Austin Montego
Encyclopedia
The Austin Montego is a British mid-size saloon car
that was produced by the Austin Rover
subsidiary of British Leyland (BL), and its successors, from 1984 until 1994. The Montego was the replacement for the Morris Ital
, to give British Leyland a modern competitor for the Ford Sierra
and Vauxhall Cavalier
.
On its launch, it was sold as an Austin
and also an MG
. From 1986, it was sold without a marque following the phasing out of the Austin name.
variant of project LC10. Development on the new model, intended to succeed the Morris Marina
by the turn of the 1980s, had begun in 1977 but ultimately the new car was not launched until seven years after development had started; in the meantime, the Marina had been updated and rebadged as the Morris Ital
from 1980.
The Austin Maestro
emerged as the five-door hatchback
variant. When the designs diverged, the Montego became project LM11 (the Maestro being LM10), and remained based on a lengthened version of the LC10s Volkswagen Golf style front Macpherson strut
/ rear twist beam chassis. The Montego received different front and rear styling following the replacement of designer David Bache
with Roy Axe
. It also featured body-coloured bumpers (as did the Maestro), and front wipers which hid themselves under the bonnet when parked.
The Montego offered many improvements over the Maestro, many of which were later incorporated into the latter, such as a new SOHC engine
(the S-Series), and a more robust dashboard. As with the Maestro, there was a high-performance MG
version which again used the solid-state instrument cluster, trip computer
, and synthesised voice for the information and warning systems. The dashboard fitted to the Montego was superior to that originally designed for the Maestro and featured a rally-style tachometer, a service indicator and a representation of the car showing open doors, lights left on, etc.
An estate
variant, with larger luggage capacity than its competitors, two additional rear-facing child seats and self-levelling suspension
, also styled by Roy Axe, followed shortly and received instant acclaim, winning the company a Design Council
award.
There were originally plans to name it the Rover 400 Series and pre-production cars in Warwickshire
were seen bearing "ROVER" badges, and badged as 413i, 416i, 420 and 420i.
From 1995, a decade after the Montego was discontinued, the 416i and 420i names would be used, but on the unrelated Rover 400 Series.
The Montego was launched on 25 April 1984. It was initially available as a four-door saloon only, filling the gap in the range left by the discontinuation of the Morris Ital saloon two months earlier. However, it would be produced alongside the Ital estate until that model was axed in August 1984.
The estate variant was launched at the British International Motor Show
in October of that year. The 150 bhp MG turbocharged variant took the market by storm in early 1985 as the fastest production MG ever with a 0–60 mph time of 7.3 seconds, and a top speed of 126 mph (202.8 km/h). The Vanden Plas version drew upon the heritage of the historic coachbuilder, and featured leather seats, walnut veneer and features such as electric windows, central locking and power door mirrors.
Like the Maestro, the Montego suffered from its overly long development phase, which had been begun in 1975 and which was hampered throughout by the industrial turmoil that plagued both British Leyland and Austin Rover Group during this period. In some ways, the technology was ahead of its time, notably the solid-state instrumentation. However, early examples suffered from build quality and reliability problems. The talking dashboard fitted to high-end models (and initially used to promote the Montego as an advanced high-tech offering) was prone to irritating faults and came to be regarded as something of an embarrassment by BL and the British press. This feature was discontinued after a short period. There were also problems with the early sets of body-coloured bumpers which tended to crack in cold weather at the slightest impact.
model, and the seven-seater version of the "Countryman" estate. The 2 litre turbodiesel (often known by its Perkins designation 'Prima') was a development of the O-Series petrol engine already used in the range. The diesel saloon even won a CAR magazine 'giant test' against the Citroën BX (1.8 XUDT), the then new Peugeot 405 (1.8 XUDT) and Audi 80 (1.6) turbo diesels. They rated the 405 the best car, followed by the BX and then the Montego, with the Audi coming in last. "But if people buy diesels, and turbo diesel for their economy, the winner has to be the Montego. ...its engine is - even when roundly thrashed - more than 10% more economical than the rest. For those isolated moments when cost control is not of the essence, the Montego is a car you can enjoy too. The steering and driving position are quite excellent. ...the suspension as 'impressively refined'. It is silent over rough bumps, poised and well damped."
