Austin Maxi History

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.