Morris Oxford Series VI

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 In the mid-1950s BMC decided that its whole model range was looking distinctly out of date and hired Italian stylist Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina to inject some much-needed brio into its products.

Out went the frumpy bulbous look that had ruled the roost for a decade and in came the clean angular architecture that Farina had pioneered with his Lancia Florida show car in 1955 – one of the most influential car designs of all time which set the style for the Swinging Sixties.

The 1959 Morris Oxford V was one of the first fruits of this sharp new look, rendering the rotund Oxford MO obsolete overnight. For 1961 it was subtly re-styled as the Oxford VI with reduced tail fins, a slightly longer wheelbase and a wider track.

Anti-roll bars on the front and rear suspension firmed up the roadholding, giving much improved stability and handling. The most important mechanical change, however, was that the B-Series engine was enlarged from 1,498cc to 1,622cc making the Oxford a genuine 80mph car for the first time.

This particular 1971 Morris Oxford VI was restored in the late 1990s. According to the V5 log book and information given to the vendor, the car has had just three owners from new, the second owning it for 21 years, although there is insufficient history to warrant this (DVLA ownership records being notoriously unreliable prior to computerisation in the mid-1980s).

Finished in its original El Paso Beige with black vinyl upholstery, a period radio and a manual gearbox, it comes with a thick history file which includes a workshop manual, MOT test certificate going back to 1985 and an HPI report. Said to be in good condition throughout and due to have a fresh MOT before the sale, this crisp and distinctive saloon is an eminently practical classic that undoubtedly has decades of useful life ahead of it.