1984 Rover - Austin Montego L review from UK and Ireland

The only car on which I've had to replace three front indicators (in two weeks!) Two fell off - instant MOT fail - and one of the very expensive replacements got nicked a week later from a cinema car park. Very embarrassing, as I wrongly blamed my girlfriend's bad parking - I actually taught her to drive in it!

The dashboard cracked and split and looked awful, and the fan heater died on me in the spring. The aerial jammed, as they always do.

Driver's window got tighter and eventually jammed half shut. One time I shut the door a touch too hard and the window shattered to pieces. By which time it had started raining...

Main reason for first MOT fail was for an air leak in the engine - good old BL workmanship! Front LH brake pad had also worn, and the warning sensor didn't work.

Nothing really major in two years, really. The only time it didn't always start first time was when a battery terminal worked loose.

It started off as a rust bucket, and ended up as one, scrapped for 75 quid two years down the line. Having said that, it always started first time, nearly always reached 30 mpg and in the year I had it in Spain I often used to crank it up to the ton on the Bilbao to Vitoria motorway.

I quite liked having such a big, roomy, comfortable car. Quite nice styling (Design Council award, no less!) A shame the Austin marque had to die with such a flawed, almost-right car...

As an epilogue, there are quite a few of them still around in northern Spain, including four in my neighbourhood. And Rovers are still popular here, too.