A Grand Monday: Rover 100 Ascot

By 1995, the Rover Metro was getting a little bit long-in-the-tooth. It had been a very successful car for Rover despite sharing much of its shell and platform with the original 1980 Austin Mini-Metro, along with its fluid-sprung Hydragas suspension.

But, fun as it was to drive, the Metro felt very old fashioned alongside new 1990s rivals such as the Fiat Punto, Vauxhall Corsa and Nissan Micra K11. In 1995, Rover tried to shift it upmarket, adding a radiator grille, a few planks of plastic wood and renaming it the ‘100’ in line with the rest of the company’s model range, but it all seemed a little bit cynical.

Its reputation wasn’t helped by its association with Steve Coogan’s fictional TV character, Alan Partridge. 'I’m not driving a Mini metro, Lynn,' he told his PA, before going on to insist it wasn’t a Metro - 'They rebadged it, you fool!'

Twenty years later, though, the Metro and 100 have a cult following, and this 1.1-litre ‘Ascot’ model looks bright and cheerful, with a low mileage, long MoT and stacks of history. At £895, it’s a fun and inexpensive way into classic car ownership, especially for younger enthusiasts. 

• Read our Rover 100 review and buyer's guide
• How many Rover 100 survived? Find out
• Find a Rover 100 for sale