The MG Montego was the sporting version of the Austin Montego saloon, launched on 25 April 1984. It followed the MG Maestro into the range and added fuel injection, a rally-style dashboard and, in 1985, a turbocharged engine that made it the fastest production MG ever built at the time.
MG Montego at a glance
| Maker | MG (British Leyland, later Rover Group), Cowley |
|---|---|
| Production | 1984–1991 |
| Basis | Austin Montego, project LM11 |
| Launch | 25 April 1984 |
| Bodies | four-door saloon; estate from October 1984 |
| Engine | S-series four-cylinder, fuel injection on the MG cars |
| MG turbo (1985) | 150 bhp at 5,100 rpm, 169 lb-ft at 3,500 rpm |
| 0–60 mph | 7.3 seconds for the turbo |
| Top speed | 126 mph (203 km/h) for the turbo |
| Chassis | MacPherson struts front, twist beam rear |
| Saloon production | ended 1993; the estate lasted until December 1994 |
The English Wikipedia article covers the whole Montego range; this page uses only the parts that concern the MG-badged cars.
History of the MG Montego
Project LM11
The Montego began as the four-door notchback version of project LC10, which was intended to replace both the Morris Marina and the Princess ranges. Work started in 1977, but the car did not appear until seven years later: in the meantime the Marina had become the Morris Ital and the Princess the Austin Ambassador, and the Honda-based Triumph Acclaim had been introduced as a stop-gap.
When the designs diverged, the Montego became project LM11 while the five-door Maestro was LM10. The Montego stayed on a lengthened version of the LC10 chassis with MacPherson struts at the front and a twist beam at the rear, but received different front and rear styling after Roy Axe replaced David Bache as design director. It offered several improvements over the Maestro, including a new single-overhead-camshaft S-series engine and a more robust dashboard, features that were later passed back to the Maestro. An estate with self-levelling suspension and two rear-facing child seats followed in October 1984 and won a Design Council award.
The MG version
As with the Maestro, there was a high-performance MG version, which again used a solid-state instrument cluster, a trip computer and a synthesised voice for the information and warning systems. The Montego dashboard was superior to the one originally designed for the Maestro, with a rally-style tachometer, a service indicator and a display showing open doors or lights left on.
The MG turbocharged variant was released in early 1985 with 150 bhp at 5,100 rpm and 169 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm. It was the fastest production MG ever at the time, with a 0–60 mph time of 7.3 seconds and a top speed of 126 mph.
Reputation and end of production
Like many BL cars before it, the early Montego suffered from build quality and reliability problems that badly damaged its reputation. Styling had been divided among Ian Beech, David Bache and Roger Tucker, and when Roy Axe saw the prototypes he recommended restarting the whole exercise; the development cycle was too far advanced, so late changes included accentuated rear wheel arches and plastic trims on the doors to disguise the drooping belt line. Saloon production ended in 1993 after the arrival of the Rover 600, while the estate remained in production until December 1994.
Design and features
- Turbo engine: 150 bhp and 7.3 seconds to 60 mph, the quickest MG of its day.
- Solid-state dashboard: rally-style tachometer, service indicator and trip computer.
- Voice warnings: synthesised messages as on the MG Maestro.
- Practical body: saloon and a well-equipped estate with self-levelling suspension.
MG Montego versions
- MG Montego EFi (1984): fuel-injected version of the new saloon.
- MG Montego Turbo (1985): 150 bhp flagship, 126 mph.
- MG Montego estate: the load-carrying body, offered with MG trim.
- Later cars (1989): sold without the Austin marque after the brand was phased out.
The Montego shared its platform with the MG Maestro and was the last car launched under the Austin marque; more cars are in the MG collection.
Video: MG Montego 2.0 Litre Turbo, A demonstration by Steve Soper
Video by BCMGOC on YouTube.
Sources
- Austin Montego, English Wikipedia: LM11 project, MG turbo, performance figures, production
