BL R-series engine BL R-series engine The R series is a line of petrol engines introduced by British Leyland in 1983 for the then-new Austin Maestro. It was only produced in one capacity—1.6 litres. The engine was essentially a lightly modified version of the E-series unit found in the Maxi and Allegro. The main differences over the older engine are to the sump and gearbox mounting flange, which were adapted to accept a traditional "end-on" transmission unit which had been bought from Volkswagen in place of the traditional BMC transmission-in-sump arrangement. The R series was mainly a stop gap, and had a very
1983 in motoring frugal oil burner. Citroën has expanded its range in the UK by importing the LNA three-door entry-level hatchback, which has been sold in its homeland since 1978. There are no plans, however, for the base LN model to be imported across the channel. August 1983 also saw the arrival in the UK of the BX family hatchback, which was launched on the continent the previous autumn. Nissan has confirmed that the Datsun badge is to be withdrawn from the entire model range after this year, and that the Nissan badge will be universal. The first car to wear this badge