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South Africa, 1963 – MG 1100
We highlighted on Monday the launch in May, 1963 of the Morris 1100 in South Africa but it was August, 1963 before the MG 1100 was seen there...
...it’s unknown to us why the BMC chose to delay the launch of the MG 1100 in South Africa but it’s something they did in most overseas markets. The very first example into South Africa was assembled in the UK and was used for testing by the South African CAR magazine but subsequent cars were CKD enabling the use of local components and also South African paint finishes.
Our featured car is in its original eye-catching paint finish, a combination unique to South Africa; we don’t know of any surviving 1963 examples – this car is a 1965, MG 1100 which although we picture it when it was still in South Africa is now one of a growing number to have been imported to the UK.
With special thanks to Dean Gray and Martin Williamson & www.austinapache.co.uk
We are the only global umbrella club for the ADO16, the BMC/British Leyland 1100/1300 – in well over 60 countries with a Facebook Group of almost 2,600 members! You can join us too; the only ADO16 club with a FREE membership level: www.ado16.info/membership-join
Weekly Model Series – Donetsk Toy Factory – Morris 1100
For the last few weeks we were featuring models from the International Model Aircraft Company (IMA) range of Quick Fit Cars sold under the FROG brand, prior to that we featured the original FROG Motorized Morris 1100, produced in the huge scale of 1/16th...
...production of that accurate and original FROG model continued into 1970, being discontinued after 55,000 sets had been produced – the tooling then went into storage. IMA and FROG were names of Lines Brothers (Tri-ang Ltd) who began to face severe financial difficulties during the 1970’s and inevitably they began selling off their assets – the tooling for the FROG Motorized Morris 1100 was sold to the Soviet Union (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics – USSR).
The Soviet planned economy designated the Donetsk Toy Factory (Донецкий завод игрушки) to manufacture the Morris 1100 as model M1, featuring electromechanical workings for children aged 12 – 15 years!
Precisely, Donetsk was in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic but the model was made available across the whole of the Soviet Union.
We are the only global umbrella club for the ADO16, the BMC/British Leyland 1100/1300 – in well over 60 countries with a Facebook Group of well over 2,500 members! You can join us too; the only ADO16 club with a FREE membership level: www.ado16.info/membership-join
This week’s cover image – global lockdowns have led to many of our cars sitting idle for many months, so as restrictions ease and the weather in the northern hemisphere betters, get out and enjoy your drive; just like this 1965, MG 1100 in Sweden.
This week’s cover image – global lockdowns have led to many of our cars sitting idle for many months, so as restrictions ease and the weather in the northern hemisphere betters, get out and enjoy your drive; just like this 1965, MG 1100 in Sweden.
South Africa, 1963 – Morris 1100
Today we begin a series looking at the ADO16 in South Africa where it all started in May, 1963 with the introduction of the Morris 1100...
...initially the BMC exported CBU cars to South Africa but it really wasn’t long as indeed was reported in the July 1963 edition of the South African CAR magazine before CKD production of the Morris 1100 was underway in South Africa.
You may also find the opening section of the CAR magazine article amusing – little did they know about how the ADO16 would take badge engineering to another level!
Sadly few of the Morris 1100 survive in South Africa – the earliest example we know of is a rather tired 1964 car; included in this post after the CAR magazine article...
With special thanks to Dean Gray and Martin Williamson & www.austinapache.co.uk
We are the only global umbrella club for the ADO16, the BMC/British Leyland 1100/1300 – in well over 60 countries with a Facebook Group of well over 2,500 members! You can join us too; the only ADO16 club with a FREE membership level: www.ado16.info/membership-join
