The Austin Maxi is a medium-sized, 5-door hatchback family car that was produced by Austin and later British Leyland between 1969 and 1981. Despite its practical design and space efficiency, the Maxi never came close to reaching its projected sales targets.
Austin Maxi at a glance
| Produced | 1969–1981 |
|---|---|
| Built | 450,297 |
| Code name | ADO14 |
| Launched | 24 April 1969 in Oporto, Portugal |
| Designer | Alec Issigonis; the last production car he designed, and the last designed under BMC |
| Layout | front-wheel drive with an innovative five-speed manual gearbox |
| Engines | E-Series, made at a new factory at Cofton Hackett; built at Cowley |
| First car of | British Leyland |
This page is based on English Wikipedia only (a trusted source), so the facts were not cross-checked against a second source.
History of the Austin Maxi
The Maxi, code-named ADO14, was the last car designed under the British Motor Corporation before it was incorporated into the new British Leyland group, and the last production car designed by Alec Issigonis. It was the first car launched by British Leyland. Under BMC’s plan, developed since 1965, it was to have been called the Austin 1500 on its spring 1969 launch, with a saloon version, the Morris 1500, following in the autumn; after the merger of BMC and Leyland, the new management dropped the four-door notchback and developed the Morris Marina instead, launched in April 1971 as a rear-wheel-drive saloon, coupé or estate. Lord Stokes changed the hatchback’s name to Maxi in homage to the Mini of ten years earlier.
All Maxis were produced at the Cowley plant in Oxford, while the E-Series engines were made at a new factory at Cofton Hackett next to Longbridge. The Maxi was launched in Oporto on 24 April 1969 in a blaze of publicity, and was one of the first cars to appear on the BBC’s new car programme Wheelbase.
Technology and sales
Under its practical and spacious bodyshell lay an all-new front-wheel-drive chassis interlinked with an innovative five-speed manual transmission; the fifth gear was a rarity on family cars in 1969 and one many makers did not adopt for more than a decade. The gear selector suffered from notorious problems with its control linkage. BL marketing decreed that the Maxi should be the only car in the range with a hatchback, which prevented the Austin Allegro and Princess from gaining hatchbacks although the designs could have taken them.
Design and features
- Layout: front-wheel drive with a five-speed manual gearbox.
- Body: a five-door hatchback with a space-efficient interior.
- Weak point: the gear-selector linkage.
Austin Maxi versions
- Maxi 1500 and 1750: the E-Series models over twelve years.
More Austin cars are in our Austin collection, for example the Allegro and the Princess, which BL did not give a hatchback, and the Mini whose name it echoed.
Austin Maxi questions and answers
When was the Austin Maxi built?
From 1969 to 1981.
Who designed it?
Alec Issigonis; it was his last production car.
What was special about its gearbox?
A five-speed manual, a rarity on family cars in 1969.
How many were made?
450,297.
Why did it not sell as hoped?
It never came close to its projected sales targets, despite a practical design.
Video: Austin Maxi – Test Drive & Overview (2003)
Video by Men and Motors on YouTube.
Sources
- Austin Maxi, English Wikipedia: history and design
