The BMC 1100 is an Unsung Motoring Hero
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- Опубликовано: 27 окт 2023
- The Morris 1100, Austin 1100, MG, Wolseley, Riley, Vanden Plas, whatever you call it - BMC's ADO16, the 1100 and 1300 - is one of the all-time great family cars. Not only was it Britain's best-selling car of the 1960s, but with the brains of Alec Issigonis behind it, it took the pedigree of the Mini Cooper and built a near-perfect small car.
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Morning folks, hope you enjoy the video!
There is a mistake in this one. It’s very minor, but it’s there. Can you spot it? 👀
My guess on the weight was also a little low, but that was a guess, so I get a free pass 😉
Austin version launched in 1964, rather than 1963?
Maybe the fact you gave credit to BMC for the Hydrolastic suspension when really that credit should have been Alex Moulton????
BMC didn't merge with Leyland, British Motor Holdings did.
Nope. Austin launched in late ‘63.
No again. That would only be the same as crediting BMC rather than Issigonis for the car as a whole. There’s a lot more than just Alex Moulton at work.
My granny had a morris 1100 . She drove it into a bush one day..and preceded to continue to her hair appointment. Mum had to save it..but it was unscathed. A local kid bought it and she drove it for years. Granny was banned from driving.
Very informative video. I'm 20 and currently daily drive a 1300 engined version of the Vanden Plas with the remote change selector (agree with what you said about it being satisfying when you select the gears). It is a shame that (as you said) near enough no one my age recognises these cars anymore. They are very comfortable to drive due to the hydrolastic suspension and are so timeless that even now 50+ years later it is still suitable for the roads and can keep up with modern traffic. I am looking to do a few performance mods to my VDP but that's out of personal taste not that the car needs it
Oh we love to hear it!
Hope it continues to serve you well :)
Still a perfectly usable car for today. With the added bonus, people see it, and are NICE, to you! They smile and let you out of corners. (Not to mention all the cost saving exemptions)😁
@@51WCDodge while that is true in most accounts, I unfortunately have the displeasure of normally meeting people on the road who assume just because it's a classic that it is slow, so I either get people pulling out in front of me or not letting me out if I'm coming out of a junction. But it is always nice to see the smiles on peoples faces (old and young) when I drive past in a piece of history
I passed my test in the 1100 version in 1977. Bangers and Cash Restoring Classics did one recently in maroon red, it was stunning.
In my generation, despite its advanced design and engineering, it was unfortunately seen as grandma's car...
My goodness, the memories. Back in the 80's, if you got a lift from a mate's parents, it was usually a Cortina... or one of these. God, I remember them so well. Especially that vinyl interior that gave off a particular whiff on hot days
I was lucky. I got lifts in my childhood from a tuned to within an inch of its life, bright orange, Volvo, might have been an early 240 or a late 140. It was our neighbours car....
Alex Moulton preferred engineering to a career in the family rubber business but he saw the potential of rubber compounds as a self-damping springing medium. Hydrolastic's main drawback was that it doubled the effect of carrying a heavy load in the boot/trunk, causing the headlights to scan the treetops instead of the road. My Dad had two 1100s followed by a Citroen GS so I can attest to the difference in sophistication. For all its faults I don't know of a modern small car that rides better than the brilliant, eccentric, rot-box GS.
I think that, with the self-levelling from the Austin 3-Litre, which I believe was tested in the 1100 Estate, things would have been different!
Watched from Old Harbour Jamaica. During 1973 fuel cries, my dad was force to sell his 1968 Zephyr V6 automatic for a more fuel efficient car so we ended up with a Morris 1100 acquired from his favorite uncle and as children, who love to bose, we resented it and we called it Wingie He later bought a 2door 1968 Escort 1100 which we prefer because it looked more sporty but we discovered that Wingie had more room inside and more comfortable. The Escort however could go places Wingie could not go and was more relieble, it never had a engine failure to the extent my my dad cepted the engine and gearbox till this day. Respect to Wingie!
My Dad had the MG badged 1100 and it was bright red as a 7 year old in1976 the MG 1100 was the best of the best. My fondest memory is the wonderful comfort. Many many times I would fall asleep on the back seat because it was such a smooth car. I truly miss my Dad, God rest his soul, but I also miss that lovely 1100.
