View allAll Photos Tagged 1982
MG Metro
On 8 October 1980, BL introduced the Austin mini Metro. It was intended as a big brother, rather than as a replacement, for the Mini, the earlier Mini replacement project, ADO88, having been replaced in late 1977 by a new project, LC8, for the development of a larger car which could compete more effectively with the successful superminis, such as the Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Chevette. Some of the Mini's underpinnings were carried over into the Metro, namely the 998 cc and 1275 cc A-Series engines, much of the front-wheel drivetrain and four-speed manual gearbox, and suspension subframes. The Metro used the Hydragas suspension system found on the Allegro but without front to rear interconnection. The hatchback body shell was one of the most spacious of its time and this was a significant factor in its popularity. Initially, the Metro was sold as a three-door hatchback.
The name was chosen through a ballot of BL employees. They were offered a choice of three names, Match, Maestro or Metro. Once the result was announced, the manufacturer of trains and buses, Metro Cammell, objected to the use of the Metro name by BL. The issue was resolved by BL promising to advertise the car only as the miniMetro.
At the time of its launch, the Metro was hailed as British Leyland's saviour, as the company was facing a serious financial crisis and there were fears that it could go out of business. British Leyland's troubles were largely attributed to out-of-date technology and design of most of its model range. The Mini, for example, had been in production for 21 years by the time of the Metro's launch. The Austin Allegro was seven years old and the Morris Ital was also launched in 1980 but was effectively a reworked version of the nine-year-old Morris Marina, and BL's latest all-new car was the 1976 Rover SD1.
A British Leyland press photograph of the Austin Mini Metro range at the time of launch in 1980
One of the consequences was that there was enormous public interest in the car from well before its launch. The company chose to stage the launch presentations for dealers and major company car buyers on board a cruise ship, the MS Vistafjord. The news broke in the national newspapers a full year ahead of the public launch with The Sun, among others, carrying the story. It was finally revealed to the public on the press day of the British Motor Show with the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher in attendance.
The Metro quickly proved popular with buyers, and during the early part of its production life it was the best selling mini-car in the UK, before being eclipsed by the updated Ford Fiesta. Its clever interior design made it spacious considering its dimensions, and Hydragas compensation gave surprisingly good ride and handling. Its updated A+ series 1.0 and 1.3L OHV engines hardly represented the cutting edge in performance, but they were strong on economy.
A major TV advertising campaign was created by the London agency, Leo Burnett which came up with the headline "a British car to beat the world". The advert also featured the similar-sized Fiat 127, Renault 5, Volkswagen Polo and Datsun Cherry as "foreign invaders" and the voiceover spoke of the Metro's ability to "send the foreigners back where they belong".
MG Metro Turbo
A five door Metro eventually became available in 1985
The Metro range was expanded in 1982 to include the Vanden Plas and MG versions. The Vanden Plas featured higher levels of luxury and equipment, while the slightly more powerful MG Metro 1.3 sold as a sports model (0-60 mph in 10.1 seconds, top speed 105 mph). The Vanden Plas variant received the same MG engine from 1984 onwards (with the exception of the VP Automatic, which retained the 63 bhp (47 kW) 1275 cc unit). The luxury fittings marking out the Metro Vanden Plas took the form of a radio-cassette player, electric front windows, an improved instrument panel with tachometer, and a variety of optional extras such as trip computer, leather trim, remote boot release, and front fog lamps.
The changes between the MG engine and the standard 1.3 were relatively minor, with modified cylinder head and altered cam profile being the major contributors to a modest increase in BHP. Soon afterwards, the MG Metro Turbo variant was released with a quoted bhp of 93, 0-60 mph in 8.9 seconds, and top speed of 115 mph (185 km/h). This model had a great many modifications over the normally aspirated MG model. Aside from the turbocharger and exhaust system itself, and what was (at the time) a relatively sophisticated boost delivery and control system, the MG Turbo variant incorporated stiffer suspension (purportedly with engineering input from Lotus), including a rear anti-rollbar plus uprated crankshaft and uprated gearbox.