The turbo diesel became a favourite of the RAF for officer transport. Car Mechanics Magazine
ran an RAF officer transport de-mobbed Montego bought from a Ministry of Defence auction in 1996.
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.
Though the car failed to match its rivals, such as the Volkswagen Passat
, the car sold well to the likes of the Ford Sierra
and Vauxhall Cavalier
.
By the early 1990s, the Montego was terminally aged, and production effectively ceased when the replacement car, the Rover 600
, was launched in 1993, (special fleet orders were almost handbuilt until 1994, while estates continued until 1995). In its final year, What Car?
magazine said "Austin Rover's once 'great white hope', Montego matured into a very decent car — but nobody noticed". The chassis development for the Montego and Maestro's rear suspension was used as a basis for later Rover cars, and was well regarded.
Montegos continued to be built in small numbers in CKD form at the Cowley plant in Oxford 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. A total of 546,000 Austin/Rover Montegos and 23,000 MG Montegos were produced, with Britain by far being the biggest market for the car.
In all, 436,000 Montegos were sold in the UK between 1984 and 1995. In August 2006, a survey by Auto Express magazine revealed that the Montego was Britain's eighth most scrapped car, with just 8,988 still in working order. Contributing to this, areas of the bodywork that were to be covered by plastic trim (such as the front and rear bumpers) were left unpainted and thus unprotected. In addition, pre-1989 models cannot run on unleaded petrol
without the cylinder head
being converted or needing fuel additives. The exception being the 1994 cc O series which has sufficiently hard exhaust valves and seats. Sadly, many people are unaware that the FBHVC (Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs) tested and approved lead replacement fuel additives do exist. These work out at only a couple of pence a litre. http://fbhvc.co.uk/fuel-information/
The Austin Montego, like many other Austin Rover cars at the time, offered a high luxury model. Sold opposite the MG, the Montego Vanden Plas was the luxury alternative. The Vanden Plas featured leather seats and door cards (velour in the estate version), powered windows, mirrors, door locks and sunroof, Alloy wheels were offered and later became standard on all cars. An automatic gearbox was also offered. It was available in both saloon and estate bodystyles. Most Vanden Plas Montegos were 2.0 litre, either EFi (electronic fuel injection) or standard carburettor engines, some 1.6 litre Vanden Plas were available.
, the Austin Montego was launched in 1984. The only models available were the manual 2.0 litre HLS or Mayfair versions (in estate form).
The sedan version was not offered in New Zealand due to concerns that it would compete directly with the Honda Accord
. Also available from 1987 the Montego was sold in the Vanden Plas range with the 2.0 litre fuel injected motor.
From about 1989 onwards, a wider range of models were imported by a new company, Rover New Zealand; this included sedan versions for the first time. Also new were the MG 2.0 range (identical to the MG Montego sold in the UK), and all wore the official MG
badge. The main Auckland dealer developed an air conditioning system as an option for these models in conjunction with local specialists. However, the estate version was never sold in the UK with the MG badging. The estate version was mentioned in A-Z of Cars of the 1980s by Martin Lewis, with them saying "Thankfully, BL never had the nerve to build an estate version". This was ironic
considering there actually was one in existence.
- a version of the Robin
with 4 wheels and Triumph-inspired front suspension - as the Sipani Dolphin). The car was not a success, selling in limited numbers before being discontinued.
with a Montego front end is built in China under the Etsong
Lande nameplate.
