Introduced in 1983, the Maestro comprised a small family 5-door hatchback vehicle manufactured by British Leyland at their Morris Cowley works. It had a 5-speed manual gearbox and a basic 1.3L engine rising to 1.6L on later models. It incorporated many innovative features for its time. It had a bonded laminated windscreen, homofocal headlights, body-coloured plastic bumpers, an electronic engine management system, adjustable front seat belt anchorage positions, an asymmetrically split rear seat and a 12.000 mile service interval. When it was launched in 1983, the critics hailed it as roomy, comfortable and good to drive. Just over 600,000 Austin Maestro cars were sold and it was sixth in the best selling category in 1983 and 1984.
With both a red and a cream version of the Austin Maestro already in the 1:76 scale range, here we have another authentic colour scheme for our early ‘80s family car – a dramatic black.
Also included on this page are pictures from the Press Information pack from 1983. It is an A4 ring binder and it contains around 50 pages of written information, great for selling back then - there is an embargo date of the 1st March 1983. Also a release brochure.
Our 1:76 scale model comes on a plinth, with a clear lid and an Oxford Automobile wrap.