Austin Maestro

The story

Roomy and light on fuel, the Maestro was meant to win back the Escort's customers. It had body-coloured plastic bumpers and a bonded windscreen, both new ideas then. The MG Turbo of 1989 did 128 mph.

Inside

Top models had a digital dashboard with glowing green numbers and a voice synthesiser. A recorded woman's voice warned you about low fuel, open doors and seat belts. Many owners switched her off.

In period colours

Tap a colour to respray the drawing.

Meanwhile, in 1983

Wearing a front seat belt became compulsory, and the pound coin was introduced.

Best-selling single of 1983: Karma Chameleon by Culture Club

Before you buy a 1980s car

• Check for rust in the usual places, though many cars from this decade were better protected.
• Electrical and fuel system faults are common, so test everything.
• Parts for mass-market cars are usually easy to find.

General notes, not specific to this model. Check the model's own history before buying.

Rivals of its day

Picked automatically: cars on sale at the same time with similar size, speed and price.

See the real thing

These open in a new tab: the car on Wikimedia Commons, the interior and the badge as Google image searches.