Čar
Čar is a village in the municipality of Bujanovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 296 people.-References:...
that was produced by the Austin Rover
Austin Rover Group
The Austin Rover Group was a British motor manufacturer. It was formed in 1981 as the mass-market car manufacturing subsidiary of British Leyland...
subsidiary of British Leyland (BL), and its successors, from 1984 until 1994. The Montego was the replacement for the Morris Ital
Morris Ital
The Morris Ital was a medium-sized saloon car built by British Leyland from 1980 until 1984.-Design and launch:The Ital was first launched on 1 July 1980. It took its name from Giorgetto Giugiaro's ItalDesign studio, who had been employed by BL to manage the re-engineering of Morris Marina, a car...
, to give British Leyland a modern competitor for the Ford Sierra
Ford Sierra
The Ford Sierra is a large family car that was built by Ford Europe from 1982 until 1993. It was designed by Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick le Quément. The code used during development was "Project Toni"....
and Vauxhall Cavalier
Vauxhall Cavalier
The Vauxhall Cavalier is a large family car sold primarily in the UK by Vauxhall Motors, the British division of General Motors , from 1975 to 1995...
.
On its launch, it was sold as an Austin
Austin Motor Company
The Austin Motor Company was a British manufacturer of automobiles. The company was founded in 1905 and merged in 1952 into the British Motor Corporation Ltd. The marque Austin was used until 1987...
and also an MG
MG (car)
The MG Car Company is a former British sports car manufacturer founded in the 1920s by Cecil Kimber. Best known for its two-seat open sports cars, MG also produced saloons and coupés....
. From 1986, it was sold without a marque following the phasing out of the Austin name.
Design and development
The Montego started life as a four-door notchbackNotchback
Notchback is a styling term describing a car body style, a variation of three-box styling where the third distinct volume or "box" is less pronounced — especially where the rear deck is short or where the rear window is upright...
variant of project LC10. Development on the new model, intended to succeed the Morris Marina
Morris Marina
The Morris Marina is a car which was manufactured by the Morris division of British Leyland in the UK throughout the 1970s, which was a period of great turbulence and difficulty for the British car industry. It was known in some markets as the Austin Marina, Leyland Marina, and Morris 1.7...
by the turn of the 1980s, had begun in 1977 but ultimately the new car was not launched until seven years after development had started; in the meantime, the Marina had been updated and rebadged as the Morris Ital
Morris Ital
The Morris Ital was a medium-sized saloon car built by British Leyland from 1980 until 1984.-Design and launch:The Ital was first launched on 1 July 1980. It took its name from Giorgetto Giugiaro's ItalDesign studio, who had been employed by BL to manage the re-engineering of Morris Marina, a car...
from 1980.
The Austin Maestro
Austin Maestro
The Austin Maestro is a compact-sized 5-door hatchback car that was produced from 1983 to 1994, initially by the Austin Rover subsidiary of British Leyland , and from 1988 onwards by its successor, Rover Group. The car was produced at the former Morris plant in Cowley, Oxford. It was initially...
emerged as the five-door hatchback
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
variant. When the designs diverged, the Montego became project LM11 (the Maestro being LM10), and remained based on a lengthened version of the LC10s Volkswagen Golf style front Macpherson strut
MacPherson strut
The MacPherson strut is a type of car suspension system which uses the axis of a telescopic damper as the upper steering pivot. It is widely used in modern vehicles and named after Earle S. MacPherson, who developed the design.-History:...
/ rear twist beam chassis. The Montego received different front and rear styling following the replacement of designer David Bache
David Bache
David Ernest Bache was a British car designer. For much of his career he worked with Rover.-Early life:Bache was born in Worcestershire, the son of Aston Villa and England footballer Joe Bache...
with Roy Axe
Roy Axe
Royden Axe was a British car designer.-Career:Axe started his career in 1959 with the Rootes Group where he progressed first to "Chief stylist" and then to "Design director"...
. It also featured body-coloured bumpers (as did the Maestro), and front wipers which hid themselves under the bonnet when parked.
