AROnline » 1800/2200

The cars : BMC 1800/2200 development history

Keith Adams — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 20:59:31 +0000

Big and ungainly it may have looked, and it struggled to capture the imagination of the car buyers of the 1960s, but there’s no doubting the 1800/2200 was one of the most advanced cars in its class. However, it has now matured to the point that we can look beyond those early issues, and marvel [...]

The post The cars : BMC 1800/2200 development history appeared first on AROnline.

Woodall Nicholson 1800/2200

Keith Adams — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 09:58:49 +0000

Woodall Nicholson produced this curious-looking stretched Landcrab, along with a far more elegant hearse… THIS Austin 2200-based limousine, which had clearly seen better days, appeared on eBay at least twice during 2002/2003. All we know about it at the moment is that it was a Woodall Nicholson conversion, and that there may also have been [...]

The post Woodall Nicholson 1800/2200 appeared first on AROnline.

Also known as : BMC 1800/2200

Keith Adams — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 21:57:24 +0000

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 [...]

The post Also known as : BMC 1800/2200 appeared first on AROnline.

Those doors

Keith Adams — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 18:22:07 +0000

When the ADO17 was launched as the Austin 1800 in 1964, few people can have imagined that one of its defining features – its doors – would later appear on a series of cars ranging from a 1.5-litre family hatchback to a 3-litre executive saloon. But the story doesn’t end there. As well as being [...]

The post Those doors appeared first on AROnline.

Buying guide : BMC 1800/2200

Keith Adams — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 20:45:40 +0000

The final flowering of the Issigonis range, the 1800 was a large-scale Mini that failed to set the world alight. Yet these capable cars are readily affordable today. IAN SEABROOK tells you what you need to know. First published in Classic Car Weekly Availability Years produced: 1964-1975 Body style: 4-door saloon Engine options: 1798cc B-Series [...]

The post Buying guide : BMC 1800/2200 appeared first on AROnline.

BMC 1800/2200 : Austin 1800 Wagon

Keith Adams — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 20:35:56 +0000

We know that BMC investigated expanded the 1800 into van, hatchback and estate versions, but never got much further than the drawing board. However, one interprising individual in Australia went ahead and built his own. Here’s the story of the fascingating Austin 1800 Wagon… A new rear is hatched IT’S often been said that the [...]

The post BMC 1800/2200 : Austin 1800 Wagon appeared first on AROnline.

BMC 1800/2200 : MG version

Keith Adams — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 20:34:10 +0000

When badge-engineering was at its height, BMC’s middle-market cars played host to a myriad of marque names. The ADO16 and Farina saloons were the most numerous, as they were offered in Austin, Morris, MG, Wolseley, Riley and Vanden Plas versions. The larger ADO17′s shape never really lent itself well to this re-grilling, but it was [...]

The post BMC 1800/2200 : MG version appeared first on AROnline.

BMC 1800/2200 : Crayford Estate

Keith Adams — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 20:29:53 +0000

Alongside their trademark convertibles, Crayford were beginning to produce “estate car” conversions in the 1960s, the more apposite term “hatchback” not really having been coined at this stage. The Crayford 1800 Estate offered up to 100 cu ft of load space, and could be ordered as a full conversion (seen here) for £180, or without [...]

The post BMC 1800/2200 : Crayford Estate appeared first on AROnline.

BMC 1800/2200 : Commercial derivatives

Keith Adams — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 20:24:58 +0000

With its long wheelbase and front-wheel drive layout, the 1800 would have made the ideal starting point for a range of commercial derivatives. Sadly, only the Australians saw fit to put such a vehicle into production… Van proposal Austin 1800 Utility

The post BMC 1800/2200 : Commercial derivatives appeared first on AROnline.

BMC 1800/2200 : Austin Freeway

Keith Adams — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 20:15:56 +0000

The ADO17 was a popular car in New Zealand – although the Freeway moniker it received is little known. Here are some pictures forwarded from site regular Marius Van Boven, taken from an online classified advert. If you know more, please get in touch. Download the original For Sale article (PDF file).

