Marina 2000?

This topic has 4 voices, contains 24 replies, and was last updated by Ian Nicholls 101 days ago.

Viewing 10 posts - 1 through 10 (of 25 total)

1 2 3 →

Author	Posts
Author	Posts
08/02/2012 at 1.07 pm #34597
Jonathan Carling	Every so often on this site, and elsewhere, someone mentions that the Ital was available as a 2.0HLS, with automatic ‘box only. It happened yesterday on the Facebook page too. When this happens, I find myself reminding the world that there was also a short-lived Marina 2000HL automatic, sold between 1979 and 1980. I’m beginning to doubt myself, as it isn’t listed in the Car GBU for June 1980, a month or so before the Ital came out. Can anyone confirm my hazy recollection – was a 2-litre Marina automatic sold in the UK for a short while?
08/02/2012 at 1.26 pm #34602
Mark Mastro	I’ve never heard or seen mention of the 2000HL Marina Auto ever. I know at the end of Mk2 production an 1800HL was produced, but once the Marina 3 went into production I’m almost positive that 1700 was as far as it went. Indeed I have the salesmans handbook for the Marina 3 and theres no mention of it in there either. I don’t think it exists old fruit
08/02/2012 at 5.01 pm #34607
Ian Elliott	Jonathan Definitely not! I was involved with Marina/Ital from 1973 to 1981 and we certainly never offered a 2 litre Marina of any kind. That’s not to say that a prototype of the Ital 2 litre might not have been run as a Marina, though…
08/02/2012 at 5.18 pm #34608
Frankie the 75 nut	@ Jonathan Carling. Is it possible that somebody dropped a 2.0 litre engine in one themselves?
08/02/2012 at 6.18 pm #34609
Mark Mastro	@Frankie. Of course thats possible. Or put a marina fornt panel on an ital etc etc. But defo not sold as a Marina 2.0
08/02/2012 at 6.46 pm #34610
Jonathan Carling	Ok, thanks guys! Memory on the blink again!
08/02/2012 at 10.00 pm #34623
Mikey C	It begs the question about why they never produced a 2000 Marina when they put the O series in. Surely they would have sold a few?
08/02/2012 at 10.08 pm #34626
Mark Mastro	Maybe a case of supply? Princess and didn’t the SD1 use it for a time (can’t remember when though). Although I personally don’t see how it could’ve sold much, the Marina had little kudos to warrant a luxury bigger engined version; likewise a sporting one. Perhaps they could’ve knocked a few out, but was it missed?
09/02/2012 at 10.39 am #34644
Ian Elliott	Folks, the clue is in the fact that the Ital 2 litre was only available as an auto. Yep, you’ve got it, the Marina manual box (basically a Triumph design) wasn’t really up to the 1.8 B Series, yet alone a 2 litre. Short of shoe-horning in a 77 mm SD1 box or the proper B Series MGB box (both expensive and requiring body changes) a 2 litre manual wasn’t on.
09/02/2012 at 11.31 am #34646
Sam Skelton	Begs the question though – if the Triumph box wasn’t really up to the B series then why didn’t they use the MGB box from the start?