The converters : Crayford BMC 1100/1300 Convertible

The BMC 1100/1300 was the only BMC/BL model to be offered as both an estate and convertible by Crayford Engineering (although these models were not marketed concurrently), but it’s the former we’re concentrating on here.

The soft-top version of this best-selling car only went on sale in 1969 following the launch of the Mk2 ADO16 in 1967…


Crayford 1300 convertible: Fun times

The launch of the Mk2 version of the BMC 1100/1300 (ADO16) in Autumn 1967 marked the first official availability of the two-door body style in the UK market. This lent itself to a drop-top conversion and, sure enough, Crayford came up with the goods within a couple of years, announcing their Convertible in February 1969.

Taking either the Morris or MG variant as its base, the Crayford conversion involved strengthening the sills and the bodywork around the door openings, while dispensing with all pillars aft of the quarterlight frames to provide an entirely open environment with the roof down.

One can only wonder, though, what effect this might have had on passenger protection in the event of a roll-over accident, particularly as no extra strengthening was applied to the screen surround.

Production capacity was predicted at seven cars per week, although only six examples of each marque were ever completed – while five of the Morrises are still around at the time of writing, it is believed that only one MG – that pictured below – and sold originally in Malta survives..

Prices (including new base car) £ s d
Morris 1100 de Luxe 1466 16 5
Morris 1300 Super de Luxe 1519 0 10
MG 1300 Mk2 1683 10 10

Morris 1300, currently owned by Peter Williams MG 1300, currently owned by Rolf Mobius
Crayford 1100 Convertible
Crayford 1100 Convertible at the 2017 Classic Motor Show in Birmingham’s NEC

Thanks to Michael Turner and Alexander Boucke for the Crayford Convertible photos

Declan Berridge

7 Comments

  1. I notice the Jensen car is still on the DVLA database, albeit not taxed for the last 30 years !

    The vehicle details for LEA 765E are:

    Date of Liability 01 10 1981
    Date of First Registration 16 06 1967
    Year of Manufacture Not Available
    Cylinder Capacity (cc) 1098CC
    CO2 Emissions Not Available
    Fuel Type Petrol
    Export Marker Not Applicable
    Vehicle Status Unlicensed
    Vehicle Colour BLUE

  2. Re Jensen version.
    This car was at the 1967 Motor Show at Earls Court, but not on the Jensen stand. It was used for demonstration to interested parties and as a general runabout during the show, kept in the underground car park.
    I was the newly appointed Assistant Sales Manager at that time.

  3. Hi Great site you got here!

    As I been indexing car magazines for last 37 years i came across the Wolseley 1100 Crayford today -see March 1999 Practical Classics Page 81 there is a mention of said car in a local farm near Hailsham in Sussex but alas no photo -is it restored now?

    I also come across other conversion on BMC products which i will add in the future

    There was mention of a 1800 Estate been made however see 12 July 1973 Autocar page 11 a mention and photo of Austin 1800 Wagon reg EMU 194 was build for the Road Research Laboratory 1 of several made with no plans for production ( I guess it was like the rumored Austin 3L serveral sedan s were Rover 3.5V8 powered for 1 of 2 of managers of BL and kept for several years until they were scrapped) i found no proof of this yet…

    a Austin 1800 Ute or pickup was made in Australia and sold not only locally but sold here in NZ – this was a factory job

    I been keeping a paper trail in the course of my research of most makers A-Z -but in regard to Crayford size is rapidly getting larger and larger they were very versitale company BMC and Fords were their main bread and butter but they did a number of BMW 2500/3.0S/Si Wagon conversions

    – Was there a book on Crayford giving numbers

  4. The Crayford Wolseley estate was once mine ! I ran it for a year – the last one before it went to the farm . It was absolutely knackered . It will probably never be restored unless I win the lottery and persuade the owner to sell it back – then I`d just convert a decent bodied one using the Crayford parts

  5. While it can be argued the 2-door would have sufficed as a quasi-Coupe, was a proper Coupe version of ADO16 ever considered either by BMC themselves or a Specialist converter?

    In essence best described as an upscaled version of the Mini-based ADO35 Coupe, with more than a few hints from the Peugeot 204 Coupe?

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