20 FACTS ABOUT THE MORRIS MARINA

16 April 2021

The Morris Marina will celebrate its 50th birthday later this month, and we plan to feature an exceptional example on the actual date. For now, here are twenty fascinating facts about a much-misunderstood car:

Morris Marina

  1. The new Morris’ alternative proposed names included the 200, the Monaco, the Machete (!), the Morris Mamba, the Maori, the Matelo and the Musketeer. Eventually, the short-list was reduced to Major, Mirage, Mistral and Marina.
  2. British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC) previously used the name “Marina” on the Danish-market ADO16.
  3. The stylist Roy Haynes believed ‘Any attempt to create an image radically different from the competition will destroy the opportunities which can be created to effect an immediate transfer of loyalty from the competitive brands’.
  4. One dealer informed the press, ‘If we cannot sell this, we might as well pack it all in’.
  5. BLMC initially planned the Marina as a stop-gap model, remaining in production until 1976-1977.
  6. The launch of the Marina took place on 27th April 1971.
  8. Colour choices include Russet Brown, Harvest Gold, Limeflower Green, Midnight Blue, Teal Blue, Blaze Orange, Black Tulip and – my favourite - Damask Red
  9. A 1.8 Super two-door guest-starred in Carry On At Your Convenience, released on the 10th December 1971.
  10. In 1972 the March racing team evaluated a Marina powered by the Rover 3.5 litre V8 engine.
  11. 1973 saw the limited edition 4-door 1.8 TV “Jubilee” to celebrate 60 years of Morris. The paint finish was “Citron Yellow”, and the fittings included Sundym tinted glass, vinyl roof, twin door mirrors, front fog lamps, headrests and seats trimmed in navy cloth. BL supplied every dealer with one of these now scarce cars.
  12. By that year, the Marina was the UK’s second best-selling car after the Ford Cortina.
  13. British Leyland planned a replacement in the form of the ADO77, but it was cancelled on the ground of cost.
  14. In response to the fuel crisis, BL sold the Marina the USA in 1973 under the Austin badge; management decided it was better known than Morris in the States
  15. Leyland’s American operations marketed the 1.8TC saloon as ‘The family sedan with the gas-saving MGB engine’.
  16. Some 431,657 Marinas were exported.
  17. The Marina was assembled in Malta, Malaysia, New Zealand, Portugal and Singapore.
  18. Leyland Australia built a version of the Marina powered by the 2.6-litre “Red Six” engine. In 1975 production moved to Leykor in South Africa, but this intriguing model was never available in the UK.
  19. Car magazine informed its readers that ‘private buyers would, quite rightly, be horrified’ at the standard of finish of the Marina 1300 De Luxe 4-Door. However, they praised its space, general simplicity and superior performance’ compared with the Opel Kadett 1200 C and the VW Beetle 1303.
  20. April 1978 saw the launch of the Special LE, based on the 1300 two-door. BL sold 2,050 examples of the Marina equipped with ‘striped cloth seat facing’ and rather attractive metallic paint.

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