Victor kindly sent the first photo in. He spotted this Morris saloon while driving through Budapest in 1968, and managed to record it in colour for posterity on his camera. He's interested in car registration numbers, and identified this lefthand drive Morris Oxford Series 5 as having been registered in Bucharest (Romania), hence the R plate on the bootlid. I wonder whether this car, registration 1-B-9575, survived?
The Series V Morris Oxford.
The Series V Oxford was launched in 1959, and sold in this 'big fin' form until 1961 when the revised Series VI was introduced. The basic design was by Pininfarina, utilising tried and trusted British Motor Corporation (BMC) running gear. Various versions of the same basic design were built, with the Morris Oxford, and the Austin A55 Cambridge Mk2, being most numerous. Performance fans could opt for the Riley or MG version, whereas those looking for luxury might choose the Wolseley. Despite their close similarities, the two most popular versions were produced at different plants - the Austins at Longbridge, and the Morrises at Cowley.
These early Farinas were powered by the 1489cc B Series engine, and were a bit under-powered by all accounts. They also had quite a narrow track, making the cars look a little over-bodied (my own '59 Cambridge is just the same!). In 1961 the revised Series VI Morris Oxford was introduced, echoing improvements that were evident in the new A60 Austin. The track was widened, the wheelbase lengthened slightly, and a larger 1622cc version of the engine was now a standard fitment. The fins were also trimmed down on the rear wings, necessitating new rear light clusters and trim.
2. The Series VI Oxford.
An example of the Series VI Oxford now follows, seen in 1971. Along with various trim and styling revisions, the Series VI also saw the introduction of a diesel option, instead of the usual petrol unit of 1622cc. Many of the oil-burners were bought to use as taxis, and the Oxford taxi shown below could well have been one of the oil-burning variety. Estate car versions, known as the Oxford Traveller, were also sold.
This particular Oxford is seen being serviced at a garage, with a Morris Mini-Minor, and a Hillman Imp, for company. The Hackney Carriage plate (no.164) has been attached to the side of the Morris' rear wing, above the bumper. Unfortunately the car's registration can't be seen, but the smaller rear fins confirm that it is a Series VI rather than the earlier Series V model. The Mini (registration 972 GFJ) is having work done on its rear brakes by the look of it.
Morris & MG cars at the NEC classic car show, 2021.
As it says on the tin, a quick guide to the Morrises and MGs on show at the '21 NEC classic car show.
3. Another Oxford Series VI.
This Oxford's registration (8799 MX) dates it to the early 1960's, which ties in nicely with the rear wing line that can just be made out - confirming that it's a Series VI rather than the previous V. It looks to be in standard trim, bar the fitment of a spotlamp to the grille, an AA badge, and a stick-on demister panel in the rear window. A number of other British classics can also be seen in this photograph, including a couple of BMC 1100s/1300s (the nearest being a sporty MG variant). Ahead of this duo is, I think, a Mini, followed by a Hillman Husky estate car, a Vauxhall Victor, and yet another 1100/1300. In the distance, over the girl's shoulder, is a motorcyclist surrounded by a group of people.
(Please click the thumbnail to view the full-size Oxford images.)
4. Series V Oxfords and more at a BMC Service facility.
This photograph, taken from a high vantage point in a factory BMC servicing facility (Cowley perhaps?) circa 1960, should gladden the heart of any 1950s/1960s BMC car fan. The more I stare at it, the more becomes apparent. In the foreground are two Series V Oxfords, identifiable from the Austin Cambridge version by the style of rear lamp, the hubcaps, and the chrome strip running along the top edge of the sills, beneath the doors. Evidently this is a servicing area of some kind, rather than solely a new-car preparation area, given that a variety of models - some several years older than others - are in shot.
Spot the classics.
To the right foreground is an immaculate Austin A55 pickup, which could well be receiving a pre-delivery inspection, so perfect is the paint in the rear load bay. Note the black-painted, rather than chromium-plated, wing mirrors. The front end of a Minor can also be seen, alongside the pickup. In row two are the following: Minor saloon, Austin A40/A50 Cambridge, Austin Princess (up on a two-post lift, registration GKW 261), another Minor (this time with blacked-out windows), and what looks like an A95 Westminster.
Further back are more fine Austins, Morrises and a couple of MGAs. A Minor four-door saloon has its bootlid raised, while alongside it is parked a very sad-looking Austin A40 Somerset, with a stoved-in rear end. Alongside the Somerset is a 2.2 litre A70 Hereford (bonnet raised), parked in close proximity to an Austin A55 Cambridge Mk2. More Farinas can be seen beyond the A70, as can an Austin-Healey "frogeye" Sprite Mk1 (one of two in view), and an A35. To the right of, and behind, the Princess is a Mk1 A55, and a Mk1 A40 Farina nosed up close to it, with an A95 behind it. Close to the A35, on another hydraulic lift, is a two-tone A40 Mk1 (wheels removed, bonnet up), while in a row of cars in the distance - sandwiched by two more A40s and a Wolseley 1500, is a rare MGA Twin-Cam - identifiable by its knock-on centre-lock disc wheels.
