An Interesting Car from the 1980s with a strange history… What started as a standard Austin Metro was fettled with by Frazer who teamed up with Aston Martins company Tickford, to produce one of the most ‘out-there’ Metro’s ever known!
You could order the interior in ‘standard’ Connolly Leather of any colour, just about everywhere, dashboard, steering wheel, headlining, parcel shelf, you name it and some of the cars were. Also, the floors were finished in Wilton Carpeting throughout, this really was a special car from an era of when velour seats were classed as luxury.
However, a lot of the luxury items became an option on later cars. In the original brochure price list, most items from the unique wheels to the leather trimmings were all options. The Air Conditioning was an option, as was a remote tailgate release, alarm, electric steel or glass sunroof, cruise control, rear spoiler, electric door mirrors and the choice of either wool or leather headlining and sun-visors. Cruise Control was standard. The dashboard was a special feature, with a binnacle of dials and a ‘stack’ stereo system, which was quite powerful in its day.
The initial cars started with a base 1300 Metro, with a tuned head, this later became the same engine that went into the later MG Metro. Although you could later have a choice between MG & MG Turbo cars, these didn’t have the ‘Frazer’ spec finish.
The car we owned in the late 1980s was highly specced, with leather headlining, parcel shelf, glass sunroof and all the other tricks including cruise control! It was an amazing car in its day, an original real head-turner. It’s believed this was No19. If you know of the car or its destiny then do get in touch…
The Tickford Metro were also marketed in the States with a sole importer, the adeptly positioned Ray Denwood of Wiltshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills California, for c$30,000! At least the image was right, however, just 3 in LHD form were sold. Two have recently returned to the UK. It was originally supplied in 1984 to the late Wendall ‘Rick’ McBridge, a well-known official Ferrari photographer living in Beverly Hills, California.
The third is thought to be still in the Bahamas and possibly scrapped, being smashed up twice or very ill! Another LHD car is known in France too.
This special LHD car was at Auction with H&H… low mileage and a big estimate… https://www.handh.co.uk/auction/lot/lot-1982-frazer-tickford-metro/?lot=54922&so=0&st=&sto=0&au=504&ef=&et=&ic=False&sd=0&pp=48&pn=2&g=1
It’s good to hear that the Green Geneva car above is now being restored, so look out for that soon.
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It’s believed now a total of 20 Full Spec Cars were built in all guises, including LHD, but the initial 26 cars always thought, may appear to be the actual amount…
The main colour choice seemed to be Silver, which was the base colour. Some were red, blue, green, brown. Any colour was a choice at the time. The original cars were all numbered, later a handful was numbered on the small Frazer badge on the boot but only after build No 12, before then it wasn’t on the badge. This build number doesn’t include the aftermarket body-kit finishes which were later available.
This is the later brochure with MG specification, these weren’t the Frazer editions.
Of the number plates I’ve tracked down, there’s an odd sorting of colours and finishes. And the list isn’t complete yet;
FNG138Y / NUK1X (Silver) / TRH656W / 717VZO / DUR220Y / WMJ141X (Silver) / VUC4G (Silver) / A228VDA (Silver) / LAE103X (Red) / A432 LVG (White) /A501SUL / YLB632X (Silver) / UMM206Y (Silver) / A230JNG (Black) / TMD317Y (Green) / B101TYG (White) YKO585X (Brown LHD) VWK680X (Bronze/Black) B360OPG (Green)………..
Here above, an original advert for an Arum White car at an official Aston Martin Dealer in April 1984.
Here’s an advert for the Blue one with red leather, which is No17, this was an original Aston Martin show car. Here’s an advert for when this came up for sale…
Here’s an advert below for the black one.
PLEASE DO GET IN TOUCH IF YOU HAD ONE, LOVED THEM OR KNOW ANY DETAILS ABOUT THEM, NO MATTER HOW SIMPLE IT MAY SEEM, ALL THE INFORMATION ADDS UP… ALSO, GIVE HOWMANYMADE A MENTION IF THIS HAS HELPED.