Both MG variants were given a "sporty" interior with red seat belts, red carpets and a sports-style steering wheel. The later MG variants were emblazoned with the MG logo both inside and out, which only served to fuel claims of badge engineering from some of the more steadfast MG enthusiasts. Others believed that this sentiment was unfounded, particularly in the case of the turbo variant, due to the undeniably increased performance and handling when compared to the non-MG models. Indeed, at the time of its release, the MG Metro was the first in a succession of modern cars which heralded a spirited return of the MG marque after several years' absence of new MGs.
A mild facelift during 1985 saw some minor styling modifications to the Metro's front end, wider suspension subframes, along with a new dashboard design and the long-awaited 5-door version. This gave it a competitive edge over three-door only rivals like the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo, while guiding the Metro in the directions of the Peugeot 205, Fiat Uno, Seat Ibiza and Opel Corsa/Vauxhall Nova, all of which were available with five doors by this time.
A rear spoiler reduced drag coefficient to increase the Metro's already good fuel economy, and the hydraulic clutch (often berated as the cause of the Metro's particularly harsh gearchange) was replaced by a cable-operated mechanism. The lack of a 5-speed transmission would become a major handicap as time went on; the BMC sump-mounted gearbox was never developed to accommodate an extra gear ratio, which was a severe handicap against the opposition. The Hydragas suspension also gave the car a harsh, bouncy ride despite pleas from the system's inventor, Dr. Alex Moulton, that it should be interconnected front-to-rear as opposed to side-to-side at the rear only as was found on the production version.
While the Metro was a huge seller in the UK, it gained a reputation for unreliability and lacklustre build quality early in its career which dented its appeal in foreign markets, where the likes of the Volkswagen Polo, Fiat Uno and Peugeot 205 were firmly established favourites.
Engines:
* 1980–1990 - 998 cc A-Series I4, 48 hp (35 kW) at 5500 rpm and 54 ft·lbf (73 Nm) at 3250 rpm
* 1980–1990 - 1275 cc A-Series I4, 60 hp (44 kW) at 5250 rpm and 72 ft·lbf (98 Nm) at 3200 rpm
* 1982–1989 - 1275 cc A-Series I4, 73 hp (54 kW) at 6000 rpm and 73 ft·lbf (99 Nm) at 4000 rpm (MG Metro)
* 1983–1989 - 1275 cc A-Series turbo I4, 94 hp (69 kW) at 6200 rpm and 85 ft·lbf (115 Nm) at 2650 rpm (MG Metro Turbo)
* 1989–1990 - 1275 cc A-Series I4, 73 hp (54 kW) at 6000 rpm and 73 ft·lbf (99 Nm) at 4000 rpm (Metro GTa)
For my video; youtu.be/FgL5LQqEZkk
Some Beetles of a company in Zaltbommel renting out this type of Volkswagens. The Beetle was built from 1945 until 2003. This is a 1200 from 1982.
The Lancia Montecarlo (Type 137) is a Pininfarina-designed mid-engined sports car produced by Lancia in Italy from 1975 to 1981.
Fiat was seeking a replacement for its 124 Coupe so Pininfarina was commissioned to design and develop the replacement. However, Bertone came up with cheaper alternative, which became the Fiat X1/9. Pininfarina continued with its project called Fiat X1/8 that called for a mid-engined sports car with a 3-litre V6 motor.
During the first oil crisis in the 1970s, the project was renamed "X1/20", and the motor was changed to a 2-litre four-cylinder version. The first X1/20 prototype was Fiat Abarth SE 030 for racing in 1974. After the racing season of 1974, Fiat terminated its Abarth SE 030 programme. The X1/20 project was given to Lancia who wanted a premium alternative to Fiat X1/9 and somewhat a halo car.