The post BMC 1800/2200 : Austin Freeway appeared first on AROnline.

BMC 1800/2200 : Also known as

Keith Adams — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 20:13:15 +0000

The post BMC 1800/2200 : Also known as appeared first on AROnline.

X6-based : Vanden Plas 1800

Keith Adams — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 20:07:43 +0000

Vanden Plas produced a variety of prototypes based on BMC/Leyland models. One of these used the Austin X6 as its donor car.

The post X6-based : Vanden Plas 1800 appeared first on AROnline.

Tested : Austin Tasman/Kimberley

Keith Adams — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 19:59:53 +0000

This excellent article comes from the Australian publication, “Australian Motor Sports and Automobiles”, December 1970. NEW AUSTIN AUSSIE SIX With very Australian names, how can the new BLMC six-cylinder car fail? Its advance specification and increased performance should win over plenty of traditional “big three” buyers. THIS is it, BLMC’s latest attempt at climbimg aboard [...]

The post Tested : Austin Tasman/Kimberley appeared first on AROnline.

BMC Overseas : Austin X6/Kimberley

Keith Adams — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 19:55:30 +0000

These Antipodean specials were based on the ADO17 (note the doors), but were treated to unique front and rear styling. It could be said that the Kimberley and Tasman look rather like the four-door Maxi that was never put into production, but any attempt to dress-up the design failed, in truth. The car was phased [...]

The post BMC Overseas : Austin X6/Kimberley appeared first on AROnline.

Concepts and prototypes : BMC 1800/2200

Keith Adams — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 19:51:15 +0000

The origins of ADO17 can be traced back to XC9000, the first in a series of designs produced by Alec Issigonis in 1956, following his return to BMC from Alvis. The rear-wheel-drive XC9000 prototype was developed into the front-wheel-drive XC9001, before the project was shelved in response to the Suez Crisis. The XC9001 design was [...]

The post Concepts and prototypes : BMC 1800/2200 appeared first on AROnline.

In-house designs : Vanden Plas

Keith Adams — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 10:19:09 +0000

Vanden Plas prototypes The coachbuilding firm of Vanden Plas had been purchsed by Austin in 1946, and thus became part of the BMC empire that was created by the merger of Austin and Morris in 1952. Until the end of the 1950s, the factory at Kingsbury in north-west London was chiefly used for the production [...]

The post In-house designs : Vanden Plas appeared first on AROnline.

Carrozzeria designs : Pininfarina 1800

Keith Adams — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 09:01:36 +0000

Ahead of its time This brilliant Pininfarina styling exercise was never considered for production. The running gear was pure BMC 1800, but the style was utterly unique for 1967. This BMC-Pininfarina 1800 predates the Citroën CX by seven years – one wonders how BMC may have fared had they the courage to put this beauty [...]

The post Carrozzeria designs : Pininfarina 1800 appeared first on AROnline.

Service vans : ADO16 and ADO17

Keith Adams — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 13:14:50 +0000

The post Service vans : ADO16 and ADO17 appeared first on AROnline.

Car of the month : May 2007

Keith Adams — Tue, 01 May 2007 13:42:40 +0000

We don’t do things by halves here at www.austin-rover.co.uk – and when it came to chosing a BMC 1800 to collect the monthly spotlight, what better car to select than one the genius himself, Sir Alec Issigonis, had been pictured with… It’s another BMC>Rover car that never fulfilled its potential on the market, despite being [...]

The post Car of the month : May 2007 appeared first on AROnline.

Car of the month : May 2003

Keith Adams — Thu, 01 May 2003 10:41:41 +0000

May brings us an example of the larger Issigonis car: the Austin 1800. The example featured this month is a member of the Boucke family fleet, having been owned by Alexander’s father for many, many years. Thanks to a comprehensive restoration, it will no doubt go on to live many more years. This is the [...]

The post Car of the month : May 2003 appeared first on AROnline.