Morris Oxford

Click Here for Full Screen Image - Click Here to Download Image

In the mid-1950s BMC decided that its whole model range was looking distinctly out of date and hired Italian stylist Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina to inject some much-needed brio into its products.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

Coming to us from a local vendor, this old girl has had six former keepers and is offered in unrestored, but running order. It starts runs and drives and has a genuine charm about it. There are seven old MOTs on file, the most recent expiring in 2016 which showed a couple of minor advisories for front suspension wear.

Wearing hand-applied black paint, it is not going to worry its new owner when they leave it in Sainsburys car park, although it still looks sufficiently up together not to be constantly bothered by the ‘boys in blue’.

Given its B-series motive power we can’t help but think that it would make an excellent ‘Q’ car. An MGB engine stroked to 2.1-litres perhaps – with overdrive and a disc brake conversion? Well, it is on offer at No Reserve so that decision is down to you.