Great car to drive, but you could hear them rust. I've seen them fail the MOT with rust on the rear subframe mounting panel at 5 years old, and repair costs exceeded their value. If you were foolish enough to tow with them, they would break their back. The floor was spot welded across the middle, and the welds failed.
Most garages wouldn't repair them, but a pal with a garage business used to jack them in in the middle of the floor, and weld them up. He reckoned it was stronger than original.
That worked to my advantage when an MG 1100 was scrapped for rust. The MG1100 had twin SUs, and a higher compression ratio. It had a recent factory recon engine, which I hooked out and dropped in a Mini Countryman for my (then) wife. Changed the diff ration to 3.44:1, same as a Cooper S, and it would bounce the speedo needle off the stop. I calculated the speed from gear ratio and tyre size, and it was good for around 95mph.
The crank was weak on the 1100; you couldn't afford to over-rev one as they would break the crankshaft.
Ed that whole video was absolutely wonderful for me. The seventies was my time and minis and 1100s were my bread and butter as a teenage enthusiast. In fact it was my self taught skills of modifying the famous 12G 295 cylinder heads ( for myself and my mate’s minis) that subsequently kicked-off my apprenticeship in race & rally engine development for a well known Kent based company. Thanks for sharing this! 😁
Another well written,very well researched and presented video,top marks . Clearly a man happy in his work and how many of us can say that? Had a Wolsey 1300 when I was 18 and 19 years old. 40+ mpg not a problem. Drove the length and breadth of the country in it. Ed please keep these videos coming.
Thanks Madeline :)
I helped a mate resurrect his Riley Kestrel VP in about 1982, we dragged it from his dad's garage and we decided to bump start it. To our amazement it burst into life and it short order it had reached a give way at the end of the cul-de-sac. He pressed the brake and the pedal hit the floor.. no fluid.. so he yanked on the hand brake but the metal gave way and he held the handbrake high in the air. All the while we ran alongside as he shouted no brakes. He turned 90 degrees and we all grabbed open windows to bring it to a halt. Exciting times..
The 1100 was and remains an amazing piece of packaging and engineering and a testament to the genius of Issigonis. When this car was launched in 1962, the British ruled the world in terms of innovation and engineering and not just in the car industry. By the time it was discontinued in 1974 we were well on the decline and this was only too obvious in the Marina and Allegro replacements. In fact, the Marina, essentially being based on Morris Minor underpinnings dating back to the 1940s, was a major step backwards.
Yeah that's when we joined the "Common Market"
My dad was obviously a very smart guy, because his first brand new car where we lived in Australia was a black 1965 Morris 1100. Now I fully understand how from the time I was eight years old until my teen years that little car happily transported my mum and dad and myself and two younger brothers and sisters as a daily driver, and on numerous family holidays. It often towed a collapsible camper trailer. What you said about the torque helps me understand why this was possible. I remember my dad servicing the car himself and I was fascinated by the hydrolastic suspension. If only I had known at the time that the styling was by Pininfarina I would have bragged about it to my car nut mates! We called it "The Black Beauty". In a somewhat similar vein to what happened with BL, my dad's next new car was a Valiant Charger. Larger, but less easy to drive and with much more compromised interior space. It was all about the pillarless coupe styling. Fortunately, when I learnt to drive in 1975, I had a 1965 Morris Mini 850. I later owned a 1963 Mini, and thereafter Japanese cars, many of them small transverse engined front wheel drive. It's sad that the 1100 is now quite rare.
Well. It's probably rust. My uncle had one, series 2. Nice car, but very rust prone.
I always thought the Charger was a cool car as a young guy.
@@tolrem Actually so did I. Looking back it was less practical than the Morris 1100, but yes, it was cool.
My mother was smart too. After I bingled the Vauxhaul Velox with a wallaby (an easy thing to do in country Australia), she bought a sensible white automatic 1965 Morris 1100 in Queensland, Australia. It rode so well and was so stable, her lawn bowls friends declared it more comfortable for trips to the next town than a Holden Kingswood, a MUCH larger car. Looking back my stupid driving once had us in loose gravel on the edge of a sharp bend, the car stayed stable and saved us from a dive in to a creek. Neither oversteer or understeer occurred. I was a teenager! The 4 speed automatic transmission was fun; possible to force a downshift through 4 gears! However my younger sister later bashed the low hanging auto transmission housing on a rock at an outdoor 'rave'. Never dared to ask the repair bill. The fan belt broke, my mother still drove home, at least 15 miles, with a little red light glowing on the dashboard. She had no idea what it signified; the engine exhibited no ill
effects from overheating........
