Rover Metro History

The Metro began in 1980 as the Austin Metro, British Leyland's hugely important supermini meant to complement and eventually replace the original Mini. It was rebadged as a Rover after Austin was wound down, becoming the Rover Metro in 1990 with revised Hydragas suspension and new K-series engines.

A 1994 facelift renamed it the Rover 100. Production ended in 1998 after the car performed poorly in a high-profile Euro NCAP crash test, by which point it was an ageing design at the small end of the Rover range. Sporting MG Metro and Metro 6R4 rally versions were built earlier in its life.