new windscreen, new rear quarter glass, new bumper end caps, new grille, and some refurbished Lattice Alloy wheels from a later MG version [and the Advantage/GTa], which I think sets the car off nicely. I have the original 12-inch wheels in my garage, but they don't look as good.

I also took the opportunity to upgrade the ignition to a fully electronic setup, using a Lucas 65D type distributor and a resin-based coil which has vastly improved the reliability of the car.”

With everything fitted up, Neil was pleased with the result – even if it does differ from how it left Longbridge. “I would say that it is reasonably close to concours,” he said. “Quality wise, I would say that it is better than factory.

“The differences from original is that it has the later wheels, electronic ignition, an ‘84 three spoke steering wheel, a stage 1 Maniflow exhaust system and the side mouldings are missing as you can't get them and the ones I got arrived damaged, but I do think that it looks as good without them.”

Newly rebuilt, the Metro didn’t (and hasn’t) put a foot wrong.
“It has been an absolute pleasure to own with nothing major that has gone wrong, thankfully,” Neil said.

It's a good job, too – as Neil can often been seen out and about during the warmer months. He said: “I would say that there wasn’t really a most memorable drive with it as all the journeys I have made have been special, as I just love taking it out for drives wherever we go.”

Earlier in the month, Pride of Longbridge really gave the Metro chance to stretch its legs. While the beloved event returned in 2022, after a two year absence, this was the first time Neil had taken Metro back to its birthplace.

He recalled: “The car and I travelled a round trip of around 322 miles to attend the Pride of Longbridge. It was amazing to be able to take the car back to the place where it was born [given] that the factory is no longer there. Still, it was great to meet up with fellow enthusiasts and we manged to have a small photoshoot outside of the old Q Gate.”

There are plenty of events which the Metro is taken to; despite its condition, Neil wants it used: “Even though I want the car to be an extremely high standard, I want to be able to take it out and use it. That can be seen by it being immaculately clean at the NEC and then on a muddy field at Pride of Longbridge.

Austin-Rover’s legacy is something Neil is proud to remember, and promote. “A marque that I am extremely passionate about and always will be,” he said.

“I have and do attend many shows in the Metro, be it local or more national where it always gets plenty of attention.

“Probably the most significant shows or meets I always try to attend would be the annual Mini and Metro show, the BMC and Leyland show both at the British Motor Museum at Gaydon, the Autumn BL rally at Milton Keynes and now of course the Pride of Longbridge which are all connected to showcasing the Rover Group cars.”

The Metro’s greatest challenge (and closest scrutiny) came earlier this year, when, as previously stated, it stood up to be counted during Lancaster Insurance Services’ Pride of Ownership competition, held twice a year across the Classic Car and Restoration Show and Classic Motor Show.

Neil beamed: “I was incredibly proud to have been provided the chance to do so. It went really well, be it that it was tiring over the four days, but the euphoria of the show kept us going. Again, the car attracted plenty of attention with visitors reminiscing that they used to own one.

“[Metros were] their first car, parent’s car, partner’s car, that they learned how to drive in one, passed their test in one and even had a handful of ex-Longbridge workers talk to me about it. It is a car that so many of the country’s population have a connection with and that’s great in my book.

“It was great to listen to the stories and brought plenty of smiles to my face. It was the both mine and the cars first appearance on what I call the big stage, it’s something that I have the taste for and would look forward to the next opportunity.”

Not that Neil’s planning to sit still with the Metro – it’s booked in at historic vehicle events well into August. He also said that the restoration isn’t finished:

“Like with any classic car, there is room for improvements. I am looking to drop the subframes and get them fully refurbished, probably with a Raptor coating, clean and paint the Hydragas [suspension] units and while that is happening, send the engine off for a thorough refurbishment, too. Once this is all done, then the car will be complete.”