Mk3 GHIA vs AUSTIN MAESTRO
You almost have it all: the Filofax, a cassette of the complete works of Duran Duran, a mobile phone the size of a phone directory, and industrial quantities of hair gel. All you need now is the right set of pseudo-luxury wheels: Escort Ghia, or Austin Maestro Vanden Plas? Anyone who visited the 1980 Motor Show will recall the crowds around the Ford stand, for ‘Project Erika’ represented a watershed for the firm. The new Escort Mk3 was not only a hatchback, but also front-wheel drive. The initial line-up ranged from the 1.1-litre Popular to the Ghia, and survivors of the latter are now seldom seen. This W-reg example hails from the days when a Sony Betamax C7 and a Ford with a glass sunroof as standard epitomised the good life.
The reactions of several passers-by suggest that it’s very much a “my dad had one of those” sort of car, and a reminder of just why the Escort was such a commercial success. Autocar noted that it was an accomplished all-rounder, which offered both fleet and private buyers alike mass motoring with a real sense of flair.
While the early Ghia faced up to the likes of the VW Golf GLS and Citroën GSA Pallas, British Leyland was working on its long-overdue Allegro replacement. Unfortunately, when the car for which ‘Driving is Believing’ took a bow in March 1983, the bodywork was already redolent of the 1970s. The ‘Miracle Maestro’ is a wellproportioned vehicle, but compared with the modern lines of the Escort it did appear to be a rather middle-aged idea of a contemporary hatch. BL faced the additional problem that its Austin badge was more associated with Demob suits than red braces, and the famous name was to vanish from its products after 1987.
At the beginning of ’86 the Ford was Britain’s best-selling car, whereas the Maestro languished down in 10th, yet it had a great deal to offer the motorist who cared less about fashion than value for money. Barry Cooper’s Vanden Plas is one of only nine left on the road in the UK and, though the level of equipment is undoubtedly high, it sadly lacks the infamous ‘talking dashboard’ that issued orders to drivers of the early versions.
By the standards of the day, both the Ford and the Austin benefit from tasteful interior décor, the Escort favouring a low-key approach while the more overtly traditional Maestro seems primed for a brisk but respectable spin to the rotary club. In contrast, the Escort looks genuinely sharp and conveys a sense of attainable luxury. The Ford flatters the owner’s self esteem with its contemporary air and that ‘Durham and Crushed Velour’ upholstery. As for the Maestro, it initially appeared suited to Sunday motoring but its performance, particularly from June ’84 with the S-series engine, belied its looks; a Q-car for the Terry and June generation, perhaps?
‘IT OFFERED BOTH FLEET AND PRIVATE BUYERS ALIKE MASS MOTORING WITH A SENSE OF FLAIR’