@@JohnMcPherson-kk9xf I've never forgotten how the little Morris 1100 towed a Cargill Caravanette camper trailer, negotiating places like the Bulli Pass near Wollongong, and the winding, narrow, uphill road from the Jenolan Caves. Back in the day, it was necessary to sound the horn on every bend on that road, because it was almost impossible for two cars travelling in opposite directions to make the corners together, and most of the bends were completely blind.
Today we are FORCED to suffer with Sports car ride because the press doesn't care about anything other than skid pad numbers and racing around curves. So we have to deal with wonkie rides around curves with ruts in them and blown out tires and destroyed rims when hitting pot holes that used to cause no problems.
It’s why I enjoy a French car rather than a German one, where every expansion joint jars the spine
The trouble is they test cars from the sixties and seventies with the same attitude and then say what a load shite they are.
I won't drive on tyres lower than 60 profile.
Been following your channel for years, the first was your review of a DAF. I was amazed and pleased seeing a young fellow being so enthusiastic about cars that were built way before he was born.
The Austin 1100 holds some dear memories for me. I am 56 and have lived most of my live in Holland. The Austin was one of the last cars I remember from Britain. In 1971 we were renting rooms at an old house in Rochdale owned by this old guy. One day he took us to a village market somewhere. He had a dark green 1100 and I can clearly remember to this day whizzing through the countryside in that car, with Mary Hopkiin on the radio (Goodbye) and the sound of that engine. I'll never forget it or that car, it was really nimble.
Love it!
I can remember that these things were everywhere when I was young and (alas) familiarity did breed a degree of contempt in many. But as a point of order surely no BMC 1100 road test is complete without that famous clip of Basil Fawlty giving his example 'a bloody good thrashing' when it failed to start - truly the sound of the 70's far more than David Bowie or Marc Bolan ever were.
I am from the US and have never seen one of these. Nevertheless, I just wanted to comment on how beautiful that interior is. The Green Leather and Wood dash look amazing!!
It’s spectacular, isn’t it? 🤩
My all time love was a Austin 1100 when I was just 15 years old. And I owned an Morris 1300 GT!
I agree about the sweetness and willingness of that engine and the eager whine that came into the cabin . This is something I miss in modern cars . Thank you very much for the eagerness we both share
The seats were big and comfortable, like you would get in a much bigger car.
My Mum had a red 1100 great car , I do remember the forward facing distributer was prone to water ingress but a plate behind the grill prevented a rain lashed winter stopping the car brillant video ed 😊
Thanks Anthony :)
For me the most significant styling-detail was the exhaust placed in the middle of the back of the car (where ALL other cars had it left or right) 👍
I do love a central exhaust 🤩
I saw one in a carpark in Melbourne recently. The registration indicated that the car was from 1965 or 66. A rare sight there days, but what an innovative, attractive and practical car it was.
Melbourne ..derbyshire ..or Australia
Australia
Great review Ed, so glad you extolled with pride the virtues of these amazing little cars now 60 years old, and I've owned Minis and an Austin 1300 and loved them all .I see the Wolseley regained its missing steering wheel badge towards the end of the video !.
Thanks Roger :)
The emblem was fitted to the car in all stationary shots. It was removed for driving as it was loose.
I’m old to remember when these were two a penny in the classifies. My mum had an 1100 as well as the 1300GT. Fun times, remember replacing the hydrolastic lines from front to back on both of them, they’d get crushed by people jacking them up in the wrong place. Replaced one of the displaced units as well, that wasn’t fun doing that in the road!
We used to set the suspension at 300psi rather than the 250-280 that was recommended . Tightened the handling up a bit, although even in standard trim you could get the outside rear wheel to lift in a corner if you were enthusiastic .
Remember we tried radial tyres on the 1100 but switched back to crossply tyres as it felt more stable. Remember a lot of early cars were designed with the give in crossply tyres accounting for part of the suspension movement.
