BMC 1800/2200 : Also known as

In this gallery, we take a look at some of the names used to sell various versions of the BMC 1800/2200 in overseas markets…


Austin Balanza
Home market name: based on Austin 1800

This name (meaning balance) was used on MkI Austin 1800s sold in the Netherlands and Belgium. While it is thought to have been officially dropped on the MkII version, some dealers are known to have applied the badge to later cars.

Picture kindly supplied by Alexander Boucke


Austin Kimberley
Home market name: based on Austin 1800

This car was introduced in 1970 as a belated replacement for the Austin Freeway (see above). Though based on the Austin 1800, it used the 2227cc E6 engine that the British car would not receive until 1972. There was also a lower-spec version called the Tasman (see below).


Austin Tasman
Home market name: based on Austin 1800

Like its upmarket sister, the Austin Kimberley (see above), the Tasman used the E6 engine in a heavily modified Austin 1800 bodyshell.


Austin Freeway
Home market name: based on Austin 1800

Discovered in 2008, it appears that the ADO17 was sold in New Zealand under the Freeway banner. If you know more, please get in touch.


Austin Windsor
Home market name: Austin 1800

The 1800 was launched in Denmark as the Windsor in 1964, but the name was dropped at about the same time the Morris Monaco (see below) was launched in 1966, after which it was sold as the Austin 1800.

Based on information submitted by Erik Loye and Alexander Boucke


Morris Monaco
Home market name: Morris 1800

The Morris 1800 was sold as the Monaco in Denmark from 1966-1972, after which only the Austin 1800 was sold. See also Austin Windsor, above.


Morris X6 Tasman/Kimberley
Home market name: based on Morris 1800

New Zealand seems to have made a habit of selling Australian-market BMC/BL products under alternative marque names. Having already marketed the ADO16-based Morris 1500 as the Austin 1500, they later reversed the process by using the Morris brand for the Tasman and Kimberley models.

More…


This page was contributed by Declan Berridge

Keith Adams

1 Comment

  1. Hi, I was a aprentice Toolmaker, at Contract Tooling Lidcombe ,in the late 60s till early 70s, we produced Quite a lot of the Multi Spindle Machinery, nesacerry for the Prototypes , the V8 1800 ,was definitely a Handfull ,with interesting , handling under power , These were very interesting times ,in the Toolroom ,with age , these Tradesman,Draftsman, and all the Bosses,are gone now,with their Skills , Australia had a Fantastic , Group of Manufacturers, Some of the Special Machinery Produced ,was World Class .

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