THE LAST MORRIS CAR – THE ITAL ESTATE

Ashley Boal is currently restoring a scarce car with a particular historical distinction. His 1984 Ital 1.7SLX Estate, known as “Ian”, is not only a highly unusual sight in 2024, but also one of the last cars to wear the Morris name. As Ashley says:

My Morris was bought new from Mamos Hillingdon on 5th March 1984 by Mr Donald Sellers, who on the same day also bought a new Austin Metro for his wife. Mr Sellers traded in a 1981 Ital Estate against the new one and cherished the car until his death in 1995. At that point, ownership transferred to his son Raymond Sellers, who then used the car daily for the next six years.

The narrative moves to 2023 when Ashley placed a “wanted” advert in a classic car magazine, looking for an Ital Estate. About a month later, Raymond contacted Ashley to say he might be interested in selling the Morris to the right person. By then:

The Ital had lived in his mother-in-law’s garage unused for the last 22 years, and was treated to the occasional clean, start up and Waxoyling to help maintain its condition. I arranged to view the car in July, which was in Lincoln, en route to the Morris Minor National Rally at Chateau Impney, travelling down from Teesside. Upon meeting Raymond, I could see just how big a wrench it was for him to sell the car, which held great sentimental importance for him. After some chatting and explaining that I had been wanting an Ital Estate for some time, also informing him my professional background is a classic car restorer, I started to convince Ray I was the right person for the car.

Ashley left an offer with Raymond who, by coincidence, was also travelling to the MM National Rally for the Sunday:

He said he would come and find me and let me know his decision. Luckily for me, on the Sunday he accepted the offer, which was just as well as. Whilst walking round the autojumble, I had been buying up all the Marina and Ital parts I could find! Since getting the car home, I have been acquiring various parts ready for recommissioning the car later this year.

The latest car to join the Boal fleet is not just a fascinating machine but a historically important one. Austin merged with the Nuffield Group (MG. Morris, Riley and Wolseley) in 1952 to form the British Motor Corporation. In 1968, there was a further marriage between Leyland and BMC. In the following year, the new management used the Maxi launch as an opportunity to explain to the press their plans for the Austin and Morris badges. They would reserve the former for their front-wheel-drive products, while the latter would adorn a range of traditional rear-wheel-drive products.

The Marina, which replaced the Minor and the Oxford Series VI Farina in 1971, was the first of this new generation of Morris cars. It was also virtually the last due to British Leyland corporate politics. By the mid-1970s, the corporation was en route to bankruptcy, partially due to mismanagement dating from the BMC era. There were no funds for a Marina replacement, let alone a line-up of RWD cars.

After the demise in 1975 of the short-lived, Morris-badged, 18-22 ‘Wedge’, the Marina was the sole car to wear the famous name. Nineteen eighty saw the introduction of the facelifted Ital, and, in 1982, assembly moved from Cowley to Longbridge, in preparation for the Austin Maestro. That autumn saw the Ital gain new SL and SLX trim levels.

However, in July of 1982, BL announced the impending demise of the Morris badge on their passenger cars, and the launch of the Austin Montego, in early 1984, almost marked the end of the famous name. However, sales of the Ital Estate continued until August. The company retained the marque for their light commercials, including a “Morris Metro” Van, for a short while, but it lasted until only 1985.

Today, Ian is a reminder of the last days of Morris cars. In 1983, an Ital Estate appealed to motorists who regarded the Ford Sierra as resembling a jelly mould and were suspicious of the Vauxhall Cavalier II’s front-wheel-drive layout. Besides, £5,398 was a very reasonable sum for a 1.7SLX Estate with velour trim, tinted glass and a tachometer as standard.

As a mark of how distant 1983 now appears, the brochure listed a dipping rear-view mirror as yet another SLX sales feature. The later versions also featured telescopic front shock absorbers in place of lever-arms, which much improved the Ital’s handling. As for Ashley’s plans for Ian, the goal is his return to the road in April next year, once he qualifies as tax exempt:

I have already stripped out various parts in the engine bay and had them powder coated. I have treated the carburettor to a full overhaul. The radiator is currently away being recorded, with a larger core. I treated Ian to genuine Unipart Ital seat covers fitted from new along with front and rear mudflaps.

Records suggest Ashley’s Ital was in the last batch of 700 to depart Longbridge, making him the proud owner of one the last ever Morris cars. It is also one of the rarest (“The Club believes fewer than 50 remain.”), which makes it even more valuable. And we look forward to meeting Ian again – the Ital that enticed people to “Move Over to Austin Rover”:

With thanks to: Ashley Boal and https://morrismarina.org.uk/