Would love a 1300GT to play with, sufficient performance and gearbox with that charismatic whine .
I was a 20 year old in 1962 when I had to travel to Oxford for my grandfather’s funeral. On the journey we saw a train pulling a number of wagons carrying a load of strange cars. In an Oxford pub that evening I asked a local what they were. Oh that’s the new Morris 1100. It has a methylated sprits and water suspension, he said. Naturally I thought he was pulling my leg. It was much later that he was describing the revolutionary Hydrolastic suspension that gave the car its superb ride. I bought a used Austin badged model in 1965. A great car to drive and own.
Lovely video, lovely car.
When I was a kid my cousin John had one of these. He was about 10 years older than my brother and i and we idolised him. Largely because he was old enough to drive and loved tearing around the valleys at death defying speed (probably about 40), in a cream 1100 just like this, with the pair of us clinging to the passenger seats.
Its over 50 years since I've ridden in one of these but seeing those lovely interior details, the tickertape speedo and the dashboard straight out of a motor boat, brings it all back.
Oddly, the other little detail that I always thought cool, was that tiny exhaust pipe right under the dead centre of the back bumper. So much better than having it on one side I thought.
John's 73 now and he drives an Audi A6. It's not as good as this.
The first car I remember as a child was my dad's dark green Morris 1300. Later replaced by a bright orange Morris Marina. We always had BL cars as he worked in the paint shop at Rover in Solihull and was therefore entitled to a staff discount on any new cars. Watching this has brought back lots of happy memories for me. Thank you!
Love the look off the Austin 1300/1100 i was born 1971i remember thousands off them on the roads in the 70s most have rusted away now but legendary car .❤
My first car way back in 1976 was an MG 1100 and it was the exact same colour as the Wolseley you have there. It was full of filler and I hated the offset driving positiion, but I loved it really. With leather seats and the MG had a wonderfull walnut steering wheel with aluminium spokes. I spent more time repairing it than driving it 🙂. I was a welder back then and decided to replace the rotten sills, but in doing so I set fire to the wiring loom that ran down the sill on the passenger side, whoops. One of the electricians kindly repaired the loom for me, bless him. The twin SU carbs were a dream to tune. All in all a great first car.
Love the ADO16. This is a particularly nice example. My first two cars were Aussie assembled 1100s. The B and W promotion video you showed was filmed in Australia in the day. You can see the sump hitting the ground and soil flying. 😬 Top video Ed. and congrats. to the owner of this lovely example.
It's a lovely little thing. Not perfect, but beautifully honest.
Yes! There's a shot showing the sign - 'Dominion Motors'!
My grandad owned a 1967 Aussie built Morris 1100 from new. The Aussie bench front seat, long, cranked gear lever and handbrake jammed between the driver's door and seat were unusual.
The Australian ADO 16 had numerous improvements to make it strong enough to handle the road conditions of the day...they sold heaps, but they almost all disintegrated in short order, which is a pity. It had replaced the Morris Major Elite (YDO 1) which was a sturdy RWD sedan that had a 1622cc B Series engine - they were much better suited to Australia.
My second car was an 1100 S with the 1275cc engine but single carb. They were known as a de-tuned Mini Cooper S engine. It must have been one of the last Aussie 1100s. They had dropped the chrome strip down the bonnet and the bumper overriders in an effort to make them look a bit more modern. The 1500 OHC model that superseded it should have been a popular seller but just didn’t sell in the numbers of the 1100. Very rare to see a 1500 or a Nomad now.
@@paul7TM Yeah sure do. He stayed with us for a week and I lined up cars for him to do 9 videos in Tassie. 3 of those involved my DS where he did the 3 wheel demo. It has gone on to be his most popular video with 1.1m views. Thanks for asking as I can then have a brag. 😆
The ADO16 Wolseley was my late aunts car back in 1988.
Even the mono toned green was its colour.
It was recently rebuilt with a new front valance in about 1986 with new parts still available.
This was still out in the colonies of New Zealand 🇳🇿 from a cherished passed owner.
The aunt, was my late dads twin
Alas, my late aunt was not to survive her heart bypass at a mere 54 years.
Such bitter sweet memories.
Love your reviews, as always.
Incidentally, I passed my drivers license in 1982 in a lesser kin.
Regards Vernon.
