‘I own the only British Leyland Metroplus in existence’

1980 Austin Metro HLS Metroplus Tom Mercer, Bury

First thing’s first, what is a Metroplus?

'This is a prototype built by British Leyland Motorsport when the Metro was launched. The car got an enhancement package including numerous styling additions and performance modifications applied to a standard Metro. There were fancy alloy wheels and a body kit including spoilers, extended wheel arches and unique stripes. Inside, you got bucket seats, a sporty steering wheel and a leather gear knob. Under the bonnet, the Metroplus had a Weber carburettor, alloy Plusparts rocker cover and a freeflow exhaust, among other things. Very Eighties!'

Did BL build many examples?

'No, you’re looking at the only British Leyland Metroplus – almost completely unchanged since it was converted for rally use in 1981. It started life as a pre-production Metro HLS, chassis number is 00185, built in Abingdon. This example was intended for use at shows and exhibitions but British Leyland never took the idea up in the end and it wasn't produced for general sale. The company cancelled the whole Plusparts concept, which is when this Metroplus ended up back in the hands of BL Motorsport, with no purpose. Strangely, a year later, Wood & Pickett marketed its own modified version of the Metro, called the ‘Metro

Plus’, which had a very similar range of extras – plus a turbocharged 90bhp engine.'

So, what happened to this particular car?

‘One of BL Motorsport’s technical advisors, Dave Bulman, thankfully saved it and took it on. He stripped the car down to a shell and re-built it as a rally car. It was seam welded and fitted with a roll cage before going on to compete in the 1981, ’82 and ‘83 Tour of

Mull and thereafter used frequently on the rally circuit for a few years. Bulman had sold it by this time and it was tucked away in a shed in 1989 before I bought it in 2019. It was in lots of pieces but all there, except for the original engine.'

Did it take much work to rebuild?

'It was a rolling shell with boxes of parts, so it kept me busy! I sourced a replacement engine – a 1275cc unit from an MG Metro. It didn’t need any major bodywork and I wanted it to stay as original as possible. No welding was necessary then and none has been needed since, probably because the car was only on the road for nine years. Sadly, the styling kit had been removed for the rally conversion back in the Eighties, so it looks a bit different to the way it did when it was first seen.'

What reaction do you get?

'I’ve taken it to some shows and there’s usually some confusion. A lot of people – even enthusiasts – don’t understand how rare this Metro is; it really is the only one! The reaction is usually positive, though. My first car was a Vauxhall Viva but somehow I just ended up driving Metros after that. They’re great cars and so much fun to drive. Sadly, they’re still being bought by Mini owners who just extract the engines, even today, which is a real shame. I’ve also got a Metro van, which I use regularly. I have made one small modification to that – it’s got 1.8-litre VVC engine! It’s fast and has definitely turned it into a nice drivable

daily! '