The Story Of This Rally MONSTER And How It Ended Up In A Las Vegas Casino - Metro 6R4 

Thank you for putting this up, informative and well presented. I remember the 6R4 from the time, and when the late Tony Pond drove it to it's best World Rally result. He'd previously been the works driver of the TR7 V8's. I always remember someone's comment... along the lines of .... ' Up to a point, almost anyone of reasonable skill could drive an Escort fast. To drive a TR7 fast, you had to be a hero..'. .

Ever since as an impressionable 11-year-old in 1985 my dad took me to stage of the RAC rally the 6R4 has been at the top of my dream garage list.

In the late 80s a friend and I followed the Cambrian Rally. I vividly remember the Penmachno forest stage. A 6R4 went off and about 20 spectators literally carried it back onto the fire road. It then needed a push start. It was more difficult to push than carry. The three differentials created so much drag the bloody thing seemed to weigh three tons. I reckon it needed 100 bhp just to turn the transmission.Then it fired up and that engine note was as meliflouos as the Stratos. The Audis sounded good but the other turbos eg Pugrots sounded like food mixers in comparison. Heady days.

Stumbled on this video by pure chance. I used to work for a motorsport company in Bicester back in the late '80s that was managed by Ian Beveridge (Austin Rover engineering manager at the time of the works team). He purchased a works car when the factory team was closed off that I used to service in the workshop along with other customer 6R4s'. We built and ran the car used by Tony Pond at the Birmingham Superprix in '88. In 1990 I went freelance and ended up working for a privateer in Iceland running his 6R4, which I had converted to LHD with just hours to spare before scrutineering! I was lucky enough to give the odd car a shake down test drive and can honestly say, it was an experience that I'll never forget. Keep up the good work Jack.

Thanks Jack for covering group B. Too many RU-vid concentrate on new supercars. Keep up the good work

The 6R4 was my very favourite car ever, on the rally stages watched, you had no doubt whatsoever that it was a 6R4 coming. It had such a unique sound - like nothing else on the track.

Fantastic video Jack. Really interesting look at that wee beastie. Brings back memories, I used to love watching group b back in the day, especially the welsh stages covered in snow in the middle of the night. Always got a thrill from watching these monsters tearing around the countryside.

Finally someone who knows the Metro 6R4 engine is basically a Cosworth "inspired" V6 which is also used for the Jaguar XJ220 My mate his 6R4 has been exported to Spain last year was also converted to LHD in red/yellow French Beer "33" Export livery, the nicest rally livery I personally believe. Most Metro's ended up in the Rallycross circus after group B was banned, and Rallycross cars live a very hard life so most of the aluminium roofs have been replaced by the sheet metal standard Metro roofs. The last 6R4's were offered for £ 28000 if I correctly remember.

Love these historical motoring films you do! Really appreciate your taking the time to do them

Thanks for the great video Jack.. I remember seeing these in back 1986 and Billy Coleman in the Rothmans 6r4 at the Donegal International rally☘️.. Just awesome!!!

Thanks for more memories Jack, another rare & quirky gem! Was good to hear it in action!

Great job Jack. Thank you.

Amazing car... I remember driving over to a rally stage in my MG Metro turbo to watch the 6R4s doing their stuff. The sound of them ♥️ when rallying is fantastic 👌 so much power. Thanks for the video...

Great video Jack and a brilliant era of Group B rally, love a 6R4 in the Computervision livery. Might remember there was another mid-engined Metro when Rover were developing the MGF they used a Metro Van mule complete with fictional courier firm livery. Love a video on the Bastos SD1 in the background, what a collection 👏

A great piece of motoring history and well presented Jack. Many thanks.

Rally cars are awesome, thank you Jack! Great fun, historic indepth view in a fantastic presentation. Very much appreciated showing the interesting and rare. And the sound👍

Love these informative videos Jack. Great to find out about interesting cars with some history!

Great video Jack, I like this format of 'history come alive'! I remember this car driving at Goodwood Festival of Speed a few years back, its an awesome machine!