The Montego offered many improvements over the Maestro, many of which were later incorporated into the latter, such as a new SOHC engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
(the S-Series), and a more robust dashboard. As with the Maestro, there was a high-performance MG
MG (car)
The MG Car Company is a former British sports car manufacturer founded in the 1920s by Cecil Kimber. Best known for its two-seat open sports cars, MG also produced saloons and coupés....
version which again used the solid-state instrument cluster, trip computer
Trip computer
A trip computer is an onboard computer device fitted to cars which can generally record distance travelled, average speed, average fuel consumption, and display real time fuel consumption information...
, and synthesised voice for the information and warning systems. The dashboard fitted to the Montego was superior to that originally designed for the Maestro and featured a rally-style tachometer, a service indicator and a representation of the car showing open doors, lights left on, etc.
An estate
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
variant, with larger luggage capacity than its competitors, two additional rear-facing child seats and self-levelling suspension
Self-levelling suspension
Self-levelling refers to an automobile suspension system that maintains a constant ride height of the vehicle above the road, regardless of load....
, also styled by Roy Axe, followed shortly and received instant acclaim, winning the company a Design Council
Design Council
The Design Council is a United Kingdom non-departmental public body incorporated by Royal Charter and registered as a charity.Registered charity number 272099.- In the beginning :The Design Council started in 1944 as the Council of Industrial Design...
award.
There were originally plans to name it the Rover 400 Series and pre-production cars in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
were seen bearing "ROVER" badges, and badged as 413i, 416i, 420 and 420i.
From 1995, a decade after the Montego was discontinued, the 416i and 420i names would be used, but on the unrelated Rover 400 Series.
To market
The estate variant was launched at the British International Motor Show
British International Motor Show
The British International Motor Show is an automobile show held biennially in the United Kingdom. It is recognised as an international show by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles. The 2008 was the last event with no news of a return of the British International Motor Show...
in October of that year. The 150 bhp MG turbocharged variant took the market by storm in early 1985 as the fastest production MG ever with a 0–60 mph time of 7.3 seconds, and a top speed of 126 mph (202.8 km/h). The Vanden Plas version drew upon the heritage of the historic coachbuilder, and featured leather seats, walnut veneer and features such as electric windows, central locking and power door mirrors.
Like the Maestro, the Montego suffered from its overly long development phase, which had been begun in 1975 and which was hampered throughout by the industrial turmoil that plagued both British Leyland and Austin Rover Group during this period. In some ways, the technology was ahead of its time, notably the solid-state instrumentation. However, early examples suffered from build quality and reliability problems. The talking dashboard fitted to high-end models (and initially used to promote the Montego as an advanced high-tech offering) was prone to irritating faults and came to be regarded as something of an embarrassment by BL and the British press. This feature was discontinued after a short period. There were also problems with the early sets of body-coloured bumpers which tended to crack in cold weather at the slightest impact.
Later developments
Development on the Montego continued. A minor facelift in 1989 enhanced its appeal, which was buoyed up by both the Perkins-engined DieselDiesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
model, and the seven-seater version of the "Countryman" estate. The 2 litre turbodiesel (often known by its Perkins designation 'Prima') was a development of the O-Series petrol engine already used in the range. The diesel saloon even won a CAR magazine 'giant test' against the Citroën BX (1.8 XUDT), the then new Peugeot 405 (1.8 XUDT) and Audi 80 (1.6) turbo diesels. They rated the 405 the best car, followed by the BX and then the Montego, with the Audi coming in last. "But if people buy diesels, and turbo diesel for their economy, the winner has to be the Montego. ...its engine is - even when roundly thrashed - more than 10% more economical than the rest. For those isolated moments when cost control is not of the essence, the Montego is a car you can enjoy too. The steering and driving position are quite excellent. ...the suspension as 'impressively refined'. It is silent over rough bumps, poised and well damped."