On a raised section are what appear to be new Austin Cambridges under inspection (a better view of this inspection line can be seen on the A55 Cambridge Mk2 photo page). A lone MGA roadster can be seen to the left, having just been driven down the ramp from the inspection area. Anyone interested in the cars of BMC should take a look at this page, as it has photographs of this service facility before it became operational.
The MGA Twin-cam was only produced between 1958 and 1960. The Farina-designed A40 was also launched in 1958, and the A55 Mk2 and Oxford V in 1959. Assuming that the MGA shown above is new at the time of this shot, it pins down the date of this photograph to 1959 or 1960, about the date that my own Mk1 A40 rolled off Longbridge's production line. Were these cars photographed at Longbridge or Cowley?
5. A Series VI in Suffolk.
For once, identifying the car in a photo emailed over to me was quite straightforward. Shown is a Suffolk-registered 1965 Series VI Oxford, registration GBJ 100C. It belonged to taxi driver Frank Goodwin. He lived in Mendham, Suffolk, which also happens to be the location of this photo, outside High Hall Cottage, The Street. The gent stood to the right worked in Brazil, and it's his luggage that weighs down the well-laden maroon Oxford.
Flattened road springs were quite common on Oxfords and Cambridges after a few years. This one is very low on its suspension, probably due to the luggage that graces not just the old-style roof rack, but also the boot space which is full to bursting point.
The Morris was clearly a well-used example, and someone had snapped off the nearside wing mirror. At least terminal rot, the death-knell for many thousands of the big Farina-designed cars produced by BMC, had yet to take a hold. While the Oxford has long-since disappeared from DVLA's books, the cottage remains and has changed very little.
My thanks to Colin, of www.mendham.org.uk, for the photograph.
6. A specially-built Morris Oxford Series 5 with a column gearshift.
The following two photos were provided by Dave Hunt, the car shown is a 1960 Oxford Series 5 that was purchased new by his father. On initial viewing, the car looks like any other be-finned Oxford of the era, ie a large three-box saloon with bodywork designed by Pininfarina, one usually powered by a B-Series petrol engine with a four-speed, floor-change, gearbox. However, on the latter point, this car differed significantly.
In 1960, Dave's father Ted ran a private hire business, the Silverstream Car Hire Company, and had until that point run a number of BMC products. He decided to invest in a new car, his requirements specifying that it should have a large boot (the Farina ticked this box), and - ideally - a column gearchange, to give more interior space to both his and his fare-paying passenger(s). Anyone who has owned one of these big old petrol-engined Farinas, will know that they came fitted with a floor gearchange as standard. My own Mk2 A55 Cambridge, sister car to the Morris Oxford, came thus-equipped.
While reading a sales catalogue for the Oxford range, Ted Hunt noticed a brief sentence that suggested a column gear change was an option that could be specified at the time of placing an order. This, despite a BMC dealer having already told him that no, he couldn't specify this alteration to the car's basic specification. All very confusing. Believing that if the offer was given in print, as proven by the sales brochure, then the company should honour it, he put pen to paper and wrote directly to Lord Nuffield about the matter. A short time later, he received a courteous reply from Nuffield himself, advising that six cars would be removed from the production line, to be converted to column change. This is how Ted ended up with the first ever Oxford V with this feature, registration 938 HAE. The other cars, he was told, would be held at the factory in case anyone else spotted this catalogued option and requested it for themselves. Does anyone know whether these cars found homes, equipped in this way, or were they converted back to the standard arrangement before finding homes? Further correspondence with the factory several months later, told that the other cars were still awaiting buyers.
In October 1961 the revised Series 6 went on sale, so if the cars were still gathering dust at the factory then the company had a problem - what to do with these out-dated models now? Maybe they found homes with BMC managers, at a preferential rate?
Anyway, to the photos now. The first is a rear three-quarter view of the Oxford Series 5. Smart aluminium wheel rim trims have been fitted, as has a tow-bar. Perhaps someone can confirm the make and model of the caravan, parked alongside the Morris?
Next, a front view of the car, with Ted at the wheel, reversing carefully to avoid the wooden telegraph post in the background. The presence of an AA badge on the car's grille is not unusual, although for a car used in a business I'm surprised that there are no wing mirrors fitted.
Many thanks for these (and the other) photos you sent over Dave.
Morris photo compilations.
The first video below is a compilation of recent-ish photos featuring cars of the BMC era, through into BMH and the early years of BLMC. Many Farinas such as those shown above are to be found. The second features original old photos of Morrises going back to the 1920s.
