The Austin Allegro, produced by British Leyland, was intended to be the family car that would restore the company’s reputation and put its finances back on track. It failed to achieve either. The model was developed and built at Longbridge in Birmingham between 1973 and 1982. Few cars in the Leyland Group can rival the Allegro for its troubled history, with only the Morris Ital often cited as comparable.
More than 624,000 Austin Allegros were produced during its ten-year production run. The majority were sold in the United Kingdom, although a small number were also built in Italy by Innocenti, British Leyland’s Italian subsidiary.
For many owners the Allegro became a source of frustration, earning unflattering nicknames that reflected its reliability issues. Ongoing industrial disputes, inconsistent build quality and a demoralised workforce all contributed to the model’s poor reputation and ultimately sealed its fate.
Styling was one of the Allegro’s greatest weaknesses, as it failed to appeal visually when compared with contemporary rivals. Its strengths lay elsewhere, particularly in the proven A-series engine and the Hydrolastic suspension system, which provided a notably comfortable ride.
Despite its early problems, later versions benefited from improvements and gradually gained a reputation as economical and dependable cars. The Series 3 models are generally regarded as the best of the Allegro range.
Several attempts were made to restyle and improve the model before it was finally replaced by the Austin Maestro.
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