Austin Montego
From Free net encyclopedia
There is also an American car called the Mercury Montego.
{{Infobox Automobile
| image = Image:Austinmontego.jpg
| boxcolor = darkgreen
| name = Austin Montego
| manufacturer = Austin Rover Group
| production = 1984–1995 (Austin Montego)
1985-1991 (MG Montego)
| class = Mid-size
| platform = FF
| body_style = 4-door saloon
4-door estate
| engine = 1.3 L A-Plus I4
1.6 L I4
2.0 L I4
2.0 L O-Series I4 (MG Montego only)
| length =
| width =
| height =
| weight =
| wheelbase =
| predecessor = Morris Ital
MG Magnette
| successor = Rover 400
MG ZS
| aka = MG Montego
| related = Austin Maestro
| similar = Ford Sierra
Vauxhall Cavalier
}}
The Austin Montego was an automobile produced by the Austin Rover Group (formerly British Leyland), from 1984 to 1994.
The car was the replacement for the much maligned Morris Ital, and was essentially a lengthened version of the Maestro model, which was developed at the same time. The Montego only differed in its frontal styling, and the obvious fact that it was a 4-door saloon. An estate derivative, styled by Austin Rover's Roy Axe, shortly followed.
Like its Maestro brother, the Montego suffered from its overly long development phase, which had been ongoing since 1975 amidst the industrial turmoil that had plagued both British Leyland and Austin Rover Group. As a result, the car fell short of modern rivals such as the Ford Sierra and Vauxhall Cavalier. Atrocious build quality and reliability problems did the Montego no favours either, although it offered many improvements (which were later incorporated into the Maestro), such as a new SOHC engine (the Rover S-Series engine), and a more robust dashboard. As with the Maestro, there was a high-performance MG version which again used the digital instrument cluster and trip computer, although without the voice of Nicolette MacKenzie featured on the Maestro, which by then had become an embarrassment.
However, despite all this, the Montego matured into a decent car. A minor facelift for 1989 enhanced its appeal, which was buoyed up by both the Perkins-engined diesel version, and the seven-seater version of the "Countryman" estate.
The facelift also saw the phasing out of the Austin name. These late-1980s models had a badge resembling the Rover Viking longship, but it was not identical, nor did the word 'Rover' ever appear on the cars.
In New Zealand, the saloons and estates were known as the MG 2.0 range, and wore the official MG badge. This was the first MG estate car.
By the early 1990s, the car was terminally aged, and production effectively ceased when the replacement car, the Rover 600, was launched in 1993.
Montegos continued to be built in small numbers in CKD form at the Cowley plant until 1994, when production finally ended. The last car was signed by all those that worked on it, and is now on display at the British Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon, Warwickshire, UK. 546,000 Austin Montegos were produced and 23,000 MG Montegos were produced.
An attempt was made to have the Montego assembled under licence in India, but this was later abandoned.
A version of the Austin Maestro with a Montego front end is built in China.
Engines: