I love how Austin-Rover fitted plush seating, tons of wooden inlay and a digital dash, but kept the cheapest, nastiest plastic fittings and switchgear they could find.
I agree with you! The seat fabric is fine quality as are the wood veneers, but some of the plastics are awful. Some are so thin you can see light through them 😂 and the whole dash rattles and shakes. I have tried to improve things with foam strips etc....
I think that’s because they used the same parts as the basic models, they weren’t going to manufacture different higher quality parts for the air vents etc.
@@lmlmd2714 Indeed 😂 Back in the day I did the Silverstone Skid-School and when I arrived one glorious misty-morning, the covers were removed revealing a matching pair of white talking Maestro EFI's... I thought the future had arrived!!! 😱🤣😂 I went on to buy a Metro Turbo, which turned out to be more Shyte than Knight Rider! But at least it was British. 🤔🇬🇧
Magical. I don’t think new car releases nowadays come anywhere near the hype and wonder of those days. I remember being amazed that the indicator glass was white but it flashed or a orange - that was sorcery. It was a memorable day when you saw one of these for the first time.
It still amazes me now, even though it was designed over 40 years ago. I think the late 70’s until the early 90’s were the golden days in car technology advances that are still user friendly.
When I was a kid, my neighbour had one of these and as a seven/eight year old lad, it was the coolest car on earth when it spoke. Thank you for sharing.
My mum and dad had one, in blue. It was the mind blowing future! OMG, how many times did I press those buttons for "instantaneous fuel consumption" and "average fuel consumption" ....and get told off for pressing them too much!
Had the talking dash in an MG1600 Maestro. It used to like scaring me randomly on the motorway while i was in the outside lane... WARNING low engine oil pressure! and other random stuff. Fitted extra gauges in the end to prove it wrong 😂Fun car.
Funny. My dad had a 1600 MG which was great for the couple of years he had it. I was able to get the low oil pressure warning voice when ragging it around corners. I impressed a young lady with the red seat belt, it was like a sash which was most cool at the time.
My Friends dad had one of these brand spanking new back in the later 80's .. My mate wanted me to see it and on the way to his house it's all he talked about. 'The Talking Maestro'. He actually compared it to KITT from Knight Rider... His dad was already in it with one of their neighbours when we arrived at his house. We got in. His dad played through the buttons. "So what do you think?" I was asked...... Was that it?! I exclaimed. I realised it was best I didn't make any sudden moves from that moment on.
My auntie had a gold one. It was so futuristic having it tell me to fasten my seatbelt. And the digital Speedo too. People have to realise this was released whilst we were all watching knight rider so this was like Kitt for the public.
I learned to drive in my dads VDP. 30 years ago. Clutch was a nightmare and every time I stalled the thing the lady would announce “warning. low oil pressure”!
Lol. I put this all in my 1.3L. The dash shared the same connections as the base models. The fuel computer wasn’t very accurate but everything else worked. Obviously I had to get the sender unit for the gearbox and the dimmer switch for the dash.
Knight rider think was 82 ? Please do not confuse this car with knight industries kit 2000 kits a real car this car here is not a talking car 😂😂 (little joke)
That's one amazing car... God I miss my 1984 B reg pale blue Maestro Vanden Plas 1.6 S series automatic now :-( I used to always love that whistle in first gear when I used to take off very fast from the traffic lights! back in 1993 when this was my first car, and also used to love it when the engine races in second gear all the way to 4,000 revs before it changes up into 3rd at 60 mph - That digital talking dash was way ahead of its time when it first came out in the 1983 Maestro Vanden Plas and MG 1600 Maestro and a true masterpiece. My one was Reg number B597 UBV which I part-exed in 1996 for an F reg BMW 535i - God I miss this amazing car now and wish that I kept it LOL *Please never break it - Look after your Maestro VDP its a really nice car :-)*
R or S series? Can't remember when they switched over. I had an MG1600 'R' , initially, with the associated problems of heat soak (the airbox used to trap ambient heat and on hot days, fuel would vapourise in the chokes upon a hot start.) i fixed a lot of the problems by using slightly smaller chokes to get rid of the lumpiness, and a Pipercross full air filter to prevent heat getting trapped. Much smoother and slightly better power delivery. A Motobuild manifold and downpipes (the OEM is ludicrously restrictive) and wider exhaust (with proper silencers, not Max Power fart cans.) With a good carb tune and balance a healthy 133bhp was seen on the dyno. I really missed that car when it had to be scraped :(
My parents had a 1983 MG1600 with the same dashboard and voice synthesiser. The warnings given were not always accurate and occasionally the digi dash would go completely blank on hot days!
I had one of these VDP spec maestro in the same colour, A900 RSR Sunroof leaked, dashboard rattled & electronic choke was a joke. It rusted badly round the wheel arches like all BL cars of that era. How has this one lasted so well? Garaged and waxed regularly? Would love to drive this one.
I agree with most of those points, except oddly the automatic choke on mine works perfectly but I did replace the crappy thin BL vacuum hoses with thick silicone ones that don’t leak. And mine had been off the road for 15 years before I got it, and before that the first family had garaged it all its life. It has only done 39K..
So was the talking dash for people with vision impairment? You’d be able to see all of the gauges if they’d have fitted it with a square steering wheel.
No, speech synthesis was all the rage at the time. The brand new Co-op superstore where I lived had “talking tills” when it first opened. The till would announce each item as it was scanned. Kids loved them but they were unreliable and completely pointless. Predictably, they didn’t last long.
What's with the crappy speak and spell voice? 🤣🤣🤣 Didn't Renault have a 11 model with digital dash and voice back then as well called the TXE Electronic when it was all the rage...
That poor lady has been trapped in the boot for 32 years, but she's still reading out her script. What a trooper!
Amazing. Completely digital dash with voice synthesis and the odometer is analogue.
I love how Austin-Rover fitted plush seating, tons of wooden inlay and a digital dash, but kept the cheapest, nastiest plastic fittings and switchgear they could find.
I agree with you! The seat fabric is fine quality as are the wood veneers, but some of the plastics are awful. Some are so thin you can see light through them 😂 and the whole dash rattles and shakes. I have tried to improve things with foam strips etc....
I think that’s because they used the same parts as the basic models, they weren’t going to manufacture different higher quality parts for the air vents etc.
To be fair it was one of the first bits of the car to be updated as the model aged.
Love the combination of "futuristic" talking digital dash and gentleman's club wooden door cappings.
"Greetings Professor Falcon... Shall we play a game?"
Is it a game or is it real?
A nice game of chess? No, let's play "Find the squeaky panel".
@@lmlmd2714 Indeed 😂
Back in the day I did the Silverstone Skid-School and when I arrived one glorious misty-morning,
the covers were removed revealing a matching pair of white talking Maestro EFI's... I thought the future had arrived!!! 😱🤣😂
I went on to buy a Metro Turbo, which turned out to be more Shyte than Knight Rider! But at least it was British. 🤔🇬🇧
Magical. I don’t think new car releases nowadays come anywhere near the hype and wonder of those days. I remember being amazed that the indicator glass was white but it flashed or a orange - that was sorcery. It was a memorable day when you saw one of these for the first time.
It still amazes me now, even though it was designed over 40 years ago. I think the late 70’s until the early 90’s were the golden days in car technology advances that are still user friendly.
Why do I always come across you on random videos?
Wow. My gran had one of these and that speaking woman dashboard was the coolest thing ever. Hours of fun😀
When I was a kid, my neighbour had one of these and as a seven/eight year old lad, it was the coolest car on earth when it spoke. Thank you for sharing.
My mum and dad had one, in blue. It was the mind blowing future!
OMG, how many times did I press those buttons for "instantaneous fuel consumption" and "average fuel consumption" ....and get told off for pressing them too much!
Had the talking dash in an MG1600 Maestro. It used to like scaring me randomly on the motorway while i was in the outside lane... WARNING low engine oil pressure! and other random stuff. Fitted extra gauges in the end to prove it wrong 😂Fun car.
Mine has never given a false warning but you are right I think they had a lot of teething issues to start.
Funny. My dad had a 1600 MG which was great for the couple of years he had it. I was able to get the low oil pressure warning voice when ragging it around corners. I impressed a young lady with the red seat belt, it was like a sash which was most cool at the time.
My Friends dad had one of these brand spanking new back in the later 80's .. My mate wanted me to see it and on the way to his house it's all he talked about. 'The Talking Maestro'. He actually compared it to KITT from Knight Rider...
His dad was already in it with one of their neighbours when we arrived at his house.
We got in. His dad played through the buttons.
"So what do you think?" I was asked......
Was that it?! I exclaimed.
I realised it was best I didn't make any sudden moves from that moment on.
That voice synthesiser module makes me think back to an Intellivision game called B17 Bomber… or should I say Beeee seventeeeen booomm-berrr. 😂
My auntie had a gold one. It was so futuristic having it tell me to fasten my seatbelt. And the digital Speedo too. People have to realise this was released whilst we were all watching knight rider so this was like Kitt for the public.
The actress Nicolette MacKenzie who was the voice of the talking dashboard is still alive and well.
Nice bit of trivia there thanks.
And in better shape.
@@stringer-ik1pc Yeah, probably less rusty.
Still more bearable than Renault 25 and 11 Eletronic with that Charles de Gaulle voice and the alarm 'Les fonctions moteur!'
Would love to hear those talking too!
I learned to drive in my dads VDP. 30 years ago. Clutch was a nightmare and every time I stalled the thing the lady would announce “warning. low oil pressure”!
Lol. I put this all in my 1.3L. The dash shared the same connections as the base models. The fuel computer wasn’t very accurate but everything else worked. Obviously I had to get the sender unit for the gearbox and the dimmer switch for the dash.
Quite modern for a car of that age
Has the same stalks as my 1984 Austin Metro had. Thank you.
Now I know where knight rider got the idea from.
SHIFTY I think he was there first by a year and probably more advanced 😂
Knight rider think was 82 ? Please do not confuse this car with knight industries kit 2000 kits a real car this car here is not a talking car 😂😂 (little joke)
That's one amazing car... God I miss my 1984 B reg pale blue Maestro Vanden Plas 1.6 S series automatic now :-(
I used to always love that whistle in first gear when I used to take off very fast from the traffic lights! back in 1993 when this was my first car, and also used to love it when the engine races in second gear all the way to 4,000 revs before it changes up into 3rd at 60 mph - That digital talking dash was way ahead of its time when it first came out in the 1983 Maestro Vanden Plas and MG 1600 Maestro and a true masterpiece. My one was Reg number B597 UBV which I part-exed in 1996 for an F reg BMW 535i - God I miss this amazing car now and wish that I kept it LOL
*Please never break it - Look after your Maestro VDP its a really nice car :-)*
That dash was awesome in its day
These cars look a bit grampy like but the MG turbo was bloody fast.
Reminds me of the ‘Maxi Power’ sketch in League of gentleman’ “Let’s solve some crime”
The 80's. That time cars from everywhere talked
That car is rare as now. I hope you look after it.
That trim. The real wood interior goes nicely with real disappointment with the fact that it's still just a Maestro.
R or S series? Can't remember when they switched over. I had an MG1600 'R' , initially, with the associated problems of heat soak (the airbox used to trap ambient heat and on hot days, fuel would vapourise in the chokes upon a hot start.)
i fixed a lot of the problems by using slightly smaller chokes to get rid of the lumpiness, and a Pipercross full air filter to prevent heat getting trapped. Much smoother and slightly better power delivery.
A Motobuild manifold and downpipes (the OEM is ludicrously restrictive) and wider exhaust (with proper silencers, not Max Power fart cans.)
With a good carb tune and balance a healthy 133bhp was seen on the dyno. I really missed that car when it had to be scraped :(
S-Series, with the thermostatic fan already on! Sounds healthy and from the video seems to rev quite freely too. What a lovely Maestro!
Great! I had a Maestro. Quite liked it too.
I knew a guy that had an MG Maestro, I was waiting for the "low fuel" warning! :)
The last Austin was built in 1988-
The MONTEGO
was the LAST new model under the austin marque.
Well at least they didn't put a massive chrome grill on the front of it.
I always wondered what that would look like 😂
BL and made Jaguar independent by then so they couldn't have one. Sir John Egan would never have allowed it.
Texas Instruments made the chips for these and other talking cars. Remember Speak and Spell?
10 examples left on road now I wish I'd kept mine,
Wonderful video
Featuring the voice of Nicolette McKenzie (who doesn't sound quite so robotic in real life).
My Dad had the MG1600 which if i ragged it round a sharp corner would say Low Oil Pressure!
Sounds like my 2017 SEAT Leon "Voice Command" 😂
Austin Maestro was first car with speaking Dashboard or not ?
The mg maestro was the first car I ever heard with a seat belt warning. In a ladies voice obviously.
My parents had a 1983 MG1600 with the same dashboard and voice synthesiser. The warnings given were not always accurate and occasionally the digi dash would go completely blank on hot days!
I bet it had the infamous R-Series engine.
female Steven Hawking / Knight Rider dashboard haha
I had one of these VDP spec maestro in the same colour, A900 RSR
Sunroof leaked, dashboard rattled & electronic choke was a joke. It rusted badly round the wheel arches like all BL cars of that era. How has this one lasted so well? Garaged and waxed regularly? Would love to drive this one.
I agree with most of those points, except oddly the automatic choke on mine works perfectly but I did replace the crappy thin BL vacuum hoses with thick silicone ones that don’t leak. And mine had been off the road for 15 years before I got it, and before that the first family had garaged it all its life. It has only done 39K..
Awesome didn’t she used to tell you to do your seat belt up as well 😁
Arran Grant mine doesn’t so I wonder if this feature was deactivated for later models. Certainly there is no wiring from the seatbelt to enable this.
Cal B it may well have been it was a bit of an annoying feature
Arran Grant Probably right!
So was the talking dash for people with vision impairment?
You’d be able to see all of the gauges if they’d have fitted it with a square steering wheel.
No, speech synthesis was all the rage at the time. The brand new Co-op superstore where I lived had “talking tills” when it first opened. The till would announce each item as it was scanned. Kids loved them but they were unreliable and completely pointless. Predictably, they didn’t last long.
I had one in about 1986 not a great car but kept it for 2 years went to a Ford orion
I had one 😍
"Dave......stop."
0:48
Can you let me know if you want to sell this.
wood and electrical mirrors and voice giude . nothing of this hase small modern cars .
and now my xk8 just reads " system failure " .
They should have given the computer an optional Mickey Mouse voice.
The car had Micky Mouse design and build quality.
sounds like a flymo when you walked round to the front lol
The electric cooling fan was running.
England used to make some quality motor's?
bx electronik nie gadał
C'est bizarre ça, cette rare Austin de '85 (!) avec un ordinateur de bord qui parle (!) et un tableau de bord electronique...
Oui c’etait incroyable pour une Austin! Mais je pense que le Renault 11 Electronique etait la premiere voiture avec un ordinateur de bord.
Wow! In condition that good, that car must be worth, what, £4.20??
No about 3K
What's with the crappy speak and spell voice? 🤣🤣🤣 Didn't Renault have a 11 model with digital dash and voice back then as well called the TXE Electronic when it was all the rage...
Bet this liked to break
I think they had problems in the early months but mine works fine.