The turbo diesel became a favourite of the RAF for officer transport. Car Mechanics Magazine
Car Mechanics Magazine
Car Mechanics magazine is a British motoring magazine currently published monthly by Bauer Media in Peterborough and edited by Martyn Knowles who recently took over from long standing editor Peter Simpson. It is aimed at DIY motorists and the motor repair trade. The coverage ranges across all major...
ran an RAF officer transport de-mobbed Montego bought from a Ministry of Defence auction in 1996.
The facelift also saw the phasing out of the Austin
Austin Motor Company
The Austin Motor Company was a British manufacturer of automobiles. The company was founded in 1905 and merged in 1952 into the British Motor Corporation Ltd. The marque Austin was used until 1987...
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.
Though the car failed to match its rivals, such as the Volkswagen Passat
Volkswagen Passat
The Volkswagen Passat is a large family car marketed by Volkswagen Passenger Cars through six design generations since 1973. Between the Volkswagen Golf / Volkswagen Jetta and the Volkswagen Phaeton in the current Volkswagen line-up, the Passat and its derivatives have been badged variously as...
, the car sold well to the likes of the Ford Sierra
Ford Sierra
The Ford Sierra is a large family car that was built by Ford Europe from 1982 until 1993. It was designed by Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick le Quément. The code used during development was "Project Toni"....
and Vauxhall Cavalier
Vauxhall Cavalier
The Vauxhall Cavalier is a large family car sold primarily in the UK by Vauxhall Motors, the British division of General Motors , from 1975 to 1995...
.
By the early 1990s, the Montego was terminally aged, and production effectively ceased when the replacement car, the Rover 600
Rover 600
The Rover 600 Series is a compact executive car produced by the British car maker Rover from 1993 to 1999.The Rover 600 exterior was designed by Rover, a re-skin of the Tochigi-developed Honda Accord, also built in the UK by Honda in Swindon...
, was launched in 1993, (special fleet orders were almost handbuilt until 1994, while estates continued until 1995). In its final year, What Car?
What Car?
What Car? is a long-running UK monthly automobile magazine and website, currently edited by Steve Fowler and published by Haymarket Motoring. First published in 1973, it is intended primarily as a magazine for consumers rather than dedicated automobile enthusiasts...
magazine said "Austin Rover's once 'great white hope', Montego matured into a very decent car — but nobody noticed". The chassis development for the Montego and Maestro's rear suspension was used as a basis for later Rover cars, and was well regarded.
Montegos continued to be built in small numbers in CKD form at the Cowley plant in Oxford 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
Heritage Motor Centre
The Heritage Motor Centre is a British motor museum and research centre, located adjacent to the Jaguar Land Rover Gaydon Centre near Gaydon in Warwickshire, England. The centre is open to the public, and houses a collection of important vehicles, celebrating Britain's motoring heritage...
in Gaydon
Gaydon
Gaydon is a parish and village in Warwickshire, England, close to Leamington Spa. In the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 376.The village is at the junction of the B4100 and B4451 roads, a mile from Junction 12 of the M40 motorway, and is two miles north-east of Kineton.-Motor...
, Warwickshire. A total of 546,000 Austin/Rover Montegos and 23,000 MG Montegos were produced, with Britain by far being the biggest market for the car.
In all, 436,000 Montegos were sold in the UK between 1984 and 1995. In August 2006, a survey by Auto Express magazine revealed that the Montego was Britain's eighth most scrapped car, with just 8,988 still in working order. Contributing to this, areas of the bodywork that were to be covered by plastic trim (such as the front and rear bumpers) were left unpainted and thus unprotected. In addition, pre-1989 models cannot run on unleaded petrol
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
without the cylinder head
Cylinder head
In an internal combustion engine, the cylinder head sits above the cylinders on top of the cylinder block. It closes in the top of the cylinder, forming the combustion chamber. This joint is sealed by a head gasket...
