Albas were also fitted with front-wheel brakes, an advanced feature on a light car of the time.

The Primula also featured disc brakes on all four wheels, uncommon in small cars of the time.

This definition made clear that a "supermini" was something larger than a Mini yet smaller than a typical car of the time.

More remarkable, at least in terms of European cars of the time, was a large 5.2-litre engine delivering 120 hp.

Most cars of the time had a single or two-cylinder motor.

Overdrive and an automatic transmission were new as well, something of a novelty in British cars of the time.

As with many cars of the time, bodies were getting more luxurious and hence heavier.

The engine was water-cooled, but unlike most cars of the time it had an electric cooling fan.

The Cw value was 0.37 while other cars of the time had 0.4 to 0.5.

The 1.4 version was available with a five-speed manual gearbox, a rarity in comparable cars of the time.