I thought it was pretty well known that Gundam is a commentary on class and the effects of imperialist wars on normal people. The OG series didn't glorify violence and instead showed a lot of gratuitous civilian deaths, and most of the main characters are the poor-orphan-becoming-a-knight archetype.

Plus Jane Austen at the time was a sharp critique of English nobility and high class, but presenting it in a stylized and popular way.