being converted or needing fuel additives. The exception being the 1994 cc O series which has sufficiently hard exhaust valves and seats. Sadly, many people are unaware that the FBHVC (Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs) tested and approved lead replacement fuel additives do exist. These work out at only a couple of pence a litre. http://fbhvc.co.uk/fuel-information/
The Austin Montego, like many other Austin Rover cars at the time, offered a high luxury model. Sold opposite the MG, the Montego Vanden Plas was the luxury alternative. The Vanden Plas featured leather seats and door cards (velour in the estate version), powered windows, mirrors, door locks and sunroof, Alloy wheels were offered and later became standard on all cars. An automatic gearbox was also offered. It was available in both saloon and estate bodystyles. Most Vanden Plas Montegos were 2.0 litre, either EFi (electronic fuel injection) or standard carburettor engines, some 1.6 litre Vanden Plas were available.
New Zealand
In New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, the Austin Montego was launched in 1984. The only models available were the manual 2.0 litre HLS or Mayfair versions (in estate form).
The sedan version was not offered in New Zealand due to concerns that it would compete directly with the Honda Accord
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a series of compact, mid-size and full-size automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1976, and sold in a majority of automotive markets throughout the world....
. Also available from 1987 the Montego was sold in the Vanden Plas range with the 2.0 litre fuel injected motor.
From about 1989 onwards, a wider range of models were imported by a new company, Rover New Zealand; this included sedan versions for the first time. Also new were the MG 2.0 range (identical to the MG Montego sold in the UK), and all wore the official MG
MG (car)
The MG Car Company is a former British sports car manufacturer founded in the 1920s by Cecil Kimber. Best known for its two-seat open sports cars, MG also produced saloons and coupés....
badge. The main Auckland dealer developed an air conditioning system as an option for these models in conjunction with local specialists. However, the estate version was never sold in the UK with the MG badging. The estate version was mentioned in A-Z of Cars of the 1980s by Martin Lewis, with them saying "Thankfully, BL never had the nerve to build an estate version". This was ironic
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
considering there actually was one in existence.
India
The Montego was sold in India as the Rover Montego in collaboration with Sipani Motors - (the company that tried and failed to market the Reliant KittenReliant Kitten
The Reliant Kitten is a small economy car which was manufactured from 1975 to 1982 by the Reliant Motor Company in Tamworth, England. It has a glass fibre body and an 848 cc all-aluminum inline-four engine, providing economical performance....
- a version of the Robin
Reliant Robin
thumb|right|250px|1975 Greek advertisement for Mebea Robin The Reliant Robin is a small three wheeled car formerly manufactured by the Reliant Motor Company in Tamworth, England...
with 4 wheels and Triumph-inspired front suspension - as the Sipani Dolphin). The car was not a success, selling in limited numbers before being discontinued.
China
A version of the Austin MaestroAustin Maestro
The Austin Maestro is a compact-sized 5-door hatchback car that was produced from 1983 to 1994, initially by the Austin Rover subsidiary of British Leyland , and from 1988 onwards by its successor, Rover Group. The car was produced at the former Morris plant in Cowley, Oxford. It was initially...
with a Montego front end is built in China under the Etsong
SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile
SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile is a joint venture between General Motors and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation of China and Liuzhou Wuling Motors Co., Ltd...
Lande nameplate.
Trinidad and Tobago
From 1997–2000, a private importer sold the Montego in this Caribbean nation under the Rover badge. Build quality was poor and the company soon foldedTaiwan
From Mid 1980s until early 1990s, a local importer sold the Montego along with the Mini and Maestro under Austin, then Rover badge.Engines
- 1984–89 - 1275 cc A-Plus I4Straight-4The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, 68 hp (51 kW) at 5600 rpm and 75 ft·lbf (102 Nm) at 3500 rpm - 1984–93 - 1598 cc S-series, 86 bhp
- 1984–93 - 1994 cc O-Series 104 bhp (carburettor), 115 bhp (fuel injection), and 150 bhp (turbo)
- 1988–94 - 1994 cc Austin/Rover MDi - Perkins Prima TD I4Straight-4The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, 81 hp and 116 lbft