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Austin Maxi

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The Austin Maxi was the rival to the Renault 16 from across the channel. One of the first family hatchbacks, available in any number of quease-inducing colours, Maxis were part of the street furniture of almost every urban road in the UK throughout the 70s and early 80s. If you don't believe me, watch an episode of any London-based drama of the era - The Sweeney, The Professionals, Minder, Big Deal...

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Do You Remember Austin Maxi?

Do You Remember Austin Maxi?

  • Anonymous user
    on
    My dad had one of these. A 1750 HL. What luxury. was the first car he had that was front wheel drive, hence no big lump in the floor in the back from the drive shaft. So when we drove down south for summer holidays i could now sleep on the floor in comfort while my big brother hogged the back seat. Real velour seats and fluffy carpet throughout. Bliss.
  • Anonymous user
    on
    As I recall, one of the first bog-standard family cars to feature a 5-speed gearbox. Although cable operated, the gearshift was always slick and precise (until the cables either stretched or broke!) Overall, a fine car produced at a time when BL were suffering the torments of hell (aka Red Robbo!)
  • Anonymous user
    on
    Terrific cars, wish I had one to keep my Allegro company! We had one from the Sumer of '76 to the September of '77- she was a 1969 1500 in an elegant enamel blue, one of the very first to be built. I even remember the registration number, ROE 686G. We went up to Scotland in her in the Summer of '77, for a fortnight's camping holiday on the Isle of Mull. We brought back with us a very heavy anchor-weight which we'd found on the beach there, which sat in the middle of the back seat all the way home! We've still got that- don't think it did the poor car's suspension much good, but Maxi suspension was hydramatic like the 1100/1300 range, so it was easily re-inflated again. Sadly, we sold her in the September of '77 because her transmission cable went (the '69 Maxi was unusual in having cable transmission- by '70 this had been replaced with conventional synchromesh, which meant that finding sapre cables for the earliest ones became very difficult). I don't think that she's on this Earth any longer (the owner's club didn't have a record of her last time I asked them), though I'd like to think that she was converted to synchro and survived at least a few years longer. The first Maxi's had the '60s Austin steering wheel, two-bar with the Austin coat of arms in the centre, although I don't think they ever had leather seats. I actually never remember their colour schemes being awful, just fairly standard white, faun, pale yellow and so on- as well as that wonderful '60s navy blue! Rest in peace, our old Maxi, I love you still.

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