Following retirement in 1971, Alec Issigonis continued to work for British Leyland as a consultant and this MG Metro is his last prototype. He believed that this Metro would be an ideal showcase for the virtues of his experimental 9X, 6-cylinder engine.

In classic Issigonis style, the gearbox was placed under the engine and the bulkhead has been modified to make space for the air cleaner and twin carburettors but otherwise the car is standard.

Unlike the Mini 9X prototypes, it retains its original 'Hydragas' suspension. A set of testing instrumentation remains on the left-hand side of the dashboard.