Registration - D422 NMB

Chassis No. - SAXXFYWD1AD680347

M.O.T. - August 2022

Odometer - 24,819

One of Britain’s all-time top sellers, the Metro is now a rare sight on our roads, and examples as perfect as the time warp five-door example offered here are exceedingly rare. It was sold new in August 1986 by Dobshill Garage of North Wales to a lady who retained the car for the next 33 years. To this day it is has had just three keepers and the notably low indicated total mileage of 24,819 is believed to be genuine. The vendor presently grades the bodywork and light blue interior trim as ‘excellent’, and the metallic blue paintwork, A Series engine and four-speed manual transmission as ‘very good’. The powerplant’s 1275cc is the larger of the original options – sufficient capacity to grace the car with a lively level of performance, even by today’s standards. ‘D422 NMB’ is now being offered complete with all its original documentation, full service history that includes 12 stamps, and a current MOT that’s valid until August 25 next year. A rare opportunity.

The Austin Rover Group’s Metro first saw the light of day in 1980 and was intended as a larger alternative to the mighty Mini, that was now 21 years old. Some of the Mini’s proven underpinnings were carried over; not least its sub-frame mounted 998 and 1275cc engines that drove the front wheels via a four-speed manual or automatic gearbox. The suspension was a version of the Allegro’s Hyradgas system. The newcomer was initially just sold in three-door Hatchback form, but the packaging was good, accommodation deceptive and the ride and handling much lauded, and the model became a big seller, with over a million finding homes within the first 10 years of production.

In summary:

• A time warp example of one of Britain’s all-time best sellers
• Just three owners and 24,819 miles from new
• Full service history