New Zealand 🇳🇿
Well this video certainly bought back some memories to me as I learnt to drive in an 1100 back in 1965 and passed my test after 5 lessons. I enjoyed driving the 1100 so much I hired one from the teaching school most weekends after before I could afford to buy my own car. Keen to get away from smoky London, my ates and I enjoyed many weekends cockling in Kent during the day and pub crawling our way home. We knew no better in those days. Thanks for the video and the reminder.
For a time I owned a 1300cc MG branded version of this car. I also knew Alex Moulton who worked for Alec Issigonis.
Mark 2 in say 1968 was the best version MG1300. It's engine was top production quality I found. It was covered in inspection marks internally.
THere were actually 3 different MG1300.
For a very short time it just had a normal single carb 1300.
Then what was basically a 1300 version of the 998 cooper engine. (only 2 doors and strip speedo) then what was a productionised 1275 S engine. Complete with special 10 (or is it 11) stud head! (4 door + round dials)
I had both at the same time and preferred the second version. It had more torque and could pull higher gear were "S" would bog down. Being 2 door I think it looked better and was probably lighter. Snowberry white / red interior.
I passed my test in an 1100, never really warmed to them (rubbery gearchange and low geared steering with a truck like wheel position) but I can appreciate the efficient use of space. BMC were always content to let the customer 'iron out the bugs', the fact that the horn button seems to have fallen out points toward BMC's quality control. I do like the period number plates carrying a Wiltshire tag, all it needs is an 'Elton's Motors' dealer sticker in the rear screen to complete the ensemble.
If you think the production standards of a car some fifty-eight years ago is responsible for an ill-fitting steering wheel emblem, then I really cannot help!
I owned a 1300GT which I tuned. The roadholding on Mich ZX tyres was amazing as was the traction. Ride was stable and flat with little body roll. The brakes were a weak point and whilst effective, pad wear was "dramatic" used enthusiastically. Overall, I loved it and with beter brakes I would own another today.
The Michelin ZX was so hard wearing they went on for ever.
Unfortunately, in the wet, when braking hard, they also went on for ever !
@@gar6446 I never found that problem in the wet. Perhaps it was the very limited brakes 😀
You would probably find it quite easy to uprate the brakes nowadays.
My first caras a student was an 1100 VdP. A lovely interior. I had it for a week. When I came to check the underseal there was virtually nothing behind it. Sills, wings, boot. All rusted away. The sub frames were the only solid bits! The rust made it unroadworthy, and the previous owner had clocked it to boot. I was lucky enough to get my money back.
My Dad had an MG1100 which drove really nicely with its twin SU carbs & premium interior.
Easy nice drive and reliable performer we all took it for granted
My first car was an Austin 1300. I loved that car.
I lent it to a mate one evening and unfortunately he rolled it into a tree.
Writing it off.
We knew of an 1100 that was parked up in someone's garden for years.
We knocked of their door and they agreed to sell it to us for £20.
We swapped the 1100cc engine for the 1300cc and got an mot on the 1100cc.
Happy days.
Mate, I love the "broken record"... It's this enthusiasm which draws me to your channel. What a great car, the 1100, in all it's different packages. UK Friends of my family, whom we often visited when I was young(er), had a VDP, as a kid I loved it, they cherished it. I was disappointed when they replaced it..... And bought a Maestro.
Thanks for a lovely Sunday kick off.
Best wishes from the Netherlands 🇳🇱
Thanks as always mate 🙂
Funnily enough, next week’s video is more of the same broken record-ness! In that one, we’ll be looking at the Fiat Uno!
@@TwinCamthe Uno... 😎Looking forward already.... Ci vediamo allora, amico! Ciao....
Restoring a 1970 Mk2 Morris 1300gt at the moment in Orange/Red colour. Been after a car like this for years
My dad had a Morris 1300 from new. He drove it from London and Bombay (in India) in 3 weeks across Europe and the Middle East. And then back again (in a little longer). It did that without a beat, only having a windscreen crack along the way.
