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Weekly Model Series – Jemini – MG 1300 & MG 1300, Mark II
Jemini Model Reproductions clearly liked the ADO16 – their third offering was just their seventh model...
...JMR007 was the MG 1300 & MG 1300, Mark II; made available in 3-colour choices – Snowberry White, Bermuda Blue, both with a Black interior, and Snowberry White over Sandy Beige with a Cherokee Red interior.
A fascinating aspect of the Jemini models is that they were modelled on actual cars so not only are the colour options correct but the UK registration number also match – we’ve spoken with Roger Tennyson, co-founder of Jemini Model Reproductions, about the MG models...
...the very first batch of castings suffered a crush effect in the mould process so the first run was rejected, very few survive as they were melted back down; Roger kept a couple and gave a couple away to friends/family who had interest in the models – the crush was very slight but noticeable.
Roger confirms a strip speedo was in the duo-tone car, the earlier MG 1300. The Mark II had a fascia with 3-circular dials and that appears in the Bermuda Blue and Snowberry White models – we stated in last week’s post about the attention to detail, indeed it’s better than some so called specialist books attempting to tell the story of the ADO16! JMR007 should have been the MG 1300 Mark II, an MG 1300 appeared because Roger liked the colour scheme!
Now in well over 60 countries, we are the only global club for the ADO16, the BMC/British Leyland 1100/1300 – Our membership continues to grow and unbelievably our Facebook Group is approaching 2,400 members; so, we’re on the lookout for proactive club helpers! You can also join the only ADO16 club with a FREE membership level here: www.ado16.info/membership-join
The best cop show ever 😍
This week’s cover image comes from The Sweeney; a hard-hitting 1970’s British television police drama focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, a branch of the Metropolitan Police specialising in tackling armed robbery and violent crime in London. The shot comes from the programme’s first season, episode 9 and so dates back to 1975.
You're nicked Son.
This week’s cover image comes from The Sweeney; a hard-hitting 1970’s British television police drama focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, a branch of the Metropolitan Police specialising in tackling armed robbery and violent crime in London. The shot comes from the programme’s first season, episode 9 and so dates back to 1975.
Best cop TV show ever 😍
Thank you for the badge
Austria National Day
The Republic of Austria celebrates its National Day (Nationalfeiertag) today – a surprising number of the ADO16 models survive across the country but we focus on just one...
...this 1972 Mark III, Austin 1300 Countryman is no doubt going to attract comment – the interior which is Fresco Blue is from a Mark II car but the body is finished in Bronze Yellow which to our knowledge was offered as a standard colour on estate models in export markets.
The engine bay images suggest the car is on hydrolastic suspension which is no longer inter-connected front to rear.
Now in well over 60 countries, we are the only global club for the ADO16, the BMC/British Leyland 1100/1300 – Our membership continues to grow and unbelievably our Facebook Group is approaching 2,400 members; so, we’re on the lookout for proactive club helpers! You can also join the only ADO16 club with a FREE membership level here: www.ado16.info/membership-join
Paul Steele
British Leyland were quite strong in Austria in the early 70s with 6% market share in 1972 (compared to just 0.6% in neighbouring West Germany).
Thanks for posting! It's been a long time ago I saw a Countryman on the roads for the last time.
Russia – 1974, Morris 1300 GT – Future Direction Emerges
The Russian Federation came into existence in 1991 following the economic and political collapse of the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) and it was during the Soviet era that the captain of a very large Soviet ship brought the 1974, Morris 1300 GT to Russia – we’re now well into serialising the restoration of the Morris by Denis who is now the third Russian owner of the car...
...by January, 2018 it was very clear that a donor car was required but don’t be deluded, in Arkhangelsk that would never be an ADO16! Denis needed an engine that was modern, reliable, and easy to maintain both in terms of parts availability and to work on, and for the future could be tuned. Here most of you will be shocked but to quote Denis,
“As you probably already guessed, my choice fell on one of the best internal combustion engines invented by man, the legendary VAZ 16V, or rather AvtoVAZ 21126. It has 98bhp which is more than twice the Morris 1100. So, we are building a sleeper 🙂 “
As ADO16 enthusiasts we know very well about the A-series engine, its development over decades and its huge production totals for not just the ADO16. The Soviet Union was very secretive about such figures but consider this; the original Lada model produced by AvtoVAZ of Russia is the most numerous vehicle ever marketed without any major design change during its production history, with over 20 million units sold between 1970 and mid-2012 and it was the engine development from these classic Lada cars that led to the engine Denis had chosen...
...Denis also knew he would need most of the mechanicals from a donor car – so when Denis’s brother gave the heads up to a suitable car Denis made the purchase, a low mileage 25,000km VAZ 2109 which is badged in Russia as the Lada Sputnik, a host of other names across the world and Samara in most of Western Europe – for Denis, his ADO16 would become a Morris 1300 Samara – the Sputnik came with a bunch of spare parts, even a set of 13” brake discs, in fact everything needed to build the Morris.
‘
So, having welded the semblance of the floor frame and started making the floor as featured in our previous posts, Denis now proceeded to the rear of the Morris, namely the boot and rear suspension. A beam axle was sandblasted and painted with epoxy primer and then the job of mounting it began – everything at the rear was cut out allowing easy access to what remained so that rust could be treated.
Then the wizardry began; attaching the beam to the frame – Denis and his friend measured and measured and then began welding fasteners and making attachments. Denis felt they were like plastic surgeons, cutting parts from the Lada Sputnik and measuring approximate fix locations for the Morris...
...this was becoming something rather epic!
Now in well over 60 countries, we are the only global club for the ADO16, the BMC/British Leyland 1100/1300 – Our membership continues to grow and unbelievably our Facebook Group is approaching 2,400 members; so, we’re on the lookout for proactive club helpers! You can also join the only ADO16 club with a FREE membership level here: www.ado16.info/membership-join
Great idea and all that but is there not enough Ladas in Russia, think I’d have picked something well a bit better and that 98hp engine won’t be a sleeper with all that steel box section weighing it down, the 1300 in a non restored car I’d say would go better. Don’t get me wrong it’s great idea and great ingenuity but it’s fitting it for the sake of fitting it.
Got to say, take my hat off to this gentleman!
Ánimo en esa tarea de restauración
