The MG Maestro was reasonably competitive in the 80s and early 90s and this very example was contested every year during the heyday of the MG Maestro Challenge. In-house race series were quite common and played a useful part in the development and promotion of new cars, but they were created to test drivers rather than the car itself.
The earlier MG Maestro 1600 had been an unmitigated disaster mainly due to the usual BL curse of under development, but the turning point arrived with the arrival of the 2-litre fuel injection models. Fitted with a Honda-designed gearbox, the O-Series engine gave drivers far more confidence, with a gain in power and hardly a drop wasted in fuel.
This ex-Tony Pond works car found itself in several competitions and competed into the 1990s. It was laid up in storage for several years before it was recommissioned and has been actively competing for the last 5 years. Owner Pablo Raybould has published a book about this car and its illustrious past, and a quick search for his name online will point you to the right place. This was captured at Race Retro earlier in 2023.
