‘It’s not a Metro!’
Craig invites a little luxury into his life
Craig Cheetham
Oh, okay then, it is. I’m not going to go all Partridge over it. The Rover 100 is a rebadged Metro and also quite a civilised one, especially in range-topping GSI trim.
Back in 1998, my not-a-metro would have cost you the thick end of 11 grand, so it’s hardly surprising that the GSI trim level is rare. I doubt this one ever sold for that much, though, as according to the two folders of service history that came with it, it spent the first 18 months and 20,000 miles of its life as a hire car.
It came to a mate of mine in the trade via a main dealership, where it had been part-exed, and he offered it to me for mate’s rates – £395, as he needed the space. Apart from a small rust blister and a bumper scuff, it’s quite a presentable thing, with its Tahiti Blue pearlescent paint and alloy wheels.
But the best thing about the 114GSI is the way that it goes. The Rover 1.4 K-series is a strong little engine, and because I’m not going to whip myself into a frenzy over a head gasket job, it’s one of my favourites. Torquey, responsive and punchier than it has any right to be, it’s a lively little devil. It handles pretty well, too – the interconnected Hydragas suspension cutting out a lot of the pitch and roll that’s associated with earlier Metros, although it does get a bit bouncy on the rutted fen roads around the area where I live.
Never, though, do I find myself travelling anywhere without a smile on my face. It’s that kind of car – I absolutely love it.
THE VERDICT
I never knew Metros were so quick – a surprising little car.