Thanks for a great video, brings back memories of watching Tony Pond in the RAC all those years ago.

A very well presented video of this part of British motoring history. Thank you! 🙂👍

Absolutely loved watching the 6R4 in the Lombard on the box as a kid. A fantastic era in rally. Great vid too!

Thanks for posting this. That sound brings back memories of Brands Hatch.

Great video thanks.. Can't help but reminisce watching these things as a kid. Particular memories of the Welsh / Shell international in Cardiff castle. Even though my dad was running a sunbeam in that event, I always declared the 6R4 for my favorite.

Great video Jack. I enjoyed watching Group B rallying back in the day on tv. It’s a shame it was cut short but it’s understandable why it was. There looks to be some interesting cars in the building alongside the Metro.

Great vid - a nice balance between history detail and firing ‘em up 👍

That engine sound, for a few moments I was back in the North Yorkshire & Kielder forest complexes in the mid 1980's. Great video, Jack!

6R4...WOW.....Brilliant video and excellant info Jack...

Enjoying this 6R4 video. I remember as a young trainee at a local body shop a customer buying a clubman spec to go rally crossing with after the group B ban. We got the job of painting it. It was direct from Austin Rover, all white but the arches and duct were unpainted and finished in bare glass fibre or kevlar. I remember the lack lustre steering wheel and standard looking dash dash (I didn't realise it was clubman spec at the time) Wow, what a car, it arrived and left on trade plates making such a noise, what a special thing 👍

Loving this from the outset. Brilliant fact based documentary full of every true detail. This is, certainly my idea of a great watch my friend! Love it and thumbs up!

Another interesting video Jack ,keep them coming👍

Mere mortals dont get to see these differences. Superb video thank so much!

cracking job jack, now thats a real mans car ! i was lucky enough to be a passenger in both a 6R4 + RS200 back in the day. i can still remember the noise + smell around those 5 laps of a rally-cross track, metro was frightingly quick off the line, i was constantly pounding the passenger floor, looking for a brake pedal! RS was a slightly slower start, but when that turbo hit "11", the beast properly woke up. only got 2 laps in that one, as it blew a turbo hose [sounded like it] , and i didnt get a refund or second run... i so miss the late eighties, anybody got a delorean, 88 MPH please....

Another fine example of your videos on such an amazing car. My abiding memories of the 6r4 are Tony Pond and David llewllyn (amongst others of course) throwing them around. Mr Pond also had experience of your mentioned TR8. One slight omission was of the successful SD1 v8 either as a rally car or Btcc racer. On mentioning Tony Pond I can highly recommend the RU-vid video of him setting a long standing record lap of the TT circuit in a 827 Vitesse with 2.7 Honda engine, in just about showroom spec, a marvel to see this man's extraordinary skill and commitment so sadly missed. Locally an old high school colleague runs a mint BRG Metro Turbo, and elsewhere there is a pristine Red Maestro Turbo runs about in fine fettle. Im a fan of the 75, one been in an cdti model and they are lovely cars. Obvs the MG version with Mustang V8 power is a favourite. You don't ever see them though, I'd like to see a modded one! Keep up the good work. Best wishes, Ben🚍🚌🇬🇧

Brilliant content, Jack!

That's a real hero car. Loved the 6R4 since I played Forza Horizon 3.

I stayed at the Imperial Palace in 2001 (We flew home Sept 9th 2001!). They had an extensive motor museum, which we killed time in when waiting to be picked up for the airport. Lots of great cars, Liberace's Roller, Mussolini's Alfa, Elvis's Caddy etc etc.

What brilliant content, well done!

How have I not subscribed? It's done now, great video & nice to learn something new, especially about the 6R4. The sound of these cars at full chat is something else.

