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57-years ago! MG 1100 Launch
The MG 1100 was alluded to by Issigonis when interviewed by Motor magazine for the launch of the Morris 1100 and 2-months later at the Earls Court Motor Show the motoring public saw the car...
...there were some very late changes and indeed the Pressed Steel Company who produced the actual bodyshell was not expecting the chrome side trims. Also, initial advertising clearly gave the impression that the UK would be offered a 2-door version but this never materialised.
Of course the 2-door MG 1100 Sports Sedan for the US-market is generally well known but European countries would also see the 2-door MG 1100.
Our featured car is from Finland, a 1966, MG 1100 2-door and interestingly it features the revised MG 1100 dashboard – Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile by Ralph Nader was published in 1965 and would lead the USA to an adoption of new safety laws, so in August, 1965 the MG 1100 saw the original rigid plastic framed dashboard replaced with a faux wood version of the Austin dashboard with a hard foam padded top. Of course, the dashboard revision was never seen in the UK but then the installation of seat belts only became compulsory as late as 1972!
The MG is finished in Tartan Red and its Black interior is just about visible – clearly with a replacement engine this is a high mileage car; the set of winter tyres suggest it’s also an all-weather car which for us is an absolute delight to see.
With thanks to Dean Gray and British Leyland Chronicles.
We are the only truly global ADO16 club with contacts and representatives in over 40-countries; our membership continues to grow and our Facebook Group has over 2,100 members! You can join the only ADO16 club with a FREE membership level here: www.ado16.info/membership-join
Joe Muscat Tal-lupu
Morris 1300 Traveller, Mark III – 1971, UK
With the launch of the Mark III cars in September, 1971 the UK market lost the Morris badged ADO16 with strangely one exception, the Traveller...
...of course, the Morris badge did appear on Mark III saloon versions of the ADO16 for export. Nonetheless, for all, production of the Mark III, Morris 1300 Traveller was short lived – in the UK availability ceased after just 8-months in April, 1972 whilst for export markets the last example was produced in April, 1973, 10-months ahead of the final Austin 1300 Countryman. Withdrawal of the Traveller is cited as British Leyland wanting to remove a clash with the Morris Marina Estate.
Currently there are no separate Austin and Morris Mark III production figures although combined Mark III Countryman and Traveller production totals 28,356 of which a little over 9 per cent was exported.
Our featured car was first registered in October, 1971 making it an early Mark III, Morris 1300 Traveller – finished in the popular seventies colour of Limeflower with an Olive interior, although we did wonder if it was Harvest Gold!
We are the only truly global ADO16 club with contacts and representatives in over 40-countries; our membership continues to grow and our Facebook Group has over 2,100 members! You can join the only ADO16 club with a FREE membership level here: www.ado16.info/membership-join
The nicest Ado16? Maybe.
Is that not Limeflower? Looks like the one my dad has in 1974!
La più bella in assoluto... per me
Clashing with Marina Traveller sales? That was a very lame excuse if true!
Austin 1300 Countryman, Mark III – 1973, UK
Once AUTHI dropped their Countryman in August, 1972 only the UK remained producing ADO16 estate cars...
...unlike in Spain, Mark III versions had been launched in the UK in September, 1971 and production continued until February, 1974.
Our featured car is a 1973 Mark III, Austin 1300 Countryman and finished in Glacier White it has an Autumn Leaf interior – Geranium, Navy and Olive were also interior options.
We are the only truly global ADO16 club with contacts and representatives in over 40-countries; our membership continues to grow and our Facebook Group has over 2,100 members! You can join the only ADO16 club with a FREE membership level here: www.ado16.info/membership-join
Had a 2dr 1100 mk3 a vanden plas 1300 the wife who was girlfriend at the fime had a 1300 countryman mk3 with fake wood and reclining front seats to make a bed
Such a stylish car still looking much better than today's offerings with interior space to shame them. I've always loved these cars. Sadly never owned one though.
Would have been interesting had AUTHI placed the Victoria frontal treatment on the Traveller
Authi Austin 1300 Countryman – Spain
Sales of the AUTHI built Morris 1300 Traveller, a car we featured yesterday, had been falling and in September, 1970 the model was dropped but that was not the end of the ADO16 estate variant in Spain...
...in July, 1969 British Leyland Motor Corporation had taken a controlling share of AUTHI and as a result in 1971, the Morris name was dropped in favour of Austin. January, 1971 saw the launch of the Authi Austin 1300 Countryman.
The most striking aspect of the Spanish Countryman was that it was produced without any side trims – our featured car and indeed the brochure date from 1971, the model was finally dropped in August, 1972 after 1,613 examples had been built, making it the most successful of AUTHI ADO16 estates – all our featured Countryman adverts date from 1972.
We are the only truly global ADO16 club with contacts and representatives in over 40-countries; our membership continues to grow and our Facebook Group has over 2,100 members! You can join the only ADO16 club with a FREE membership level here: www.ado16.info/membership-join