Of Course, the Tickford Owners Club is a great source for all things Tickford Metro, Terry Wells is the specialist to chat with. But that site is well worth a visit for all Tickford, have a look here
Keep watching…. more to follow!
©howmanymade
HOW MANY MADE 
It’s actually a cool and helpful piece of info. I’m satisfied that you just shared this helpful info with us. Please stay us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.
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I’m surprised that as many as three cars were sold in the US.
$30,000 in ’81 was Porsche 911 money – for a car that everyone would mistake for a Toyota Starlet, with parts and service backup that probably consisted of a photocopy of the final list of Austin America dealers from 10 years before that might still have a Hydragas pump along with the phone number of a Halfords whose manager was willing to ship internationally.
I’m sure every one of the three who bought it had multiple other cars, though.
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Oh yeah, big money and quite surprising they sold any in the states at all… but you got it right, it wasn’t the only car those buyers owned, this was a toy to sit with the other 10+ cars in the garage I’m sure – Mike. (thanks for the link, much appreciated)
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I own N.O.17,18 and n.o 2
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Hi Richard – So you own them all! Only kidding. I think we spoke at the NEC once, you were stood with a silver car. Thanks for getting in touch, let me know if you have any more information to add to the site – Much appreciated, Mike
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I owned No17 back in the mid 1980s when serving on the Red Arrows at RAF Scampton, prior to me it was owned by a car dealers wife. It certainly was well specified with just about every extra that one could add. Really loved the blue and the Tickford lettering on the boot. I did take some photographs with car and jet…. Sold it to a car dealer in London who travelled up for the car, bought it on the spot. A very iconic vehicle.
Paul
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Hi – This ended up at Autovogue in London in the mids 80’s and I called them at the time to ask about the car. Sounded amazing.
If you can find the photos they would be great to add to the site,
Thanks for getting in touch,
Mike
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Mr Fitzgerald per chance?? .
RN
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Mr F.t.g.r.,.d ? Per chance ?
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Where do i start, only 20 built you have number 19, i have seen number 20. It was me you met at NEC 5 years ago and this year. Colour was not an option you simply asked what colour you would you like. Cruise control was standard not optional although mine was swopped for air horns. The advert re Lagonda was for the second generation not for a Frazer, not aware of a rear spoiler option, on later MG s maybe. The green Geneva show car is being restored at this moment in England, the third LHD Frazer was i believe destroyed in the Bahamas after being rebuilt twice.The cars started out as 1.3S cars.
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I owned A432 LVG, MG Tickford Metro Turbo. in Arum Beige, with all the bits and pieces on it.
I believe it is the one pictured in the Tickford boutique picture above
The information I have is from memory as I gave all the paperwork with the car after I had owned it for about 10 years.
BUt I do remember I got all the log books from DVLA and It was owned by Aston Martin for the first 18 months of its life.
Back in the days of writing letters before the internet I wrote to Tickford who replied saying it had indeed been a show car and on the stand at the 1984 London Motor show – Theres lots more info if anyone is interested
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Hi Paul, could you e mail me at richardnener@outlook.com please, I have most of the parts from the car
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Hi, my Mum owned no13 VWK680X for a few years and I remember it well as it was really quite special. I will see if I can dig out a picture of it as id be happy to share.
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Hi Paul,I thought you may like to know no.13 is still a.live and .living in Farnham, Surrey.i have owned her since 1993, alas not on the road at the moment. Pete.
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I own UMM206Y pictured above and it is currently in mid-restoration. For accuracy the copyright on the black and white photo of two Frazers is the “Aston Martin Heritage Trust” and they are photographed outside Sunnyside on Tickford Street Newport Pagnell. Sunnyside was the Aston Martin Lagonda offices at the time. The photo is part of the Roger Stowers collection. The bronze LHD, ex-USA car now has an owner in Switzerland and the green LHD, ex-Geneva Motorshow car is now in Portugal.
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Thank you for the update of information. Much appreciated – Mike
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