Hi Jack, I live about 4 miles from Longbridge and have seen 6r4s around since the mid 80s. I was lucky enough to do some commentary at Shelsley Walsh recently. The same day a 6r4 beat the class record (enclosed cockpit car) getting to the top of the hill in 28 seconds. It was magical. Love these little 'bite size nuggets'. Great channel. thanks again Jamie

My favourite car of all time & good to see a factual & informative insight

Always loved the 6R4 - they sound fantastic, and always look great flick flacking along a Forest stage. I always liked the way they bobbed up and down when braking hard!

Mate , absolutely loved this, I’m of that generation and think you told the story perfectly 👍

Great video. Entertaining and very informative!

Nice one Jack, I was surprised to see, or not to see ,any extra spot lights , 👍😀.

Good topic that Jack. The growing closer wailing sound from deep in the Forests then sight of a fast approaching MG Metro 6R4 is one of the very top Motor Sport experiences. For obvious reasons, that short demonstration hardly did the exceptional car justice. Imagine that. Cars considered too fast for competition and so banned.

Thank you Jack, a really nicely presented video that was very enjoyable to watch.

11:16 is that an RS200 in the collecton?! I'd love to see a video about that, I've always been quite fascinated by them. Fantastic video, Jack!

The 6r4 had a two car entry in the 1985 Lombard RAC rally with Malcolm Wilson and Tony Pond. Malcolm unfortunately retired with transmission failure, but Tony went on to finish 3rd overall behind two Lancia Delta S4's on their debut event. Awesome little car and great video. Thanks.

Thanks for another informative video Jack👍. My first car was a red 1982 metro. I drove it like it was a 6R4....🤪. Looking forward to you next video.

Thanks for this jack amazing history of the 6R4 the last time I watched those cars in action was at Brandshatch rallycross circuit in the 90s with my Dad 🙌🏻🙌🏻

Lovely review of a little demon of a car! Interestingly the floor pan as I recall was actually partly from a Maestro. Great stuff!

Yet another cracking video , good man !

Great video Jack. 👍

So very easy for one to watch this type motoring nostalgia and although ever so interesting find myself quietly trivialising the boxy designs or styling from the past. However I now more appreciate the ground breaking engineering underneath and huge effort undertaken; usually also unseen in order to take part in competition and be competitive, thanks 👍

Always loved these, every more so after I got the Metro Scalextric for Christmas 😁 cracking vid, very interesting 👍

Great video Jack, whilst slightly too young to remember them that well, they’ve always been my favourite rally car, even behind a Delta S4. I suspect this one could have been a good 20 minutes longer! 👍

Great video, loved it. I used to be a motorsport photographer covering heritage racing supporting the BTCC, Seeing the Bastos rover at the end was great as I've seen it racing and got some great shots of it

What a celebration of a car ! 👍

What a great video. I'm loving the group b content.... Need to see an RS200 video and one on Toyota's MR2 project! Great fun

Brilliant cameo....thanks!

Really enjoyed that. Cheers

Thank you very much. Really good video

Really interesting, great content as always and what a mental car! So far away from a Mini Metro 👊 if I won the lottery this is the Group B Car I would want probably more than the RS200

It sounds so good 💓 Also, great vid, thank you

Awesome. Thank you

That sound really brings back memories! Last time I saw a 6R4 used in anger was at Longleat back around 1988.

Top quality, Jack! Can you do the TWR SD1 next, please... The one in the back ground there... Yeah, that one... Thanks, mate!

Excellent and informative video.

That was excellent. Thank you from an old rally fan.

Hey Jack,I remember watching these early 80s but then came the RS200 WOW,!!!!! get a look at one of those if you can cheers Jason 👍👍

Cracking video Jack, kind of knew the basic differences between Clubman and International specs but you covered the details well. Always loved the 6R4, BUT, these days i'd have a Peugeot 205 T16, the road version of that car would be a car you could use regularly (without going deaf), Rover never made a road version of the 6R4 unlike the T16, Audi Sport Quattro, Ford RS200, Renault Turbo Maxi etc.

A fantastic video for those of us who experienced Group B. Fun facts: The VDO instruments that show oil pressure and/or oil temperature are the same as on the Porsche 924, 931 (924 Turbo), 937 (924 Carrera GT) and 944 (pre mid 1985).

