Hold the phone: a Montego 2.0 LXi is for sale
One of the last ever made, and with just 2,000 miles on it as well. Find another...
It’s sad to think of so many old cars having to be considered as ‘survivors’ these days. Not so long ago (or so it seems, at least), cars that weren’t hugely old nor hugely prestigious were commonplace on our roads, offering up some variety. But attitudes to car consumption have changed, with newer models dominating and folk less inclined to get things fixed when replacing is easier than ever. And with repair costs now being what they are.
Cars may have been simpler to fix once upon a time, but they were also prone to going wrong more often. One of the great miracles of modern motoring is actually how often cars do work, when they’re comprised of so many bits. And this all relates to this glorious Montego because everything about its history suggests that, really, none should be left at all. Yet here we have one of the very last ones made, complete with just 2,100 miles and one owner from new. Yes, seriously.
As far back as 2006, Auto Express reckoned that the Montego was the eighth-most scrapped car of the last 30 years - just 8,988 of the 436,000 produced were still going even then. They rusted, early ones couldn’t run on unleaded fuel, they must have been banger raced, they weren’t worth much and so on. Then just think what the past two decades have been like for sending cars off to the scrapper, whether Government-incentivised or not. There was no real reason to keep a Montego, really, and now there are less than a hundred.
This one isn’t in time warp condition so much as time capsule condition. It’s an utterly wonderful throwback to British Leyland and Rover Group, with trims and fonts and fabrics that will be so familiar to so many, all perfectly preserved. It’s all still a bit naff, sure, but it’s retro naff, and that’s fun. The advert states that this one has been with an enthusiast since 1993, a person so dedicated to Montegos that this one is saved for best and the miles are put on another one. Talk about commitment to the cause.
Despite minimal use, maintenance is said to have been regular; it’s been sparingly driven, but driven nonetheless, rather than being parked up for 30 years. Presumably, given the effort that’s been invested in getting it this far, the Montego should be on the button and ready to rock. Certainly the engine bay, like the rest of it, is pristine, almost with enough space for another 2.0 EFi to squeeze in.
What a Montego LXi in unrepeatable conditions might now be worth isn’t clear - the ad is POA. When we last wrote about one of these, it was an earlier 1.6 L estate with a little over 30,000 miles; that was for sale at £8,000, so you’d have to assume more for this one. It’s hardly like numbers will have increased in the past couple of years, and the enthusiasm from Montego fans won't have faded one bit. Without doubt it’s going to be fawned over wherever it ends up; because there are classic car survivors, you see, and then there’s the Montego.
Montegos had zero redeeming features and certainly aren t worth cherishing.
I had a couple of 1.6 versions and had the unfortunate experience of a timing belt snapping on one of them. No valves meeting pistons, timing marks on pulleys made this an easy job to change, up and running within an hour.
I had a similar era VW Golf, built robust but not reliable at all.
All were bought s/h I hasten to add.
Bland then, and could not see the appeal now.
And, as mentioned above, POA seems ridiculous most of the time and particulary here.
Montegos had zero redeeming features and certainly aren t worth cherishing.
Decent performance for the engine size.
Good Visibility
Good Handling
Comfortable ride
Reasonable economy
Were Fairly Spacious
A large boot
Drove well
Same old boring comments "Zero reeedming features", they sold in large numbers. The Sierra and Cavalier were the main competitors, drove them all in period, Montego 1.6 vs a Sierra 1.6, the Montego was quite a bit quicker and handled better, base Sierras were right wobbly things saddled with a 73 BHP boat anchor pinto.
Montegos werent perfect, they did like to rust (but then so did everything else), they got nicked a lot (so did everything else) and they werent the most reliable.
I had one very similar to this, got me all over for a few years, it was cheap but it made the Manta GTE I had before feel old and ponderous which was a surprise.
They werent the best car ever, no but "not worth cherishing", they were a big part of peoples lives and the motoring landscape for better or worse, weird to just decide none are worth keeping as you dont aspire to them, I dont want another one but so glad other folk do and take them to shows, nice to have a nosey at one after 30 plus years.
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