For a premium level of equipment, Lancia chose the two-litre twin-cam four-cylinder motor from the Fiat 124 Sport Coupé, MacPherson suspension, five-speed gearbox, and disc brakes both front and rear.
The Montecarlo was the basis for Lancia's successful Group B rally car, the Lancia 037. Debuting in 1982, the car won the 1983 WRC Manufacturers' Championship for Lancia.
Similarly to the Montecarlo Turbo, the 037 only retained the centre section from the Montecarlo but little else, and its supercharged engine, while still midship, was mounted longitudinally rather than transversely as it is in the Montecarlo.
I took this photograph at the Coys International Historic Festival at Silverstone in July 1994. It's a 1982 Maserati Merak and is chassis AM122A 655. 1,832 of these cars were produced between 1972 and 1983, approximately 300 of these being right-hand drive, and it is powered by a 2,965cc V6 engine that is an enlarged version of that designed for the Citroën SM.
Just arrived at Birmingham New Street is Class 47 47076 City of Truro with a London Paddington to Manchester Picadilly service. 12/04/1982.
Kevin Connolly - All rights reserved so please do no use this image without my explicit permission
A wonderful picture of Dingwall station taken by Nick in 1982. There's a lot to take in least of all the relatively new 1978 Ford Cortina Mark 4 Estate parked on the platform. On the far right of the picture you can just make out the edge of a Royal Mail van. Also present are Caledonian Railway Blue totem station signs. Beyond the four wheeled wooden parcels trolley is a shop selling tobacco and cigarettes. Finally at the very end is the Shunters' Bar where I had a heavy session also in 1982 during the Young Persons' Railcard free ticket offer. I believe there is still a bar there but now called Mallards.
The Royal Mail vans would take mail and parcels off the first trains from Inverness. Other vehicles would collect the day's newspapers printed in Glasgow such as the Scottish versions of the nationals plus the likes of the Scotsman, Herald and Daily Record. These would have been transferred at Inverness from the overnight portioned train from Glasgow and Edinburgh. If you want a printed national newspaper in the Highlands with your breakfast then forget it. Always lunchtime. A feature of the Highlands in the 1980s was the Royal Mail postbus which would operate from stations like Achnasheen and Lairg to provide public transport connections to the Highlands' more remote communities.
1982 TVR Tasmin 280i.
Anglia Car Auctions, King's Lynn -
"We have been advised by the vendor that this Tasmin benefits from many new parts and upgrades fitted since the early 2000's, he also describes the chassis as being in very good condition. It comes with MoT history print-out dating from 2010 to present, a folder of invoices and service receipts. Mileage recorded at 118,696.
V5 Present
MoT Apr 2018
Chassis number: DH5324F1
Result inc Premium: £3,816."
BOX DATE: 1982
MANUFACTURER: Kenner
DOLLS IN LINE: Angel Cake; Butter Cookie; Cherry Cuddler; Lime Chiffon; Sour Grapes
BODY TYPE: No date; painted legs; molded gloves & shoes
HEAD MOLD: 1982 "Sour Grapes"; molded earrings
SPECIAL FEATURES: Scented
PERSONAL FUN FACT: I have a bit of an obsession for the vintage 1980s Strawberry Shortcake dolls. While they could never replace the Bandai dolls I grew up with in my heart, as an adult, I am always mystified and greatly excited by them. In 2016, on the Fourth of July to be exact, I found this villain at my local flea market. She might be intended to be evil, but I find nothing threatening or ominous about this doll. In fact, I remember how my heart jumped and skipped a beat when I spotted her next to the Purple Pieman on a table that day. I counted out the three dollars for her and her boyfriend as fast as I could that day. Ever since I had gotten back into doll collecting in 2011, I had craved vintage Strawberry Shortcake dolls, like the ones I saw pictures of online. Namely, I was most covetous of the villains, because I thought it was SO cool that Kenner actually produced bad guys for the Strawberry Shortcake line. I've grown to be very attached to all my Strawberry Shortcake dolls, but I must say that this Sour Grapes doll and my second Purple Pieman wormed a special place in my heart. In fact, they both have names. My second Purple Pieman is named "Beau" whereas this lady's name is "Madame." It all started as a joke really--"Madame, I am going to wash your hair and clothes now. Your beau will be going outside to have some stains removed, but no worries, he will be back." Sometimes when I make conversation with my dolls, they end up with nicknames, and that was the case with these particular two Strawberry Shortcake dollies. Madame has very soft, silky nylon hair. I love its two colors--they are the same used on one of my childhood My Little Ponies (my favorite one to be exact). Her molded grape earrings and her excessive makeup give Madame even more personality. She is a truly appreciated, and unique part of my Strawberry Shortcake collection without a doubt!
