While several companies were quick to start tuning the Metro, Rapport were the first offer a soft-top version.
Rapport took a novel approach to maintaining structural rigidity, by leaving half of the rear side windows in place. This gave the car an unusual, though not unattractive, appearance, which to a certain extent predicted the look of Rover's 3-door 200 series. The fact that the hood sat above the bootspace when folded meant that the Metro's luggage capacity below the window line was unaffected by the conversion, while Rapport claimed that rearward visibility remained "excellent... with hood up or down".
When Rapport folded, the design was taken on and marketed by The Abingdon Classic Car Co. Ltd (ACC), who, true to their name, were based on an industrial estate at Wooton, near Abingdon-on-Thames in Oxfordshire. The car thus became the Abingdon Metrosport.
| Feedback: |  |
This page was contributed by Declan Berridge