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Morris 1800S Saloon

Morris 1800S Saloon

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Morris 1800S SaloonMorris 1800S SaloonMorris 1800S SaloonMorris 1800S SaloonMorris 1800S Saloon
Morris 1800S SaloonMorris 1800S SaloonMorris 1800S SaloonMorris 1800S SaloonMorris 1800S Saloon
Morris 1800S SaloonMorris 1800S SaloonMorris 1800S SaloonMorris 1800S Saloon
Lot number 179
Hammer value £10,800
Description Morris 1800S Saloon
Registration RMR 688H
Year 1970
Colour Red/Black
Engine size 1,950 cc
Chassis No. MHS8D19496A
Engine No. 18H313F-H41197

Shortly after its launch in 1964, the BMC Competition Department started to exercise its collective brains on the sporting potential of the 1800 Landcrab - why not, if the conceptually similar Mini could slay giants, what could its larger brother do?

Never really considered in any way sporty, BMC had at least introduced an S model with twin carburettors boosting power to a useful 95bhp and larger brake discs up front with 3-pot calipers. This perked the car up no end and a team was put together for the 1968 London - Sydney rally. It did fantastically well coming home in second place. The car’s virtues of big wheels, immense toughness and the clever hydrolastic suspension working in tandem to produce a winner.

Further rallies were tackled, with improvements being developed and tested along the way, the Competitions Team honing what was to become the definitive 1800S rally specification used by both works teams and privateers.

This splendid rally prepared 1800S was sourced by the vendor in 2009 through the ever helpful Landcrab Club. Although dressed for the part, it wasn’t really properly developed for what the vendor had in mind. He and his co-driving wife had considerable experience on long-distance European tours in their specially prepared Austin-Healey 3000 and fancied using something a bit more civilised.

Appropriately nicknamed ‘Red Robbo’, it was taken to Top Garage in Bromyard with a lengthy list of jobs. Thankfully the Works Competition Department had carefully documented all of the changes they made to their cars and most of these were incorporated into ‘Red Robbo’ at this time.

The hand-brake was moved to the right hand side of the driver, two Corbeau competition seats were fitted with four-point harnesses along with a quality roll cage. All hydraulic lines were moved inside the bodyshell which was seam welded for extra stiffness. Much of the underside was then double skinned, a Paddy Hopkirk sump-guard fitted and the battery moved to the rear for better balance and accessibility. Special turrets were also welded into place at the rear to mount rear shock absorbers (not normally fitted to cars with Hydrolastic suspension) and the engine mountings and radiator support were beefed-up in-line with factory drawings.

A massive 90-litre tank was shoe-horned into the boot which is emptied by two Facet pumps. On long, fast runs, this will give a range of 450 miles on a tankful, the car averaging a creditable 27-28 mpg fully laden, breathing through a K+N air filter secreted in the original airbox. Brakes were upgraded with an Australian supplied Repco twin master cylinder, stone-shielding back plates and larger suspension displacers were added along with a rear anti-roll bar.

The engine was rebuilt not long after purchase and was bored out to 1,950cc. A reconditioned head with new (unleaded) valves was supplied at a cost of £560 and a Piper HR270/2 camshaft installed, giving fantastic torque characteristics from 1,800 revs upwards. A Hi-Torque starter fires the engine quickly, especially with its Aldon Electronic ignition and it has a heavy duty AP performance clutch and stronger drive-shafts from the 1800 Automatic.

External roof mounts can accommodate an extra pair of 13” wheels and additional lighting, as on the works machines, shows the way forward.

‘Red Robbo’ carries a current FIVA Identity card and although this is non-transferable, the vendor has not changed the car’s specification since it was issued so can see no reason why a new one would not be issued to the lucky new owner.

Carefully conceived and well prepared, it has covered around 13,000 trouble free miles (not all on long distance tours) since completion, including several Cape to Cape (Cape Wrath to Cape Cornwall) events as well as regular trips into nearby Hereford for more mundane expeditions of the shopping variety.

The car is being sold with some useful and valuable spares, including a laminated windscreen, a gearbox, CV joints and a genuine and rare works sump and gearbox guard which is not currently fitted to the car as it is very heavy.

MOTd until August 2015, this superbly presented long distance rally car is on the button and ready to go, and is sadly only being offered at a fraction of its development cost due to ill health.

Bidders are advised that the recently serviced metal-case Halda shown in the photographs is not included in the sale, but is available by separate negotiation.

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