Beginning now: A new photo series where I will be going through my "small Joe" collection, grouping figures and vehicles by the year in which the character/vehicle (or this version of them) debuted.
As a kid I had all the '82 Joes except for the vehicle drivers. I actually did have all the vehicles and artillery pieces release that year in my childhood ( except for the MMS) but I didn't get them from stores, so I didn't have the drivers/gunners they were supposed to come with.
Out of the figures in this shot, only one is truly vintage: Rock N Roll, and he is the 1983"swivel arm" version. The others are in this shot because they are repainted reissues that are identical to the originals except for the paint jobs and Snake Eyes has a different crotch!
As a child, I had all the "straight arm" versions. Most of them had at least one broken thumb. If you got into GI Joe in 1982, you know what I'm talking about.
I can still remember the moment I first learned about these "new" Joes (I was 8 years old in '82 and therefore old enough to have played with Adventure Team and Super Joe). I had gotten up really early to watch a kid's show called "the Great Space Coaster" and saw a commercial for GI Joe #1 that blew my mind. I was so excited I barged into my poor Mom's bedroom when she was trying to sleep after working a night shift to share my excitement. I didn't find a copy if that comic until a few years later, GI Joe #2 was my first taste of the storyline, and Flash was my first Joe. I was hoping that they would reveal what this team of Joes had to do with the Adventure Team, but by the time they linked those two versions of GI Joe together I was in High School and busy tying to pretend that I was too cool to still care about this sort of thing. I was an avid Star Wars collector , but at this point Return of the Jedi was a year in the future and Kenner was scraping the bottom of the barrel as far as ideas for new figures to release on Empire Strikes Back. I needed something new to collect badly, and these newfangled Joes could do amazing things that Star Wars toys couldn't do (their arms and legs BEND!) and only Mego figures could do that, but the Megos didn't come with all the wonderful accessories that GI Joe did! I was and am still, in love.
Many of the '82 Joes have a more uniform look than what we are now used to seeing in successive waves of Joes. This is mainly becasue at this point Hasbro was not sure if this re-launch would be a success or not, so they didn't invest a lot of money into it, re-using heads and other body parts as much as possible to save on production costs. The "in universe" explanation would be that at this point the Joes were made up exclusively made up of Army personnel. Thier look would become more diverse as agents were added from other branches of the military.
So pleased to come across one this old! Happily the elderly lady owner seems quite pleased with it for now given the condition, awful wheel trims aside. I wonder what number owner she is....
1982 Mercedes 230E.
Bootlid says diesel but DVLA say petrol 230E.
On SORN with no online MoT history.
47.353 rolls a well loaded MGR over the Thames at Culham.This was a sight we thought would never end,coal to Didcot.ln my professional capacity l was to have had an involvement in the last rites at Didcot power station,and thence to Eggborough.Unfortunately this did not come about so no photography in the Eggborough area whilst there.
On 31st July 1982 40034 Accra was rostered to work the 08.46 Edinburgh to Blackpool summer dated working. This was a full length set of Mk1 stock rather than a portion, but still changed motive power at Carstairs where Accra returned with the balancing 14.30 Blackpool to Edinburgh.
Crossing over to the westbound “Glasgow” line with the disc signal in the distance “off”.