Morris
The converters : Mumford Marina Utility
Mumfords of Plymouth offered several variations on the Marina theme: the convertible, a natty caravanette version, and this – the Utility. The all-year round Marina Side view of the Mumford Utility. The estate-from-cdv conversion was quite a popular phenomenom during the 1970s, and it is not difficult to see why when one views the low [...]
July 26, 2011
· 
Keith Adams · 
One Comment
The converters : Mumford Marina Convertible
The Marina coupe had the potential to make a very attractive convertible, but it had a fundamental flaw… The open-top Marina Crayford devised this conversion based on the 2-door Marina coupe following an approach by Plymouth-based BL dealers Mumfords. The coupŽ’s rakish lines should have lent themsleves to an attractive drop-top car, but Crayford’s hands [...]
July 26, 2011
· Keith Adams · No Comments
Morris Marina/Ital : Huandu CAC6430
Outwardly, it looked like an Ital with a nicer looking front bumper, but underneath, it sported a new chassis. The Huandu was built in Western China and proved fairly ubiquitous in its own part of the country… The following account was written for this site by Erik van Ingen Schenau, of the China Motor Vehicle [...]
July 26, 2011
· Keith Adams · 4 Comments
Blog : Why I love the Two Ronnies
Keith Adams Just like washed out Bank Holiday weekends and warm beer, there’s something quintessentially English about the Two Ronnies. So who better to advertise that most English of car ranges, the Austin-Morris line-up from 1981. Would you be persuaded to jump into an Ital after watching this little advert? I probably would, but then [...]
July 22, 2011
· Keith Adams · 13 Comments
Tested : Marina vs Avenger
Too close to call? Two doyens of the British family car market slug it out in the first of a new series of road tests… First published in Classic Car Weekly in August 2005, KEITH ADAMS pitted the Hillman Avenger against its arch rival from Cowley, the Morris Marina. It was a close call… Introduction [...]
July 15, 2011
· Matthew Hayward · 12 Comments
News : Celebrating the Minor Million’s 50th
A number of Morris Minors were on show at the Heritage Motor Centre on the 4th January, 2011 to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Minor Million. The special event was organised in conjunction with the Morris Minor Owners Club. The one millionth Morris Minor rolled off the production line on the 4th January, 1961 and [...]
January 10, 2011
· Keith Adams · 8 Comments
Morris Minor Million reaches 50…
The British Automotive Industry reached a hugely important landmark on the 4th January, 1961. That day was earmarked for the launch of a limited edition Morris Minor aptly named the ‘Morris Minor 1,000,000’, by the British Motor Corporation Ltd. The occasion was the production of a million vehicles of the same basic design. This was a [...]
December 24, 2010
· Keith Adams · 25 Comments
BMC>MG’s Top Ten sellers : 1952-2005
Keith Adams WITH THE number of BMC/Leyland/Rover cars on our roads diminishing rapidly, we take stock of the successive companies’ ten most popular cars during the post-war years. Some of these numbers are going to shock you, simply because the cars are so rare on the road now. In fact, even the latest car on [...]
November 16, 2010
· Keith Adams · 56 Comments
Gallery : Morris Ital
In 1980, the Marina was restyled for the new decade by Harris Mann. The production engineering was carried out by Giorgetto Giugiaro‘s Ital Design styling studio, and BL sought to capitalize on the Italian connection by naming the new car the Morris Ital. The Ital suffered the ultimate indignity (for a Morris) of being built [...]
October 29, 2010
· Keith Adams · 2 Comments
Torcars Marinas
Available in standard and elevating-roof versions, the Torcars Marinas offered a choice of practical vehicles for outings and short breaks. The text and pictures below have been taken from the Torcars brochures. Suntor Marina Founding member of the Torcars range, the Suntor model offered a fully-lined, spring-loaded elevating roof and a wealth of built-in cupboards [...]
October 2, 2010
· Keith Adams · No Comments
Why we love the… Morris Minor Traveller
Dave Taylor tells all about his love affair with Rose… “Rose” is a 1966 Morris Minor Traveller. She is called Rose because of her colour: Rose Taupe (a fanciful description for a sort of mauve-tinted brown). It’s not the most exciting colour in the car manufacturer’s catalogue, but it is practical in hiding some of [...]
August 17, 2004
· admin · No Comments
The worst: Morris Marina/Ital
Unlike in the vote for the greatest car, the matter of who is the winner of the wooden spoon in this poll was not a clear cut issue at all. Three cars were in the running: the Allegro, the CityRover and this, the Marina (and its facelifted sister, the Ital). It has to be said [...]
July 25, 2004
· Keith Adams · No Comments
Car of the month : March 2002
This month, I reckon it is the turn of the Morris Marina to be featured as Car of the Month – and where better to start than this “mint and boxed” Mark 1 1800. See what you think – this example owned by John Capon is possibly the best around, although I’m sure he’d argue [...]
March 1, 2002
· Keith Adams · No Comments
Archive : The great escape
TV Journalist Michael Kirsch was once saved by three Bosnians. To repay the debt, he drove a £190 Marina to their war-ravaged country to try and get them out… Please click on the thumbnails below – all images open in a new window (1024px wide) This feature was originally published in CAR Magazine in November [...]
November 1, 1994
· Keith Adams · 2 Comments
Archive : Marina line halted at Cowley for fourth day
By R. W. Shakespeare Production of Marina cars at British Leyland’s Cowley, Oxford, Plant was at a standstill yesterday for the fourth day running, with 1,200 assembly workers idle. The plant, which has a big backlog of orders, resulting from the three-day week, has lost output of some 3,000 cars worth more than £3m this [...]
March 30, 1974
· Keith Adams · No Comments
Archive : Leyland steps up Marina exports to meet enormous demand in US
By Clifford Webb British Leyland are stepping up exports of Morris Marinas to the United States to take advantage of a marked swing to smaller cars following fears of a petrol shortage there. A spokesman said that since the Marina was introduced to the United States in February, there had been “an overwhelming demand which [...]
August 7, 1973
· Keith Adams · No Comments
Archive : British Leyland may return to world motor sport
By Julian Mounter Motoring Correspondent British Leyland, anxious to rejuvenate its image, is flirting with the idea of returning to international motor sport. The corporation may also market a high performance version of the Morris Marina, tuned and modified by the March racing team, in a deal similar to that operated successfully for many years [...]
April 26, 1972
· Keith Adams · No Comments
Archive : Thousands of Marinas need modification of windscreen wipers
HOME NEWS By Julian Mounter Motoring Correspondent Sixty thousand Morris Marina cars, two thirds of the total production, have been sold with what may be an embarrassing design fault. In an effort to cure earlier troubles British Leyland last year decided to reposition the wind- screen wipers on all Marinas. As a result the driver’s [...]
April 18, 1972
· Keith Adams · No Comments
Archive : Production of four-door Marina being stepped up
By Clifford Webb Midland Industrial Correspondent British Leyland is making hurried changes in the model mix of the production line of the new Morris Marina following reports from dealers indicating a greater customer preference for the four-door model. At the time of the launch three weeks ago production schedules at the Cowley assembly plant set [...]
May 17, 1971
· Keith Adams · No Comments
Archive : Motoring Marina out for conquests
While Mr. Harry Webster, the designer, was drawing the outlines for the new Morris Marina, he was being prompted by a brash and brilliant salesman: a fugitive from Ford, Mr. Filmer Paradise, director of sales for the Austin Morris division. In every informed autopsy on the old B.M.C. it is said that one of their [...]
April 29, 1971
· Keith Adams · No Comments
