Special Sub-Topic: British Leyland Cars of the 70s & 80s Click Here To Play: British Leyland Cars of the 70s & 80s

This family hatchback was a successor to the classic Austin 1300 but the main thing anyone remembers about it was its 'square' steering wheel and an unfortunate advertising campaign that claimed it had 'Vroom'.

Allegro. The Allegro looked unfortunately tubby and rounded, which was in sharp contrast to its more angular predecessor. It is regarded today with some affection, I believe, and there is an owners' club.

Austin's contribution to the luxury car market was to take a standard saloon or hatch, put in leather seats and a wooden fascia and slap a fancy grill on the front. What were all these conversions called?

Vanden Plas. The Vanden Plas versions of standard Austin cars were aimed at 'retired executives' who were downsizing as part of adjusting their lifestyles.

Which of these was not a British Leyland company?

Hillman. Hillman was part of the Rootes Group, which was eventually bought by the American Chrysler company. Lee Iacocca (Chrysler President at the time) realised soon after that he'd made a mistake and that the company was 'dead on its feet'!

Rover broke with its tradition in the late 70s when it introduced a hatchback-style executive car. What was it?

SD. The SD is regarded today as a minor classic. For a 70s British car it looked quite stylish at the time as well.

By the early 80s, the world-famous MG marque had been reduced to a series of re-badged, souped up standard saloons. Which of these cars did not receive the MG treatment?

Marina. The Marina was part of an earlier series of Morris motors. MG badging was only applied to Austin cars.

The Maxi was a 'stretched' version of the Mini.

False. The Austin Maxi was a large family hatchback that was one of the more successful BL products. Conservatively styled but roomy and reliable, it sold well.

Unofficially (and unkindly) known in the industry as 'The Flying Turd', which car was re-vamped and re-introduced in the early 80s as the Ambassador?

Princess. The Austin Princess was that company's flagship model. It was wedge-shaped and relatively modern to look at.

BL sought the help of Italian designers to re-vamp its range of products. Which 'tired' saloon was re-introduced as the Ital in the early 80s?

Marina. A sharper rear with large light clusters and a re-designed, modern grill were not enough. Customers weren't fooled; they could see that the much-heralded Morris Ital was a Marina underneath.

The Dolomite was respected as a worthy upholder of Triumph's sporty image. A smaller version of the Dolomite was designed to succeed the classic Herald series but it failed to find the same niche. It was beloved of driving schools, though, and I learned to drive in one. What was it?

Toledo. The Triumph Toledo looked at first glance like a slightly smaller Dolomite but it was a much tamer and staid beast.

In the early 80s BL formed a partnership with the Japanese company Honda and embarked on a series of joint ventures. What was the first product of this partnership?

Triumph Acclaim. The Acclaim was quite successful. Underpinned by Honda engineering, it was respected for its reliability - rare for a British car.

Billed as the car that would rescue British Leyland, this modern hatchback was a great success and caused almost as much of a stir in the small car market as the Mini did twenty years earlier. What was its name?

Austin Metro. The Metro re-drew the rules for small hatchbacks and influenced lots of other designs for this type of car.

Rover was another BL company to benefit from BL's partnership with Honda with the introduction of the successful 200 series. What was the name of its Honda equivalent?

Concerto. The Honda Concerto was not as successful as the Rover 213/216. It looked the same apart from its trim and interior details. It was Rover's 'wood-effect' dashboard fascia that did the trick!

The MG B Roadster and B GT models were phased out in the early 80s. The last ones were sold as special editions only available in a distinctive bronze or silver livery.

True. The last MG B's were in bronze; the BGT's were in silver.

This Triumph sports car was named after a famous British fighter aircraft of WW2. What was it?

Spitfire. The Triumph Spitfire was a typical British sports car of the period. It was designed and introduced in the early 60s but was kept going for far too long with few modifications. On a personal note, I had one and it was the worst car I've ever owned.

The MG B Roadster shared the same powerplant with the Morris Marina.

True. Worryingly true I'm afraid. The Marina 1800 GT had the same engine as the MG B/BGT series. The MG version was tuned differently, though.