Morris Oxford Farina | |
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Overview | |
Manufacturer | Morris (British Motor Corporation, later British Leyland) |
Production | 1959–1971 |
Designer | Pinin Farina |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Family car |
The Morris Oxford Farina is a series of motor car models that were produced by Morris of the United Kingdom from 1959 to 1971. The Farina name coming from the Italian design studio employed for styling.
Named by William Morris, Lord Nuffield after the university town in which he grew up, the manufacture of Morris's Oxford cars had helped to turn the south-side of Oxford into a thriving industrial area.
Like its predecessors, the Morris Oxford for the 1960s was a four-cylinder family car. It would have been seen as mid-sized in the UK, which is where most of the cars were sold. The Oxford (Farina) competed with models such as the badge-engineered A55/A60 Austin Cambridge, the Singer Gazelle and the Vauxhall Victor.
Oxford series V | |
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Overview | |
Production | 1959–1961 87,432 produced [1] |
Assembly | United Kingdom Australia [2] |
Body and chassis | |
Body style | 4-door saloon 4-door estate |
Related | Austin A55 Cambridge Riley 4/68 MG Magnette III Wolseley 15/60 |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 1489 cc BMC B-Series engine Straight-4 |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 99 in (2,500 mm) [3] 108 in (2,700 mm) |
Length | 175.5 in (4,460 mm) [3] |
Width | 63.5 in (1,610 mm) [3] |
Chronology | |
Predecessor | Morris Oxford series III |
Successor | Morris Oxford series VI |
For 1959, the Oxford, announced on Lady Day 25 March 1959, [4] was merged into the mid-sized Pinin Farina-designed BMC Farina range along with a half-dozen other previously announced models, including the 1958 Wolseley 15/60 and 1959 Riley 4/68, Austin A55 Cambridge Mark II, and MG Magnette Mark III. The Austin and Morris cars were nearly identical but were produced in separate factories. Differences in the Morris included some of the chrome and interior trim, and the rear lights. Inside, a front bench seat and special dashboard fitted with speedometer, oil pressure gauge, coolant temperature gauge, fuel gauge and clock (optional) were used. A choice of floor or column gear change was available. The handbrake was floor-mounted to the side of the seat. The 1.5 L B-Series engine continued. Drum brakes of 9 in (230 mm) diameter were fitted front and rear and the steering used a cam and peg system. The suspension was independent at the front using coil springs and had a live axle and semi-elliptic leaf springs at the rear.
The Series IV Traveller was still listed till September 1960, by which time a Series V Traveller had been introduced.
Tested by The Motor magazine the car had a top speed of 78 mph (126 km/h) and could accelerate from 0–60 mph (97 km/h) in 25.4 seconds. A "touring" fuel consumption of 29.8 miles per imperial gallon (9.5 L/100 km; 24.8 mpg‑US) was recorded. [5]
Both standard and de-luxe versions were offered. The de-luxe package included a heater, manual screen washer, twin sun visors, twin horns, bumper over-riders, a clock and leather-covered seat. A two-tone paint scheme and a radio were available as options. [5]
On the home market the Standard version cost £815 and the de-luxe £844 including taxes. [5]
A Traveller estate car version of the Series V Farina body was announced 28 September 1960. The new body now provided a double bed size sleeping compartment about 6 ft long and 4 ft wide. The back of the car had a tail-board hinged at the bottom and an upper panel hinged at the top. The Morris version had a single bench front seat and cost £10 more than the equivalent Austin Countryman. [6]
In all, 87,432 Series V Oxfords were built.
Oxford series VI | |
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Overview | |
Production | 1961–1971 208,823 produced [1] |
Body and chassis | |
Body style | 4-door saloon 4-door estate |
Related | Austin A60 Cambridge Riley 4/72 |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 1622 cc BMC B-Series engine Straight-4 |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 100 in (2,500 mm) [3] |
Length | 174 in (4,400 mm) [3] |
Width | 63.5 in (1,610 mm) [3] |
Chronology | |
Predecessor | Morris Oxford series V |
Successor | Morris 1800 Morris Marina |
All five Farina cars were updated in October 1961 [7] with a new 1.6 L (1622 cc/98 in3) version of the B-Series engine, longer wheelbase and a new revised look. The tail fins had been trimmed and there were still detail changes between the marques. The Morris retained the series V dash, while the Austin had an all-new fake woodgrain design.
The Morris Oxford Traveller (estate) series V was replaced by a series VI, although little changed apart from the front grille.
A diesel-engined Oxford series VI, introduced shortly after the 1961 update, was popular as a taxi. Variants of the same diesel engine enjoyed a long life in marine applications.
The Oxford VI remained in production until 1971 with 208,823 produced. The Oxford range was to have been replaced by the 1967 Morris 1800 (a badge-engineered 1964 ADO17 Austin 1800), but in the event both were built in parallel until 1971 because in terms both of pricing and of interior space the 1800 fell into the market segment of a slightly larger car. The ADO17 1800 continued until 1975, when it was succeeded by the Princess. The car that took the Oxford's place at the smaller end of the market segment was the Morris Marina, which also succeeded the yet smaller Minor.
The British Motor Corporation Limited (BMC) was a UK-based vehicle manufacturer, formed in early 1952 to give effect to an agreed merger of the Morris and Austin businesses.
The Austin Motor Company Limited was an English manufacturer of motor vehicles, founded in 1905 by Herbert Austin in Longbridge. In 1952 it was merged with Morris Motors Limited in the new holding company British Motor Corporation (BMC) Limited, keeping its separate identity. The marque Austin was used until 1987 by BMC's successors British Leyland and Rover Group. The trademark is currently owned by the Chinese firm SAIC Motor, after being transferred from bankrupt subsidiary Nanjing Automotive which had acquired it with MG Rover Group in July 2005.
