1982 AUSTIN ALLEGRO HL

This Nautilus Blue with Savannah (Marle) trim 1982 Austin Allegro 1.3 HL Series 3 was registered in January of that year as a British Leyland staff sale, according to the Heritage Certificate that accompanies it. In 2013, it was taken off the road and stored, until rescued by Practical Classics magazine in 2021, with the process of reviving it being chronicled in both the magazine and on YouTube - see: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xVDxHpnrLw  

It then passed to one of the freelance writers for Practical Classics and Classic Car Weekly, with its adventures then featuring in CCW, from 2021 to the present day. Work during that time has included a new battery (August 2021), two new Kumho tyres on the rear in October 2021 (the front Hankook tyres are date-stamped 2016 and 2018), a repair to its Hydragas pipework in April 2022, and a new fuel pump and carburettor strip-down and clean during May 2022. The vehicle has been in sporadic use over the last two years and was driven 50 miles to the auction with no issues. Although now MoT-exempt, the Allegro does have a current MoT, which is valid until November 2023. The odometer records 25,271 miles, which is believed to be 125,271. Upgrades on the car include a JVC stereo with 12-disc CD autochanger, an immobiliser with red dash-mouned flashing light (activated by a switch under the dash) and, most bizarrely of all, a single electric window on the driver’s side (which is sticky, although the motor does work).

The Allegro has been left in much the same condition as when it emerged from the barn, so would benefit from some improvement. The paintwork is tired with some areas of corrosion, there’s the usual rust hole in the boot corner (which seems to afflict most Allegros, but was not an MoT issue) and the beige velour interior has suffered some sun damage, notably at the top of the rear seat. There’s some vibration from the front disc brakes when applied hard (again, not noted on the MoT) and the clutch pedal might benefit from some adjustment - a fairly simple operation on these cars. However, the car generally drives well, with the usual A-series engine enthusiasm and the Hydragas suspension giving a surprisingly smooth ride.  

Documentation accompanying the Allegro includes the current and past V5Cs, owner’s handbook, JVC radio/cassette player instructions, Haynes workshop manual, assorted invoices from 2012 onwards (with most from the 2021 to 2023 period), Heritage Certificate and MoT certificates from 2013, 2021 and 2022. There’s also an itemised service and maintenance history from 1997 to 2013, which states that its secondhand A-Plus series engine, fitted from a 1980 Allegro in 2003, was rebuilt in 2010 miles at 113,900 miles, as was the front suspension around the same time. The car’s last service was in April 2021 at 122,396 miles. Also coming with the vehicle will be various new ignition parts such as rotor arms, points and condensers. The original registration number, JAB 315X, is ideal for our post-COVID times.        

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