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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

This day in history – from the daily news archives. Clifford Webb on British Leyland’s break with unconventional engineering and why they did it. Hard pressed British Leyland, the only surviving British owned motor group, today launches its long awaited new Morris Marina aimed directly at the important fleet market. British Leyland, with its past [...]

MOTOR magazine What have Austin Morris been doing since the formation of British Leyland in May 1968? Will Austin and Morris diverge? How good is the new ADO28? What will happen to the 1100/1300 range? George Turnbull, deputy managing director of British Leyland and managing director of Austin Morris, talks frankly to Harold Hastings. Until [...]

Clifford Webb on the new fight with the unions British Leyland’s apparent success in forcing through a new pay system in a key section of its Austin Morris Cowley car plant will be tested when the company tries to increase production of its all important new model at present code named the ADO28 . The [...]

By CLIFFORD WEBB The first new car designed from start to finish by British Leyland since the British Motor Holdings-Leyland merger two years ago is now at the pre-production stage and could well be launched next spring. Details circulating in the industry suggest that it is entirely orthodox with a fore and aft engine in [...]