He loved that car so much and whilst I don’t remember being driven in it as a kid, it had really fond memories and your video helped explain why. Thank you
Oh and his favourite feature was the quarter light, great design for a window opening and demisting
Those series one engines were bulletproof. I've literally hammered the living daylights out of them and never managed to break one. The 1100 was a terrific little runabout. A friend of mine had one and took myself and 2 other adult males on a ride, touching almost 90mph indicated on the bypass. And they were as deceptively roomy inside as the Tardis. Also, they didn't seem to suffer from misfiring as a result of water spray shorting-out the plugs and HT lines that was a Mini bugaboo. Their biggest issue was rotting subframes, which could cause problems within as little as 3 years. Seven year anti-corrosion warranties were unheard of in those days. Even today, that 2-tone Wolseley knocks spots off the clonish `style' of most modern cars. I'd love a Vanden Plas version...
The whole range of ADO16s are marvellous cars.
Thanks for the vlog, really informative and good to watch. I had a Austin 1100 mk1 as my first car. It was a 67 model. I learnt to drive in a mk1 fiesta from 1982 so you would think the old 1100 would feel well old and horrible to drive compared to the new fiesta. It actually was quieter, lighter and more refined. I could not believe how good it was. They were great little cars.
Thanks mate 🙂
Back in the 70s when I was a young lad, my Grandad had a K reg Vanden Plas Princess 1300 in racing green, which was the top of the line version of this car - I used to go in the back and remember it having fold out picnic tables in the back of the front seats, and walnut trim everywhere - very posh indeed. Was like a small version of a Rolls Royce. He gave that car to my Aunt to replace her lighgt blue H reg Austin 1100, and himself got a Vanden Plas Allegro brand new. Whilst the base models of the 1100 were very spartan inside, the more spec'd out versions like the Wolseley and Vanden Plas were quite impressive inside.
My Gran on the other side of my family had Minis when I was young, and I remember another Aunt had a Landcrab, along with a friend of the family, so these old cars were, for people of my age group and older, a pretty common sight on the roads back in the day, and we all would have known people, family or not that would have owned one.
I have always been amazed at how much room they had in the back seat, Much more then anything we made in Australia and they were much bigger cars👍
These things were part of my family. My dad was on the test at Longbridge in 63, they were told to ignore some faults to get cars out. He owned several too with the last one being a red MG in 1970. My mom owned several too. The first being an early one . I owned a vanden plas version in 1990
I had a '71 1300, in this country called the America. Unfortunately, rust and engine trouble put an end to it, but while I had it, I marvelled at that hydrolastic suspension. It was arguably one of the best handling cars I've ever driven. I was honoured to have been able to talk to Alex Moulton before he passed, and was able to thank him for making the system.
Brought up on BMC cars, my first two were both Riley Elf (MkII & MkIII, respectively). Then upgraded to a Riley 1300 (in my favourite Connaught Green). So much character. So much space (I'd regularly squeeze six mates in it, on a pub run!). Definitely, my favourite car of the the trio. This video brings up some great memories! Thanks for making it.
Thanks mate :)
I actually think the Riley is nicer than the VDP . Am I the only one ?
I had an Austin 1100 in snowberry white body, The previous owner had fitted a 1275GT engine with twin webber carburettors and a skimmed head,the performance was excellent but the brakes left a lot to be desired, road holding was brilliant for its time.Had lots of fun with it.
Tremendous little cars which were everywhere when I was a kid, but are now such a rarity.
Whilst we never owned one when I was a kid (couple of Morris Travellers) we would occasionally hire one to go to the seaside, which we got from "Hire A Heap" in Cambridge.
I seem to remember them as being pretty comfortable - more so that my grandfather's Maxi I think. Spacious enough for five of us too.
In fact, I saw one last year, and was sentimentally looking it over, as was brought to today with the shock at the sheer size of the cabin. for a car that small it is vast.
Great video, you are an excellent presenter, and you bring us, the viewer, into your thoughts brilliantly. Thanks!
Thanks mate, that’s very kind of you to say 🙂
Great video. These cars were also assembled in Yugoslavia (in what is now Slovenia) by IMV, in South Africa, where a booted derivative called the Austin Apache was produced, in Spain by Authi, which later produced a clone of the South African Apache known as the Victoria, in Australia where a hatchback version, the Morris Nomad, was developed, and of course in Italy by Innocenti as the IM3, I4, and I5. The South African Apache was the last ADO 16 version to be produced, the last model year being 1977.
I adore the Victoria/Apache. I'd have one in a heartbeat.
