Motor magazine headlined its first test in 1980 ‘It makes us proud to be British’, and 15 years later Autocar said in its 111Si test, ‘The Metro replacement entertains its driver in a way that its VW Polo rival can only dream of.’īL’s first compact hatchback faced stronger opposition than ever before, and a home market where foreign imports had overtaken domestic production.
Overshadowed by its hugely characterful predecessor and hampered by state-owned British Leyland’s 1970s strike record, which delayed its introduction and mired the brand’s reputation, the Metro was actually – shock! – a good car.