The Hindustan Ambassador is an automobile that was manufactured by Indian manufacturer Hindustan Motors from 1957 to 2014, with improvements and changes over its production lifetime. The Ambassador was based on the Morris Oxford series III model, first made by Morris Motors Limited at Cowley, Oxford in the United Kingdom from 1956 to 1959.
The Morris Minor is an economy car produced by British marque Morris Motors between 1948 and 1971. It made its debut at the Earls Court Motor Show, London, in October 1948. Designed under the leadership of Alec Issigonis, more than 1.6 million were manufactured in three series: the Series MM, the Series II, and the 1000 series.
BMC ADO17 is the model code used by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) for a range of cars in the European 'D' market-segment of larger family cars, manufactured from September 1964 to 1975. The car was initially sold under the Austin marque as the Austin 1800, then by Morris as the Morris 1800, and by Wolseley as the Wolseley 18/85. Later, with a 2.2 L engine, also as the Austin 2200, Morris 2200 and Wolseley Six. Informally, because of the car's exceptional width and overall appearance, these cars became widely known under the nickname "landcrab"
The BMC ADO16 is a range of small family cars built by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and, later, British Leyland. Launched in 1962, it was Britain's best-selling car from 1963 to 1966 and from 1968 to 1971. The ADO16 was marketed under various make and model names; however, the Austin 1100 and Morris 1100 were the most prolific of all the ADO16 variants. The car's ubiquity at the height of its popularity led to it simply being known as the 1100 (eleven-hundred) in its home market. Also made with a 1275cc engine, it was then typically called 1300.
The BMC B series was a line of straight-4 & straight-6 internal combustion engine mostly used in motor cars, created by British automotive manufacturer Austin Motor Company.
The Riley 4 / Sixty Eight and Riley 4 / Seventy Two are cars produced by BMC from 1959 to 1969, under the Riley marque. They are closely related to the Pinin Farina-designed MG Magnette Mark III and Wolseley 15/60 and the simpler Austin A55 Cambridge Mark II, Morris Oxford V pair, sharing the MG's rear styling and engine. This Riley was the most expensive car in that series.
The Austin A40 Farina is a small, economy car introduced by Austin in saloon (1958) and A40 Countryman (1959) estate versions. It has a two-box body configuration. It was badged, like many before it, as an A40, consistent with Austin's naming scheme at the time, based on the approximate engine output in horsepower; and to distinguish it from other A40 models, it was also given a suffix name – this one being the Farina, reflecting the all-new design by Italian Battista Farina's Pinin Farina Turin studio.
The Austin Cambridge is a medium-sized motor car range produced by the Austin Motor Company, in several generations, from September 1954 through to 1971 as cars and to 1973 as light commercials. It replaced the A40 Somerset and was entirely new, with modern unibody construction. The range had two basic body styles with the A40, A50, and early A55 using a traditional rounded shape and later A55 Mark IIs and A60s using Pininfarina styling.
The MG Magnette is a car that was produced by MG between 1953 and 1968. The Magnette was manufactured in two build series, the ZA and ZB of 1953 through to 1958 and the Mark III and Mark IV of 1959 through to 1968, both using a modified Wolseley body and an Austin engine.
The Wolseley 15/60 is an automobile which was produced from 1958 to 1961, and then, as the Wolseley 16/60, from 1961 to 1971. The 15/60 was the first of the mid-sized Pinin Farina-styled automobiles manufactured by the British Motor Corporation (BMC). Launched in December 1958 as part of BMC's Wolseley brand, the design would eventually be shared with seven other marques. All of the cars were updated in 1961 with a larger engine and new model designations. The Wolseley 16/60 was the last, in production until 24 April 1971.
The Austin Westminster series are large saloon and estate cars that were sold by the British manufacturer Austin from 1954, replacing the A70 Hereford. The Westminster line was produced as the A90, A95, A99, A105, and A110 until 1968 when the new Austin 3-Litre took its place. Essentially badge-engineered versions of the Farina Westminsters were also produced using the premium Wolseley and Vanden Plas marques. 101,634 Westminsters were built.
Morris Oxford is a series of motor car models produced by Morris of the United Kingdom, from the 1913 'bullnose' Oxford to the Farina Oxfords V and VI.
The Morris Isis name was first briefly used by Morris Motors Limited on a 6-cylinder car made from 1929 until 1931. It was resurrected on a new 6-cylinder midsize car from the British Motor Corporation in the 1950s to replace the Morris Six MS.
Morris Cowley was a name given to various cars produced by Morris from 1915 to 1958.
Morris Oxford Series MO is a car produced by Morris Motors of the United Kingdom from 1948 to 1954. It was one of several models to carry the Morris Oxford name between 1913 and 1971.
The Austin Drawing Office was the design and engineering department of the British Motor Corporation. From the early 1950s, the resulting projects of the office were known by the initials ADO. The numbers were assigned to vehicle and engineering projects, some resulting in production models. The ADO numbering system continued well beyond BMC's absorption into British Leyland, who continued to use the convention until the late 1970s.
Morris Oxford is a series of motor car models produced by Morris Motors of the United Kingdom, from the 1913 bullnose Oxford to the Farina Oxfords V and VI. The manufacture of Morris's Oxford cars, named by W R Morris after the university town in which he grew up, would turn Oxford into an industrial city.
Morris Oxford is a series of motor car models produced by Morris Motors of the United Kingdom, from the 1913 bullnose Oxford to the Farina Oxfords V and VI.
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