The Apachi was an 1100 body with Triumph front and rear end styling. An odd looking thing.
ADO 16's always have a place in my heart as it was an ADO 16 used in the AA Book of the Car for showing how to fit extras & accessories (radio, sound deadening, towbar etc), learnt a lot about cars from that book as a kid.
Love these cars. My sister's first, and I bought one not long after...and passed my test in it first go. Fond memories indeed.
Thanks so much for bringing back such fond memories. This was the first car we bought as a newly married couple. I traded in my precious MGB (sigh. it was getting unreliable but I wish I had it now) for our gently used MG 1100. Our first steps to living a more practical life. The MG 1100 was such a smooth pleasure to drive.
Like so many here, I bought a 3yr old Morris 1300 in 1971 for £445 and gave a lot of fun driving! So true about the the benefits of hydrolastic suspension. Two stand out oddities however; as with yours, the windscreen wipers were fitted on the wrong side; perhaps to satisfy the export market. The other, yet to learn why, was that the positive terminal of the battery was earthed to the chassis and suspect didn't help with corrosion problems - built-in obsolescence perhaps? Have queried this when visiting classic shows and they don't know why either.
Thank you Ed for a good quality recording, exceptional research and your engaging commentary; you held my attention throughout! First ever comment given on YT but this was worth it!!
The Mk1 cars had wipers fitted this way around, as did Minis and many others of the era.
Same with the positive earth electrical system. That was the standard in the period for British cars, switching later on.
Bought couple of MG 1100's, totally rusted to pieces, just for their cylinder heads 12G 295, as fitted to Mini Cooper 998, and their twin SU carbs. One for £25, other for £30.
Ah, I wish we could get even rusty ones for those prices now!
A-Series engines are now worth a fortune!
Bert Meinders
I had a Morris in 1976, a Mk1. Lovely to drive, easy on petrol, and very comfortable. Nice and lively. They were diabolical for rust, like most Farina designs, and A-series engines were notorious valve burners..
Due to a spot of unreliability (I now believe that the dealer billed me for more work than was ever done), I replaced it with a 1967 Holden, which I later rolled by driving it on a winding road the same way I used to drive the Morris.
My earliest memories are from around 1979/80 of going to my grandparents in my mums beige austin 1100. 😊
Great to see a full and affectionate tribute to these lovely little cars. What could be more beautiful than a 1300GT in teal blue?!
I'm 54 and my first car was an Austin 1300. I loved that little car. It surprised my friends with how it could be thrown about.
another great video Ed. I love the ado16 enough to currently own three, way over here where parts are really a puzzle. But the Hydrolastic keeps me coming back. . The absolute best. We have a bump on our mountain highway that's pretty rough in our Subaru, but the America with the hydrolastic just launches off that like you jumped out of a plane, but then the chute opens and the thing just corners. And it's a fun little go-cart. The AP transmission has such crisp shifts, it sounds almost like a modern box. When you climb down into it, it feels like you're sitting in the street, and you just feel... sporty, despite the bus wheel. lol
Thanks mate :)
Great video - (USA fan) my first car in 1975 was my grandfather’s 1969 Austin America in the color Florida Green. Manual transmission car. I drove that Austin for 6 years. Only issue was a clutch replacement and the gear the clutch rode on. My Dad and I did that Job. Parts were from a local BMC dealer in Hackensack,NJ. Spreen’s Foreign Motors. Was a great, solid car. Strange color 😂 - Thanks for the memories !
Thanks John :)
Very rare car now!
We owned an Austin 1100, drove it to Lake Como, twice. It broke down when crossing the Alps due to a fuel pump issue. It overheated to the point where the only counter balance was to open the windows and put the heater on full blast. 2 adults in the front, 3 kids in the back. Bonkers but amazing.
I had a Morris 1100 in the early 70's. Great vehicle. I traversed a mountain track many times, but when a friend tried the track in his Land Rover, a half shaft broke!
Mike
I remember the original Mini gear lever was known as the porridge stirrer North of the border.
My grandfather bought an Austin 1100 new in 1970 (H). Navy blue. ‘Super Deluxe’ I think the trim was. When he stopped driving it became our car. We went everywhere in in, including family holidays down to Cornwall. Seem to remember the strip speedo being a bit dodgy & it ate through speedo cables a bit. I have fond memories of that car for obvious reasons. Sadly, it’s probably long gone.
