Classic & Sports Car UK – September 2019

212 Classic & Sports Car September 2019

BUYER’SGUIDE

Trouble spots

CORROSION Rust has sent more Allegros to

the scrapyard than any other factor, so check

carefully for rot and bodged repairs

FRONT BULKHEAD Rot in the heater plenum

chamber, at the base of the windscreen and in

the A-posts and footwells is costly to fix

FRONT WINGS Look around the indicators, the

join to the valance (and the valance itself), and

the rear lower corners; new wings are scarce

SILLS AND FLOORS Check underneath, below

the carpets and behind any plastic sill trims

DOORS AND BOOT Door bottoms rot when

drain holes block up, as does the boot floor

ENGINE Mechanical issues generally won’t

condemn an Allegro if it has a good bodyshell,

though it may be more cost-effective to swap

a worn engine for a better one than to rebuild

AUSTIN ALLEGRO

A

fterdecadesofAllegro-

bashing, it’s humbling to see

the 18 pages and front cover

that Motor devoted to the

car’s launch in May 1973.

The world’s first Hydragas

suspension, a five-speed

gearbox on some, disc front brakes, improved

interior/boot space and driving position over the

1100/1300, with less overall weight and better

crash resistance – the Allegro sparked much

positive comment, even if road testers hated that

infamous Quartic steering wheel. Motor said:

‘The handling was marred by an unbelievable

steering wheel that we all detested.’

How times change: now the early Quartic

wheel is one of the most sought-after Allegro

features, and the dumpy styling has a certain

1970s charm. A mix of A-series and E-series

engines gave the Allegro 1100, 1300, 1500 and

1750 options, with the top-of-the-range 1750SS

described on test as: ‘Spacious and well-

equipped; smooth and quiet at speed; good

handling; smooth ride under most conditions;

competitively priced.’ Its suspension crashed

over potholes, and access to the rear seats on the

four-door was cramped, even though there was

adequatespaceinside.Bothcriticismswere

addressed by British Leyland by early 1974 – an

impressive turnaround. The Quartic wheel was

gone by October and the ride and fresh-air

ventilation were improved in 1975, though the

gearchange on five-speed E-series cars remained

poor. The base 1100 was additionally criticised

for its harsh and noisy engine, whereas its

gearchange was the best yet for a front-drive

BLMC model. Testing the 1300 Super De Luxe

a year later, Motor only criticised gearbox noise.

Thanks to high gearing, the 1750 would cruise at

90mph and the 1100 at 80mph, even though

their maximum speeds were not much higher.

The Allegro came in a wide range of models

and it’s worth sifting through to find the one that

appeals to you most. The original 1750SS (Sport

Special) is mildly iconic but only had 76bhp,

whereas the 1974-on Sport and Hi-Line (HL)

cars had twin SU carbs and 90bhp, giving signif-

icantly better performance (10 secs for 0-60mph

was not at all bad from a mid-’70s shopping car).

The Vanden Plas, when it arrived in late 1974,

was smooth and quiet, if a little cramped due

to its more thickly-padded seats. The 1979

Equipe was the only two-door twin-carb 1750,

a token challenge to the ‘hot hatch’ trend.

Unfairly vilified? The Allegro has defied its critics by

surviving well and now makes an intriguing classic

WORDS MALCOLM McKAY PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN BRADSHAW