The Maxi was the last car developed by Alec Issigonis. The original idea was a sufficiently spacious car, to contrast with the small Mini (hence the name). The gestation of the car, presented in 1969, was particularly long and laborious but in the end the product was appreciated for its spaciousness and practicality of use. It was a 4-door sedan with a tailgate, whose 4-cylinder engine was the first designed from scratch by Austin for many years. The engines of the first series, produced until 1981, were the 1500 and 1750, while an enhanced version of the 1750 equipped the second series (1980-1981).