The Austin Maestro and Metro sit at the older end of the MGOC Spares modern catalogue, predating the MG ZR, ZS and ZT by more than a decade but sharing certain trim items, badges and service consumables that crossed over from the Austin Rover era into the later MG Rover production. The Maestro launched in 1983 as a five-door family hatchback, and the MG Maestro derivative arrived as a sporting flagship, first the carburettor 1600, then the fuel-injected EFi from 1984, and the celebrated Maestro Turbo from 1989 with a Garrett T3-turbocharged 2.0 O-series engine producing 152 bhp. The Metro launched in 1980 as the Mini's intended replacement, with the MG Metro 1300 arriving in 1982 and the MG Metro Turbo following in 1983, a 93 bhp turbocharged A-series that ran until 1990. The most extreme Metro derivative was the Metro 6R4 of 1985, a Group B rally homologation special with a mid-mounted V6 producing up to 410 bhp in works trim, of which only 200 road cars were ever built.
Parts Crossover With the Later MG Rover Range
A modest but useful crossover exists between the Maestro/Metro range and the later MG ZR, ZS and ZT. Many of the small fixings, trim clips, badge adhesives and brake fluid types are common across the BL and Rover Group eras. Service consumables for the early K-series engines fitted to the late-production Rover Metro (sold as the Rover 100 from 1994) directly cross over to the K-series in the MG ZR 105 and ZS 110, including oil filters of the same K-series pattern. Brake components on the late Rover Metro are partly shared with the early Rover 25 and ZR.
MG-branded gear knobs, badges and steering wheel motifs from the Maestro and Metro era are sought after by owners of later cars looking for a period interior detail. The MGOC Spares catalogue here serves the smaller community of owners maintaining surviving Maestros and Metros, particularly the rarer MG Turbo variants and the Metro 6R4 where parts supply has been a long-running challenge.
Ordering Considerations
When ordering for the Maestro and Metro, the priority information is the model (Maestro saloon, Maestro van, Metro three-door, Metro five-door, MG Metro, MG Metro Turbo, Metro 6R4, Rover Metro / 100), the year (early Austin-badged cars vs late Rover-badged cars), the engine (A-series, A-Plus, R-series, S-series, K-series on the late cars, or the bespoke V6 in the 6R4) and the part being replaced. Many trim and body panels are now scarce in original new-old-stock condition, and the wider Austin Rover Owners Club, the Maestro & Montego Owners Club and the Metro Owners Club operate parts registers that complement what MGOC Spares can supply. The catalogue here is best treated as a useful adjunct to those specialist sources for legacy items that are still available through the Rover-era supply chain.