Austin Maxi

Austin Maxi
Austin Maxi MkI (left) and Austin Maxi MkII
Overview
Manufacturer	Austin (British Leyland)
Production	1969-1981
Assembly	Cowley, Oxford, England IMV, Novo Mesto, Slovenia AMI, Petone New Zealand
Designer	Sir Alec Issigonis
Body and chassis
Body style	5-door hatchback
Powertrain
Engine	E-Series 1485 cc, 74 bhp and 1748 cc, 84 or 95 bhp
Transmission	5-speed manual all-synchromesh 4-speed automatic optional from 1974
Dimensions
Wheelbase	104.75 in (2,661 mm)
Length	159 in (4,039 mm))
Width	64 in (1,626 mm)
Height	54.5 in (1,384 mm)
Kerb weight	2,156 lb (978 kg)
Chronology
Predecessor	Austin A60 Cambridge
Successor	Austin Maestro

The Austin Maxi is a medium-sized 5-door hatchback car that was produced by Austin and later British Leyland between 1969 and 1981. It was the first British five-speed five-door hatchback.

The Maxi (code name ADO14) was the last car designed under the British Motor Corporation (BMC), and was the last production car designed by Alec Issigonis. Originally under BMC's plan for its new model range, which it had been developing since 1965, the Maxi was to have been called the "Austin 1500" and a saloon version the "Morris 1500" was to follow in the autumn.

However, upon the merger of BMC and Leyland the new management abandoned the four-door saloon notchback and developed the Morris Marina instead. The Marina was a rear-wheel drive car available as a saloon, coupe or estate.

The new chairman Lord Stokes decided to also change the hatchback's name to the Maxi in homage to the Mini of 10 years earlier. All Maxis were produced at the Cowley plant in Oxford, although the E-Series engines were made at a brand new factory at Cofton Hackett in Longbridge.

It was launched in Oporto, Portugal, on 24 April 1969 in a blaze of publicity, being one of the first cars to appear on the BBC's new car programme Wheelbase, a forerunner to Top Gear. It was also the first car after the creation of British Leyland. It followed the five-door hatchback pattern of the French-produced Renault 16, which was European Car of the Year following its launch in 1965.

Underneath the Maxi's practical and spacious bodyshell lay an all-new front wheel drive chassis, which was interlinked with an innovative five-speed manual transmission. The latter suffered from notorious problems with its control linkage, especially in early models which had a cable-operated linkage prone to cable stretch and other problems. These were noted by autotesters such as Vicar in Today's Driver (1969), who wrote: "This is probably a good idea that just needs a little bit of working on." The later rod linkage was less problematic. All models were prone to problems brought on by the "cogs in the sump" layout, whereby the gearbox and engine shared a common oil supply. The clutch oil seal was also prone to leakage.