The Austin Maxi is the Epitome of British Leyland's Genius and Failure

Following effective nationalization, some cars became purely Leyland products, so they were allowed to be sold by Austin and Morris dealers, which helped that rationalization in the short term, even if this was to the detriment of the recognition of the brand.   The Mini, Princess and Maxi had lost their identities and were branded exclusively with the Leyland drain, hence the lack of Austin badges on this 1979 example. Furthermore, even though the Maxi is considered an Austin, it was actually built at Cowley, Morris's home, bringing another small step towards integration and rationalisation. The marketing and public image of the Maxi was confusing at best, so the way we see the

genius

of the Maxi is both through the mechanical design and its brilliance when it comes to simply being a medium Of transport.

So how practical is the Maxi's fifth door really? After all, everything is now available with a hatchback, so what makes this model special? Well, first of all, the door is huge. It's absolutely as big as they could make it, meaning there's nothing that couldn't fit through this gap that could fit in the trunk. In addition, it does not have a loading edge, so it is already among the most practical cars. Removing the parcel shelf, how BMC designed so much space in the back of a car that's smaller than a current Fiesta, and yes, it really is, I have no idea.

The jump between the sedans of the time, in which you had to put things in the trunk, and the not very large ones, and then the Maxi, is enormous, and it is not surprising that BL took extensive advantage of the practicality of the Maxi in its advertising. . ?   Compared to any other car, including its hatchback stablemate, the Renault 16, the Maxi is miles ahead. It was the very origin of people's transition to hatchbacks in Britain, as other manufacturers slowly caught up over the next decade and a half. In fact, it took the former Rootes Group until 1975, then Vauxhall and Ford until 1981 and 1982 respectively, to follow the Maxi's lead in offering a mid-sized family car as a full-fledged hatchback.   But we can't look at the boot without showing the Maxi's party piece, as this interior was designed to be versatile, so the rear seats fold down to form a completely flat load compartment and then all the seats recline to form a bed.

How many people...  made use of this, I don't know, but it's a bed! Considering then that it is smaller than a new Fiesta, one could imagine that the occupants of the rear seats will be disadvantaged, especially considering the space dedicated to luggage.   But you would be wrong. Thanks to the Landcrab doors and that long wheelbase, the Maxi is huge inside. I mean, look at the amount of legroom I have here in a car that's theoretically very small, although in the '70s it was actually a pretty big car. These seats are nice and soft, so I would be perfectly comfortable here on a trip of any length, and I suppose you could actually fit three people in the back of a Maxi on a long trip, and in fact it would be comfortable.

However, despite the black upholstery, there is plenty of air and light here, partly thanks to the greenhouse and the fact that the pillars are so small, so visibility is fantastic and simply brilliant. The light is everywhere and, sitting here, there is a huge view. The B-pillar is so far forward compared to where I'm sitting here that it actually looks almost panoramic, and thanks to those doors, the windows open all the way down and there's even a small ashtray at the bottom of the door. on Both Sides. Up front, it's pretty much the same story, but unlike the Mini, 1100 and Landcrab, the Maxi feels much more grown-up.

As I mentioned earlier, one of the main criticisms of the Landcrab was how minimalist the interior was and therefore that meant consumers felt like they were driving a cheaper car. This no doubt upset Issigonis, but the Maxi was given a suitable board.   Now this was another thing that was updated in the 1970 facelift, but it was actually made simpler, and I think it's indicative of the Landcrab's dashboard how this can be described as luxurious in comparison. Two instrument modules in front of the driver, showing speed, fuel level and coolant temperature, then there are some switches for lights, wipers, hazards etc., then in the center a cutout for the heater controls and a radio, then a small glove box on the passenger side.  At each end of the dash are two small vents and, behind the steering wheel, a single lever for the gauges and main light.

But that steering wheel has a really cool design. This car, being from 1979, would not have had this wheel originally as it is from an earlier Maxi HL, but how could you resist? But next to the mentioned things on the dashboard there is an ashtray just below and, of course, there is a cigarette lighter, as well as an auxiliary row of switches to the right of the steering wheel. Below the main panel is a large old package shelf, in true BMC/BL style. It's very much based on practicality, as all BMC/BL products were, and that's kind of a trademark of BMC/BL.

What's also a BMC/BL trademark is the driving position, because the steering wheel sticks out at a slightly dubious angle, so you almost feel like you're a bus driver. The steering wheel seems rather flat than in front of you, but the truth is that it is not bad at all. It's actually a little better than other BMC/BL offerings, but sitting here, the Maxi feels good. The steering wheel is in the right place, the pedals are in the right place and the seats are very comfortable. From a practical perspective, the Maxi was brilliant. An incredibly well packaged car designed to impress.

Transverse engines, front-wheel drive and Hydrolastic suspension may not have been new to BL, but compared to the rest of the market, it was still comfortably ahead.   It handled and handled brilliantly and could carry any person and luggage a family could throw at it, but all of this is proof that perception is more important than engineering.   The Austin Maxi was never the car it really should have been, but there is absolutely no doubt that it is a work of pure

genius

. If it had been designed and produced by a company with stable foundations, it would have been nothing more than a world leader, but unfortunately it had British Leyland behind it, so it stumbled on its way to development and life without ever having found its potential.  This is one of the great projects it could have been, if it hadn't been stunted by both its parent company and the arrogance of Alec Issigonis.

As I said a few weeks ago with the Mini, Issigonis was a genius. There is no other word for him, but no genius gets his way forever, and as time went on, Issigonis's ideas became plagued by both BL and a world moving forward. The Maxi would be his last car. Despite being knighted in 1969, he was kicked out of BL to become a consultant, working on clever economy cars and straight-six engines for the rest of his life. Despite the relative

failure

of the Landcrab and Maxi, Issigonis produced some of Britain's best-selling cars of all time. The Morris Minor took Britain out of the war.

The Mini became the most influential car of all time, and the Austin-Morris 1100 followed suit, remaining the best-selling car in Britain for the best part of a decade.   At the launch of the Maxi, new BL boss Donald Stokes proclaimed that "we believe it will create the same kind of revolution in the middle-class family car space as the Mini does in the small car space." And despite the disappointment surrounding the launch of this car, he was actually right. Almost all cars now have a five-door hatchback body, a front-wheel drive layout with a transverse engine and at least a five-speed cable-actuated gearbox.   Therefore, the Austin Maxi was never the best car.

It suffered from the typical BL failings - annoying design issues, poor build quality and a truly horrendous public image - but in 2021 hindsight, it set the trend for what became the family car, so what better way to study that? company. Are the genius and

failure

of that company and the eccentricity of Alec Issigonis there more than the Maxi? And on that note, thank you very much for watching. If you liked the video, please like and subscribe to Twin-Cam as well. I will always be indebted to my wonderful Patreon supporters, so if you want to support me in that way, follow the links in the description and I will post more videos soon.