My dad (passed away 2 years ago at 87) worked in films and TV for years in a company which supplied vehicles and stunt drivers etc.
They did the original adverts when the Allegro was launched.
British Leyland supplied 12 new Allegros, straight off the production line for using in the advert.
The advert involved driving them down a hillside, over some lumpy bumpy bits.
It was quite an advanced vehicle at the time but budget requirements meant that all the good design was effectively 'designed out' to enable use of BLMC spare parts bin (door handles, headlights, switchgear, etc etc).
Unfortunately, thanks to poor build quality caused by bad management and a slack workforce sustaining excessive strike actions and lack of staff motivation to do the job well, these (even brand new) vehicles were not up to the task.
All 12 vehicles were returned at the end of filming just falling apart and most were undriveable. My dad told me that right from driving them off the car transporter they were having to 'gaffer tape' panels and trim into place, and the chassis of one car was in pieces as it hadn't been welded together properly.
(,
Sun 20 Oct 2019, 10:44,
archived)
They did the original adverts when the Allegro was launched.
British Leyland supplied 12 new Allegros, straight off the production line for using in the advert.
The advert involved driving them down a hillside, over some lumpy bumpy bits.
It was quite an advanced vehicle at the time but budget requirements meant that all the good design was effectively 'designed out' to enable use of BLMC spare parts bin (door handles, headlights, switchgear, etc etc).
Unfortunately, thanks to poor build quality caused by bad management and a slack workforce sustaining excessive strike actions and lack of staff motivation to do the job well, these (even brand new) vehicles were not up to the task.
All 12 vehicles were returned at the end of filming just falling apart and most were undriveable. My dad told me that right from driving them off the car transporter they were having to 'gaffer tape' panels and trim into place, and the chassis of one car was in pieces as it hadn't been welded together properly.
And here is the original advert!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=73rKQXCRHeA
(,
Sun 20 Oct 2019, 10:47,
archived)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=73rKQXCRHeA
