Maestro van coming to replace Ital
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AUSTIN ROVER will replace its long serving Morris Ital van this autumn with a light van model based on the Maestro car.
Despite Austin Rover's reluctance to give any definite information, we understand that the new front-wheel-drive LM10based vehicle will have a specific purpose-built van body with double rear doors, and will be powered by a low compression version of the Maestro A+ 1.3 litre 51kw (68bhp) four cylinder ohv petrol engine coupled to the Austin Rover four-speed gearbox.
A diesel-powered version, however, is not expected before 1985 when the two litre direct injection diesel currently being developed jointly by Austin Rover and Perkins, and based on the existing Austin Rover 1,999cc (122cuin) 0-Series petrol engine (CM May 28, 1983) be comes available.
The Maestro van will have an increased payload and load volume over the Ital — already one of the largest load carriers in its class — and will most likely be produced at the Austin Rover Cowley plant which currently builds Maestro cars.
The news comes at a time when the hal van, based on the original Marina van launched in 1972, has experienced a strong CM'S artist's impression of the Maestro van. It will have a purposebuilt van body with double rear doors.
revival in sales, particularly among large fleet customers like British Telecom. It has been aided also by the demise of Bed ford's HA range.
Dealer stocks of Ital, however, are expected to be run down towards the end of the summer in preparation for the Maestro van launch.