1984 Austin Metro Vanden Plas

Forget Ferrari’s 250 series or early Lamborghinis - here is a real rarity; an Eighties Austin Mini Metro - a Mk1 in very good nick. What’s more, it’s a top-of-the range, 63bhp Vanden Plas 1.3-litre with a manual gearbox. It has a fresh MoT, and has covered just over 12,000 miles from new.

The Metro had previously been a category ‘D’ salvage car - its only fault being that an attempted break-in had left minor lock and bodywork damage. Metro values being what they were at the time, the car was written off, but luckily it was bought by an enthusiast and repaired.

Equally good news is that its present owner, Richard, worked for British Leyland back in period (he’s since gone on to become a senior motoring journalist) and he knows the model well. He has maintained the car diligently, used it sparingly and, like previous keepers, done his bit in maintaining its originality.

‘The bodywork is in fine condition,’ confirms Richard. ‘It has had no welding and doesn't need any.’ A walk around the car backs up his opinion. The dark blue paintwork retains a good lustre with no major blemishes to speak of. The car looks symmetrical side to side, and the doors and panels line up well. The angles in the lines would give away any misalignment, but the gaps and shut lines are consistently even. The wheel arches look very tidy and the seams between panels below the bumpers - always a worrying place - appear very clean.

‘All the[new] locks work as they should,’ says Richard, noting that this was the area that needed work; ‘the bodywork repair is very difficult to detect. The only significant blemish to the paint is on the tailgate,’ he notes; ‘where there's a very average repair around the rear wiper spindle.’ However, he describes the repair as ‘robust’, so the new owner will be able to attend to any correction in their own time while still using and enjoying the car as is.

The exterior trim is also in good condition. Bumpers and mirrors are firmly fitted and retain their colour.The chrome surrounding the rectangular grill is dent free, shows no discolouration and retains its crisp rectangular shape. The black window surrounds retain their colour and line, as does the chrome and rubber trim along the sides of the body. The parallel ‘VP’ coachlining looks good too. A nice period touch is the very tidy ‘I’ve seen Metros being built’ decal (which of course, this owner has) in the offside rear window.

The interior is equally as pleasing as the bodywork, and the condition of the seat material alone goes a long way to confirming the car’s mileage reading. There are no tears in the ‘Raschelle’ velvet upholstery, and the brushed nylon headlining, which once sagged, has recently been restored using the correct cloth. All fabrics retains their colour throughout the car - front and back. No elbows have flattened the rear arm rests (another VP touch) and no rings or finger nails have left their marks on gear stick or steering wheel. The door capping show a fine gloss and grain, though Richard has a view on those;

‘The owner who restored the car had them refurbished. But it’s the incorrect grain - it should be a walnut burr.’ That said, the wood trim is very presentable and will do just fine until an even more picky future owner decides to ‘rectify’ the issue.

On the subject of originality though; the Metro retains its original radio cassette (yes, it works) and - even more astonishing - the black bag which holds the detachable glass sunroof is present. How many of those do you reckon are still attached to the cars they came with? For the true Metro connoisseur, it should be noted that the original window winder (centre) screw cover caps are retained. (They were slightly too small and often fell out). Also, the very clean carpets are protected by the original Mini Metro-branded Austin-Rover rubber mats. In the boot, the original jack also has its black bag, though, just like the old days, there doesn’t seem to be an original place to put it. Still; it can live with the original spare wheel in a rust-free wheel well under the boot.

Opening the bonnet reveals a clean and tidy engine bay - maybe not concours, but very well kept. The underside of the bonnet itself shows no signs of rust or heat damage and the motor looks to be leak and oil stain free. There are no creative wiring ‘solutions’ or get-rounds, and hoses and cables all look supple and have not perished. There is no corrosion or crud in screw heads or around bolts. Ancillaries appear in good order. Richard says the car needs a new washer bottle with motor.

Metro enthusiasts might raise an eyebrow as to the apparently non-standard wheels. ‘Metros from this era came with ‘millimetric’ TD wheels and tyres,’ observes Richard. ‘The bead [tyre] attachment developed by Dunlop and Michelin wasn’t great,’ he adds. ‘And replacements are difficult and expensive to find.’ In the refurb’, the car was fitted with MG Metro ‘pepper pot’ alloys. By a happy coincidence, these were also fitted to the Metro VDP 100 limited edition (and said previous owner also added VDP centre caps) so the choice isn’t too far from original. The original wheels (and older tyres) are also still with the car.

Behind the wheels, the Metro has had the suspension’s ‘Hydragas’ displacers regassed by experts Ian & Dawn Kennedy - so it rides and handles correctly. It’s a fiddly job involving removing the displacers, fitting them with a Schrader valve to enable the nitrogen chambers of the displacers to be repressurised, refitting them and pumping fresh fluid into the displacers' lower chambers. This work cost £480, and has a guarantee until September 2020.

Looking underneath, some viewers might question the length and position of the exhaust. However; ‘it looks odd, but it’s correct for the VP,’ explains Richard. ‘The longer pipe travelling across the back of the car was quieter.’ Hence, it is correct.

DVLA paperwork in the history file lists four owners before Richard, the first retaining the car from 1984 to 2011. The ‘restoring’ keeper did an owner check after acquiring the car. On seeing the Metro for sale, a further previous owner also got in touch with Richard, so there has been plenty of anecdotal and written evidence as to its upkeep and condition. The MoT history bears out the low mileage, as does the overall condition of the car, although the original service book itself is absent. Richard has kept invoices for the work he has had done. A nice touch for period enthusiasts is the presence of the hand book pack, including instructions for the radio-cassette player plus a period Vanden Plas brochure.

Okay, a Metro is never going to be one of those car where someone comes up to you and says; ‘my father raced one at Spa.’ It’s going to be more; ‘oooh, my mother/auntie/sister/grandmother had one of those. And as such, it’s the kind of motor that has a deep resonance with enthusiasts at all levels - they were part of the fabric of our daily lives. Their values will never rise beyond that of your house - or maybe even your watch - but they will strengthen. And not least because there are so few left; something like only ten basic models left running - apparently only one in ‘Applejack’ green (thankfully), and fewer than 20 VPs.

Another plus point about this car, and one never to be underestimated with any classic, is that this example has been owned and cared for by someone who intimately knows the model; what equipment it should and should not have, and how a good one should drive.

With an estimate of £2,500 - £5,000 It’s not yet time to pay ‘whatever it costs’ to get one, but it is time to realise that these legitimate if diminutive classics are very thin on the ground. Don’t take yourself so seriously - make a bid.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in tring heartfordshire; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

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