On 15 August 1962, a major new product was launched by the British Motor Corporation. The Morris 1100 is a prime example of the right model offered at the right time, and it more than fulfilled the brochure's bold claims of 'fresh, progressive and exciting thinking. The Motor predicted that if it did not sell in phenomenal numbers then a lot of people would be eating their hats - and, sure enough, the ADO16 family became the country's best-selling car for many years. It was also the first BMC product fitted with Hydrolastic suspension and, above all, it captured the zeitgeist of the early '60s as much as The Beatles' Love Me Do or the BBC's That Was The Week That Was.
Such an important product - for the ADO16 could be one of Britain's most significant postwar cars - merited a special 60th-anniversary celebration, so C&SC invited eight examples to the Cowley plant, the home of the BMC 1100 and 1300. Each represents a different aspect of a narrative that encompasses automotive genius, corporate in-fighting, and, frequently, confusing marketing. And each, in its own fashion, demonstrates why the Austin, MG, Morris, Riley, Vanden Plas, Riley, and Wolseley were once encountered on virtually every high street.
Familiarity with a vehicle can sometimes blind us to its significance, and when encountering William Davies' 1963 Morris 1100 it is difficult not to indulge in Jonathan Meades-style prose. Almost every detail evokes countless memories, from the Pininfarina styling to the flashing indicator stalk and an engine note familiar from several dozen public information films. Yet those first 1100s were virtually unique in the market, with front-wheel drive, a transverse A-series motor, and engineer Alex Moulton's pioneering interconnected-fluid suspension. In the words of Motor Sport, it was set to: 'Slaughter all rival small cars, both British and Continental.'
Denne historien er fra August 2022-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
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Denne historien er fra August 2022-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
RAY HILLIER
Double-chevron oddity proves a break from the norm for this Crewe specialist
SHORT BACK & GLIDES
Eccentric enthusiast Captain RG McLeod's series of Manx-tailed Bentley Specials reached its zenith with this unique S2 Continental.
People's choice
The diminutive but multi-million-selling Fiat 850 packed a remarkable diversity of form and function into its compact footprint
PLASTIC BREAKS FROM THE NORM
Glassfibre revolutionised niche car-body production, but just occasionally strayed into the mainstream.
A SENSIBLE SUPERCAR
The cleverly conceived four-seater Elite secured Lotus a place at the big players' table, but has it been unfairly maligned since then?
"I had a habit of grabbing second place from the jaws of victory"
From dreams of yachting glory to the Le Mans podium, via a stint at the top of the motorsport tree, Howden Ganley had quite the career
Still going strong
Herbert Engineering staked its reputation on the five-year warranty that came with its cars. A century on, this Two Litre hasn't made a claim
One for the kids
General Motors was aiming squarely at the youth market with the launch of the Pontiac GTO 60 years ago, and its runaway success popularised the muscle-car movement
A NEW BREED OF HERO
Launched at the turn of the millennium, the GT3 badge has already earned a place alongside RS, CS and turbo in Porsche lore.
Brits with SIX appeal
The straight-six engine is synonymous with a decades-long legacy of great British sports cars. Six variations on the sextet theme convene for comparison
