Online exhibition at Gaydon's British Motor Museum to celebrate 40 years of the Metro

It may have been the butt of many jokes as it aged, but the under-appreciated little Metro remains one of Britain's best-selling small cars
Photo courtesy of the British Motor Museum.Photo courtesy of the British Motor Museum.
Photo courtesy of the British Motor Museum.

Anyone over the age of 25 is likely to have either driven or been a passenger in Metro, and now the British Motor Museum at Gaydon is hosting an exhibition to celebrate the memory of little car that, against all the odds, became a bestseller.

The exhibition, titled 'Metro at 40' marks the 40th anniversary of the Austin Metro and 30th anniversary of the Rover Metro - the cars that were intended to replace the legendary Mini.

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For the first time the Museum will be hosting the exhibition online as part of its drive to have more online and accessible insights into their collection.

The exhibition went live on September 9 and is free to view.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Austin Metro and 30th anniversary of the Rover Metro.

As part of the anniversary celebrations, the Museum hosted a one-day celebration of the two iconic British small car marques.

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The National Metro and Mini Show took place on September 6 and saw enthusiasts enjoy a scaled-back, but very enjoyable show.

Cat Griffin, curator at the British Motor Museum said: “We opened our other anniversary exhibition “Range Rover at 50” in March but due to lockdown it was only open for two days.

"As the museum was closed for three months we decided to extend the run of that display until 28 September and come up with a new way for people to enjoy the story of the Metro.

"We thought it would be a great subject to present as our first virtual exhibition."

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The online exhibition is packed with all things Metro from the archive - including facts, photos and film clips.

Visitors can also read about many fond memories of the small hatchback which have been submitted to the Museum by Metro owners.

Anyone that would like to send in their own Metro musings for the ‘Metro and Me’ feature can email their stories and images to [email protected]

The Museum is now reverting to Friday to Monday opening until October half-term (October 24 - November 1), when it will be open daily, subject to any changes in Government advice.

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It will then return to Friday to Monday opening throughout November and December until December 20 when it will close for Christmas, reopening on January 2, 2021.

For more information about the exhibition please visit www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/explore/temporary-exhibitions