The Maxi was supposed to replace the Farina saloons of 1958, thus giving BMH a full range of front wheel drive family cars... somehow it did not happen, and just why this is so is explained fully in the development story.
The Austin Maxi was the first car to be launched by British Leyland in 1968 - However it was BMH's last car, and because of this, it possessed a very advanced spec sheet...
Alec Issigonis' last production car possessed a range of features that would still seem advanced at the time of the car's death in 1981: five-door hatchback, five-speed gearbox with an overdrive top for relatively peaceful motorway cruising. In essence, the Maxi had everything it needed to blow away the opposition... The reason why it did not is explained fully in these pages.
The development story
The Maxi was supposed to replace the Farina saloons of 1958, thus giving BMH a full range of front wheel drive family cars... somehow it did not happen, and just why this is so is explained fully in the development story. |
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Austin Maxi projects and prototypes
The Maxi's stages of development including the rare four-door Morris version |
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Austin Maxi buyer's guide
It's a rational car, the Maxi, but what's it like to buy and run? |
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Aquila
The winning entry in a car design competition, the Aquila gave the Maxi a stlyish – and innovative – new body... |
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The Maxi and its rivals
Taken from the first ever edition of What Car?, this road test pitted the Maxi against four rivals – including the Morris Marina... |
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The Maxi: a personal perspective
Issi's loveable hold-all proves the perfect car for Richard Plaxton... |
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Recharging Hydragas spheres...
Alexander Boucke's guide to breathing new life into discharged spheres... |
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Those doors...
The 1800 had them first, then the 3-litre, followed by the Austin Maxi... as a result, the entire range from 1.5-litres through to 3-litres shared very similar side aspects... |
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Publicity material
Here you'll find a useful listing of Austin Maxi brochures and press photos, featuring items from both the UK and overseas markets. All of the press photos listed can be viewed online; some of the brochures can also be viewed in full, while for most of the others, the covers can either be viewed or previewed. New items will be added from time to time, as they become available. |
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