Great video..well presented. Dying to know what else is in that “shed” under the covers !

Your getting good at this 👍🏼👍🏼 I have Alfa 156 WTCC I’m doing at the moment, I will let you know when it’s ready for a blog 👍🏼

Shared to the Metro Owners Club on FB....they'll love it. Great video as always, A dream car for me, there's a replica on car and Classic for a snip at 75k 🤣👍 when they were banned Mr&Mrs Jones could walk into an Austin Rover dealership and buy one for around 15k!

Amazing car :) thanks Jack

That's an amazing piece, great info. Can't believe it was found in a US casino. The death of Group B killed it like the rest of the type, can remember seeing the pictures of the unsold ones at the factory after that no one wanted, same with the RS200. Putting it and a normal Metro side by side is a laugh, they look so different. Can remember a couple of guys buying the body kits for the standard car, just didn't look right.

Ah its good to be 55 years young lol THANK YOU for the very informative video mate its metro magic love it Cheers

Awesome, love this machine but will never drive one or own one I guess. Let’s hope people continue to cherish them and drive them so we can see and hear them!

Thanks Jack an extremely interesting video, I'm an UR quattro anorak but found this very compelling, mind you my first company car was a 94 Metro...

Great video.

That sound is goosebump inducing

Awesome 👍 Please review more cars from the Saunders collection ... I spy a few gems 😉

M1st car was an A Reg blue 1.1 Metro. I once drove to college in it with t he handbrake on and only noticed when I tried to pull it up when parked. 2nd car was a C Reg 1.3 Vanden Plas with electric windows and cream leather seats. I thought I was the cheese driving around in that (I had the Outrun soundtrack cassette playing in the stereo). In the end I gave the to my brother when I got a company car where I worked. He drove it for a year and then traded it against a new Saxo.

I remember a friend telling me that he was at the RAC one year standing near a top speed display. The Metro came down a road at 84/86 mph....the Delta S4 at over 100mph. The NA Metro hard a tough fight against the S4, 205 T16 and the like.

BL used to bring the test cars to the MoD vehicle test facilities at Bagshot in Surrey. During tyre testing I had 4 laps of the gravel circuit with Jimmy McCrae driving and me in the nav seat. 15 mins of terror but I'll remember with fondness. Thanks Jimmy.

Long ago I saw the car collection at the Imperial Palace (which is no more). Do not recall this car but I bet it was there at the time. I remember seeing a Ford Escort, and the information plaque said it had a zero to 60 time of 3sec and at the time that left me amazed a car let alone an Escort could have a time like that. All the cars had price tags and you could just buy them if you had the funds. I remember a gull door Benz had a price tag of $100k, just as a time frame this was around 20 yrs ago.

Bravo Jack ,bel video, molto interessante

I remember these cars blasting through the Yorkshire Forrest's at night in the snow! you could hear the 6R4 coming from miles away. Fantastic.

Nice one Jack :-)

I remember seeing two 6r4's in that casino around 2003. I remember one of them looked like it had taken a hard hit to thr rhs and not been repaired all that well. They were both for sale.

I used to see these around my way for the annual Sunseeker rally. Always a crowd favourite and not hard to see (or hear) why!

For me the best sounding rally car ever

My first car was a metro. It broke down within the first hour of ownership too! Great video.

I liked this buddy. My first car back in 92 was a B reg metro. All I wanted was a 6r4 body kit and have it all printed racing green. 😬

This thing sounded like nothing else, when you were in the forests watching the Rally you could hear this Beast Miles away. Loved it.

Great film. The cars ended up physically bigger than than the Maestro they weren't based on. Remember seeing them on the RAC around Weston Park (?) as an excitable schoolboy.... that distinctive bark, echoing through the the damp November woodland as they approached.... nostalgia isn't what it used to be!

Nice to see, that the Unipart Metro of Harri Toivonen is still around and in good nick.

Epic motor! Please do a video on that sd1 🙏

That looks.lile a LOT of fun!