RARER THAN RARE – THE MORRIS ISIS

As many of us know, eBay is a haven of temptation. One starts with the modest aim of obtaining a copy of Motor Road Test Annual 1977, but within thirty minutes, there is the temptation to buy another classic car. But this is wholly understandable when the vehicle in question is one of the few surviving examples of the Morris Isis.

Morris's first post-war large saloon was the MS Six – the MO with a 2,215cc OHC engine. Production ended in 1953, shortly before the introduction of the Cowley 1200 and the Oxford Series II in 1954. A year later, it was joined by the Isis, reviving a name last used in 1935. Compared with its stablemates, there was a longer bonnet to accommodate the 2.6-litre six-cylinder C-series engine power plant with its in-house BMC rival, the Austin A90 Westminster.

The brochure featured an illustration of a young lady from 'The Kay Kendall School of Fashion' under the banner "Here comes the New Morris 'Isis'…with the accent on performance". Elsewhere, the sales copy modestly promised "The Greatest Morris…in Morris History", with the De Luxe version boasting a heater, folding rear armrest, clock, pile carpeting and leather upholstery.

Autocar found the Isis "modern, without a hint of ostentation" – i.e., it would definitely not appeal to spivs and Teddy Boys – while The Motor thought it "A Quiet and Docile Family Car with Notably Good Performance". They further praised the standards of finish, but £1,025 2s (including overdrive) for the De Luxe represented a fairly considerable sum, and sales amounted to just 8,500 units.

And so in late 1956, BMC introduced the Isis Series II that combined the longer boot and vestigial tailfins of the Oxford Series III with a mesh radiator grille. In addition, the De Luxe featured a front central armrest and windscreen washers. A further inducement to "Move up to a 'Quality First' Morris" was the four-speed transmission operated via floor lever mounted to the driver's right.

This set-up, one shared with the Riley Two Point Six and the Wolseley 6/90, allowed for six seats without Morris using the steering column gear-lever of the Series I. It also meant dealers could offer their customers a Ford Zodiac and Vauxhall Cresta alternative with four instead of three ratios.

However, Isis sales remained limited, and production ended in 1958. Nuffield outlets within the British Motor Corporation would direct solicitors and bank managers towards their big Wolseleys, and there would not be another six-cylinder Morris until the 2200 'Landcrab' of 1972.

All of this makes the Series II for sale at the Winterslow Carriage Company near Romsey a fascinating machine. Carey and Lambert Ltd. of The Avenue, Southampton, registered the Isis on the 11th March 1958, and the optional duotone paint finish makes it look downright jaunty.

In fact, the Morris appears to be the epitome of an uber-1950s motor car – the sort of vehicle that a Jack Hawkins character might favour when he was off-duty. To quote one Isis advertisement, it is a car "as personal as your own taste".

With Thanks To – The Winterslow Carriage Company: 1958 Morris Isis 2.6 4 DOOR TWO OWNERS FROM NEW AND 49,000 MILES IN 64 YEARS Sa | eBay