Montego Bay it aint. (Austin/MG Montego)

Member Name: mqueen

Product:	Austin/MG Montego
Date:	05/01/01 (100 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Two for a tenner.

Disadvantages: Only worth a quid.

Can you remember the Austin Montego? I actually had one a few years ago, an F reg 1.6L model in white. I bought it because I needed a car and it was cheap. The operative word here is, cheap.

You realised this when you climbed aboard, and just peroused the tacky cock-pit. Buttons on the dash that once had a purpose, now fell off when touched. The gear stick felt nobbly and crunchy. And those awful cloth seats showed every stain that had been spilt since it had been bought.

There were annoying rattles inside when the car moved off. Although the Montego handled quite well, and the engine was very willing, everything else on the car seemed to be falling off.

Can you remember the adverts of the late 1980's when Montegos were thrashed around the company car park and spun 180 degrees into that tight parking space? The Montego was shown as a capable car with flair and style. I can remember, too, when the Mitsubishi Galant was seen as a neck and neck rival of the Montego, and it was hoped that it would steal the Montego's thunder.

Funny, eh? The Galant was a far better car than the Montego could ever dream of being, and still is.

The fact that you can hardly find a Montego on the roads these days, even though Rover built them up to 1995, believe it or not, must demonstrate that the Montego was hardly a car to be taken seriously, even though Austin Rover would have you believe it was 12 years ago. Funny how time reveals all, eh?

Summary: