Austin Montego

The story

The Montego was a Maestro stretched into a saloon to take on the Sierra and Cavalier. Early quality problems hurt it, but the later diesel was one of the most economical cars you could buy.

Inside

Roomy, with a big boot. The estate had the option of two extra rear-facing seats for children and won a Design Council award.

In period colours

Tap a colour to respray the drawing.

Meanwhile, in 1984

The miners' strike began, and Band Aid recorded Do They Know It's Christmas?

Best-selling single of 1984: Do They Know It's Christmas? by Band Aid

Before you buy a 1980s car

• Check for rust in the usual places, though many cars from this decade were better protected.
• Electrical and fuel system faults are common, so test everything.
• Parts for mass-market cars are usually easy to find.

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.