Austin Maxi History
Catalog record
This is a brief catalog introduction with limited source documentation. A licensed, identity-checked lead photograph has not yet been added for this page. Detailed year, configuration and ownership coverage must be identified separately; this page is not a complete vehicle catalog.
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Launched in 1969, the Maxi was a practical five-door hatchback — among the first of the genre — with folding seats that turned the cabin into a near-flat load bay or a double bed. It was notable for a five-speed gearbox, a rarity on family cars that most rivals would not adopt for over a decade.
It holds a place in history as the last car designed under BMC before the British Leyland merger and the last production design by Alec Issigonis. Just under half a million were built over twelve years, though the awkwardly executed Maxi never came close to its ambitious sales targets.
Body styles
- 5-door hatchback
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