Morris Cars and Autos

The Morris motor car company
This section provides access to the cars and autos manufactured under the name of the Morris motor car company. An online guide for auto enthusiasts covering old and new cars and autos. If you like car talk then you will love this website! A free, online resource with facts and company information about the cars and autos made by the Morris motor car company.

Founding of the Morris motor car company
Bicycle manufacturer William Morris turned his attention to building cars in 1910, and began to plan a new light car. In 1913 a factory was opened, using they former military college in Cowley, Oxford, United Kingdom.

History of Morris motor car company
Assembly was undertaken in the factory in Cowley, with all the major components being bought in. A coupe and a van were introduced in 1914 with a short chassis and a small engine, when what they needed was a 4 seat version of the car. Engine builders for Morris, White and Poppe wanted more money than Morris was able to pay for a big engine, so Morris turned to Continental of Detroit, United States for a larger engine. Also sourced in the US were the Gearboxes and axles. The orders for the parts were maintained in spite of of the beginning of WW1 and from mid 1915 the larger 2 and 4 setter Morris cars were produced.

After the end of WWI the US engine was no longer available, Morris arranged for Hotchkiss, a French company, to make a near copy of the engine in their Coventry factory. With a growing reputation for building high quality cars at a low price, the Morris Motor Company continued to increase it's share of the British market. In 1924 Morris became the UK's biggest car producer in the home market. Morris made a policy of buying their suppliers, they bought Hotchkiss in Coventry and re-named it Morris Engines in 1923. In 1924, Cecil Kimber of Morris's sales agency in Oxford, began building sports versions of the Morris car, branding them MG, after the initials of Morris Garages which was based in Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

The Morris Minor was introduced in 1928 for the smaller car market powered by a Wolseley Motor Company engine , the Wolseley company became part of the Morris company in 1927, this helped Morris survive the economic depression. Morris appointed Leonard Lord as Managing Director in 1932, he introduced proper, moving assembly lines and production methods. In 1936, Leonard Lord left due to falling out with Morris and William Morris sold Morris Commercial Cars Limited to Morris Motors. William Morris became Viscout Nuffield in 1938, that same year he merged the Morris Motor Company with MG and Riley, to form the Nuffield Organisation.
In the summer of 1938, the Nuffield Organisation agreed with the British Government to build a huge new factory at Castle Bromwich, it was built to specifically manufacture Supermarine Spitfires in preparation for war.

Car production restarted after the War with the pre War Morris Eight and Morris Ten designs. The Nuffield Organisation merged with it's main rival, Austin Motor Company in 1952, becoming the British Motor Corporation. Nuffield Organisation brought with it the Morris, MG, Riley and Wolseley marques however Austin dominated the organisation due to Leonard Lord being in charge.

Rationalisation of the British motor industry in 1968 resulted in BMC becoming part of the newly formed British Leyland Motor Corporation, then in 1975 following nationalisation by the British Government becoming part of British Leyland Limited.

Until the early 1980's the Morris marquee was still used, with the last Morris Badged passenger car being introduced in 1984. The former Morris assembly plant in Cowley produced Austin's and Rover badged vehicles in the early 1980's. The Cowley assembly plant continued being used by BL's Austin Rover Group, and with it's successor the Rover Group. With the Rover Group later being bought by BMW leading to the creation of MG Rover.
The Morris marquee rites now belong to Nanjing Automobile Corporation. With neither of the Morris assembly plants remaining, as they were demolished to make way for the new Oxford Business Park.   

What models and types of cars and automobiles does the Morris motor car company produce?
The models and types of cars and automobiles produced by the company include those detailed on the following list. Whether you enjoy comparing cars and autos, want to conduct some research before you buy a new car or a used car or finally an automobile enthusiast who loves fast, cool, new, old, vintage, classic, antique, sports, top, muscle or exotic cars we have the info you are searching for! Select the automobile you are interested in and click the link for access to an online overview of this Morris vehicle with car guides, online facts, information, statistics, specs, specifications, design details and ratings of cars and autos.