Austin Allegro (1973 – 1982) Review

Austin Allegro (1973 – 1982) At A Glance

3/5

+Comfortable ride, many different options available, cool looking estate, Equipe special edition looks great, a great first-time classic car

-Apathy, sluggish A-Series cars, you'll be forever justifying it to non-believers

The Austin Allegro represents the point at which - to the outsider - British Leyland lost the will to live. It was so much less apealing than the car it replaced - the 1100/1300 - it was laughable, but despite this, there were many positive points that were overlooked due to the car becoming a political hot potato during the 1970s.

And that reputation for failure stuck with the Allegro for many, many years after it ceased production in 1982. And for many older car fans, it still holds true to this day. It's marked out by its strange looks, lack of build quality, reliability issues and that infamous quartic steering wheel. But the good points such as a wide choice of engines from 1.0-litre through to 1750cc, compliant Hydragas suspension, five gears and a distinctive character are well worth noting.

Some cult appeal nowadays as the ideal starter classic for the impecunious. 1979 Equipe special edition worth double the money of its standard counterpart, and all are slowly rising in value as numbers thin.

Ask Honest John

How much is my Austin Allegro worth?

"I am considering selling my Austin Allegro Super Deluxe two door, 1100. It has a quartic steering wheel, original paint and is in very good condition. What is a rough value?"
We'd expect one in excellent condition to be on a dealer's forecourt for about £2500 with a similar car in the classifieds for about £2000. A solid car that needs a bit of TLC is about £1250 while a project can be £500 or less. From your brief description yours sounds like it's around £1500-£1750. Of course, a car is only worth what someone wants to pay for it and while Allegros have seen their popularity grow over the past ten years, they still get a rough ride.
Answered by Keith Moody
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