Unfortunately the longer WRC events proved more punishing for the 6R4, and it frequently failed to finish, usually due to engine problems. In March 1985 the 6R4 took its first win, at the Gwynedd Rally, and by October the 200 cars required to homologate the super-Metro for the World Rally Championship had been built. During this time the 6R4’s wheelbase and track grew, the glassfibre bodywork sprouted huge wings for increased downforce, and, eventually, the 400bhp V64V engine was fitted, enabling the car to hit 60mph in just 3.2sec, and 100mph in 8.2sec. A significant amount of fine-tuning was still required, and this would all happen in the public eye as the car was entered in a number of British rallies over the months that followed. This early car – painted in red with a white roof, just like the rallying Coopers of the ’60s – was still far from finished. As the film reached its climax, the car was driven directly towards the camera, and just as it became life-size on the cinema screen, a real 6R4 burst through it, the driver – one Tony Pond – bringing the car to a halt just short of the astonished crowd. The event began with the gathered journalists being invited to watch a film of a prototype undergoing testing. The MG Metro 6R4 (6-cylinder, Rally, 4-wheel drive) made its press debut at London’s Excelsior Hotel in February 1984 – and in rather dramatic style. A Honda V6 was considered (one would soon appear in the Rover 800), as was the venerable Rover V8, but Williams design chief Patrick Head wanted something smaller and lighter. While most Group B cars were adopting turbocharged four-cylinder engines, Davenport decided his Metro should employ a larger capacity, naturally aspirated engine, thus avoiding problems with turbo lag and higher running temperatures. As luck would have it, in 1982 Austin Rover was one of the Williams F1 team’s sponsors, so the required skills were close at hand… John Davenport, chief of the British company’s motorsport division, had no trouble deciding that his tubular chassis’d silhouette rally car should adopt the appearance of the Metro, simply because of its diminutive size (as he would later say: ‘A small car makes a small track look bigger’), but he also knew that developing a Group B car was beyond what his team could achieve alone. Audi, Lancia, Peugeot and Ford would all build cars to fit this new class and, having retired its TR7 competition cars at the end of 1980, Austin Rover wanted to join in the action too. The relative lack of restrictions and the small build numbers required to homologate a model for competition meant that, while most of the cars bore a passing resemblance to mainstream road-going models, beneath the skin they had almost nothing in common. Hand picked cars from private sources, prepared to a very high standard.Introduced in 1982, FISA’s Group B regulations enabled manufacturers to build rally cars the likes of which had never been seen before.It has a clear Motor Check certificate and costs £170 a year to tax. We have the original books and a big file of invoices. The car genuinely looks as good as it does in the pictures and it’s extremely clean and rust-free underneath. Under the bonnet is super clean and the boot area is very clean too. The alloys are perfect and unmarked, the interior is mint with no rips, tears or marks on the seats. In fantastic condition throughout, with no dings, dents or scratches, fabulous glossy paint all-round and the decals look new. Targa red paint, cloth seats, 13 inch cross-spoke alloy wheels, factory fitted sunroof, rear spoiler and original radio cassette, full-size matching spare wheel, mudflaps, split folding rear seats, Quartz clock, rear seat belts, no power steering, 4-speed gearbox. We have a pile of MOT certificates dating back to 1991. The current MOT is valid until March 2022 and the advisories have been addressed. The third owner of this car purchased it in 1993 and owned it until 2013. The last service was at 50,530 miles in May of this year. We have evidence of 10 services over the years with a pile of invoices to support including a complete hydragas rebuild in February of this year, a modified head in 2016 now producing over 80bhp and a full stainless steel exhaust system. With the current owner since 2013, this car has had £1000’s spent on its upkeep in his ownership and presents in amazing condition. A lovely 4 owner MG Metro with just 50,700 miles.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |