Austin Mini Metro

The story

The Metro was British Leyland's make-or-break supermini, built by robots in a new hall at Longbridge. The country got behind it and it sold strongly for years. It ended its days as the Rover 100.

Inside

Big windows, a low dash and a rear seat that split and folded 60/40, a first for a small car. There was more room inside than in rivals a size bigger.

In period colours

Tap a colour to respray the drawing.

Meanwhile, in 1980

The SAS stormed the Iranian Embassy in London, live on television.

Best-selling single of 1980: Don't Stand So Close to Me by The Police

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.