Austin Allegro

The story

Harris Mann drew a sleek wedge, but tall engines and a bulky heater made the finished car dumpy. It rode softly on Hydragas suspension and sold steadily, yet it became a national joke. The nickname was All-Aggro.

Inside

The famous Quartic steering wheel was a square with rounded corners, meant to give a clearer view of the dials. Buyers disliked it and it was dropped within two years. The posh Vanden Plas version had walnut picnic tables.

In period colours

Tap a colour to respray the drawing.

Meanwhile, in 1973

Britain joined the Common Market, and an oil crisis brought queues at the petrol pumps.

Best-selling single of 1973: Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree by Dawn featuring Tony Orlando

Before you buy a 1970s car

• Rust is common in sills, wheel arches, front panels and the bottom of the doors.
• Check the wiring and electrics carefully, as they age badly.
• Many volume-selling cars still have good parts support, but badge-engineered and low-volume models can be harder to source.

General notes, not specific to this model. Check the model's own history before buying.

Rivals of its day

Picked automatically: cars on sale at the same time with similar size, speed and price.

See the real thing

These open in a new tab: the car on Wikimedia Commons, the interior and the badge as Google image searches.