MEET IVAN THE MORRIS ITAL

Of the many attractions of the 2022 Classic Motor Show, one car on the Lancaster stand attracted innumerable selfies. When the last Ital departed Cowley in 1984, few motorists envisaged such a Morris becoming a collector's item, but nearly four decades later, this is the case. Sarah Crabtree's 1981 HL, which goes by the Nom de Leyland of 'Ivan', was as much an attraction at the NEC as John Surtees's BMW 503.

Sarah is, of course, the star of Bangers and Cash and the director of Evoke Classics. She bought the Ital in tribute to her family's previous cars. "My dad used to drive a Ford Zephyr, but he sold that to buy a succession of BL vehicles that were more practical for a family. So, when I was growing up, we used Marinas, Maxis and a Montego coloured in white and rust. I remember that we could see the road through the floor with one Morris!".

Ms. Crabtree remarks that attitudes towards the Ital have significantly changed over the past ten years. The responses of so many showgoers demonstrated this. Yes, a few commented about the panel gaps, but most were delighted to see an Ital in all its Russet Brown glory.

The positive reaction to Ivan at the NEC makes this writer wonder why the Ital was the subject of jokes for so many years. Despite the mythology of a universally hostile press reception. Motor thought, "What BL has done with the money; it has done well", and Autocar believed "The Ital promises to be a reliable car representing excellent value for money".

Nor, subjective though these matters are, is the Ital an awkward-looking vehicle; the updating of the Marina bodywork is arguably as successful as the Cortina Mk. IV's updating as the '80', aka the 'Mk. V'. Nor could the Ford claim to be in technical advance of the Morris, whose previous reputation seems more due to timing, corporate politics and some ill-thought-out publicity.

For one, the Ital had the misfortune to be launched a few months before the Austin Mini Metro. Any reader of a certain age will probably remember the sheer weight of publicity and expectations concerning Project LC8 before its debut in October 1980. Meanwhile, the Morris was an update of a long-established nine-year-old design.

The Ital was also hampered by 'The British Leyland Saga'; it is challenging to convey BL's dire reputation for strikes and poor quality to a younger enthusiast. Nor did this infamously dire commercial assist the image of the latest Morris - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkoEQeJu7x8 . In reality, the Turin connection with the Ital's bodywork is best described as "very very tenuous".

But today the Morris is finally receiving its rightful due. For Sarah, it is the smell of the Ital's carpets and upholstery that evokes countless memories. And for others, the Ivan symbolises life in the early 1980s as much as Ghost Town by The Specials, Wimpy Bars and the Betamax section of your local video library. Plus, who could resist the luxury of a "quartz clock" and "5-push button radio"?

With Thanks To: Sarah Crabtree