Nothing really to add here to comments already made, except another great video with a unique and thoughtful perspective. There is a huge generation of (aging) people with memories of this car and finally this is resulting in values starting to creep upwards. I would suggest bookending this review with a drive of a late model 1300 version - perhaps 1972/3, preferably Wolseley 1300/MG1300/1300GT or Riley Kestrel 1300 so you can communicate the subtle improvements that were made over time. Of course you need to find an equally good example……wish I had kept mine!
Thanks mate :)
I'd certainly like to do a video on an Austin 1300 GT or a late Vanden Plas model.
I had an Austin 1300 automatic..... 3 gears, bright red with red vinyl interior, black vinyl roof and two front fog lights..... Loved it and replaced it with the Wolesley version.
Four gears!
Yes, AP (Automotive Products) 4-speed, thump-you-in-the-back-of-the-seat auto box. Had one on my 1978 Mini - excellent on snow and ice, pretty horrid otherwise.
@@RobertSmith-jl4yw Ooops yes 4 gears... Whip-lash gearchange :-)
@@TwinCam Thank you
Waau loads of Nostalgia when I started driving in 1974. As kids we rolled it twice, repaired it, everytime changed the colour by panel beating, spray painting it ourselves. Oh we had loads of fun with one glorious car. Long live Sir Alex Isigonis.
How did you manage to roll it? I knew someone who claimed he was only alive because of the way it cornered after finding an unexpected roundabout at speed.
Then again his previous company car was a Marina.
I had one. Hydrolastic suspension always leaked on it. Apart from that, a brilliant car.
Did you not try to fix the leak?
An uncle of mine owned one of these and a mini clubman as owner of the Morris Motor Cars in Northern Pakistan back in the 70-90's. It was hydrolastic and looked so big compared to a mini.
I had a Morris 1300 in the early 1980s in New Zealand. There is a bridge on state highway 1 at Rakaia (the longest bridge in NZ). The hydrolastic suspension would get in sync with the joins in the bridge until you thought you might bounce right off the bridge. An hilarious experience.
In some countries they made a booted ADO16, it looked like they grafted a Dolomite front and back on to the Austin middle.
The Apache and Victoria were styled by Giovanni Michelotti - who also did the Triumphs!
I had a MG 1300 it evantually it developed a crack in the head which I had welded up, but in the I had to have a new engine. I moved on to Alfasuds four in fact really super cars.
Good video a very enthusiastic young man I must say.
Alfasuds are exceptionally cool cars.
Thanks mate :)
Just the sound of the car takes me back to my childhood ❤
That Wolseley tested is a real beaut. And I remember that transmission whine so well. A colleague of mine had an Austin 1300, it was roomy and comfy (if a little bouncy).
Can't beat the transmission whine :)
I very much enjoyed your review and I enjoyed having my 1100 from c1970 to 1975 when it succumbed to rot in the sills and I got rid of it. It was beige with red seats.
The gearbox was jumping out of gear and I took the engine out and spit the engine / gearbox, took one look and decided no way could I disassemble and reassemble that! My Dad persuade a local garage who serviced his company's cars to do it, which they did but I don't think they found it fun ;)
The only other problem I recall was the rear wheel went over a curb and broke the hydrolastic suspension. Luckily there was an independent specialist nearby.
I live near Bradford on Avon and this year visited The Hall, Alex Moulton's former home, niw run by a Trust. His work room is as he left it and has many items from his Mini / 1100 years. They still make his bikes there in the grounds. They are hand made and I was told last year there was a 1 year waiting list.
Thanks Alan 🙂
These were built in Australia too. They were everywhere when I was a kid.
My parents had a British Racing Green MG1100 which I loved driving. One of the nicest cars I've had the pleasure of driving. My wife was born on the day the Mini went on the market.
I learned to drive in an Austin 1100, ‘harvest gold’ or beige in colour - in Autumn/Winter 1974 - Thanet School of Motoring, Hastings. Great instructor, Mr. Sharp, puffing away on JPS Special throughout the lessons🤗 I loved the car. A very ‘friendly’ car and very forgiving.
Half an hour before my test though a rather embarrassed Mr Sharp turned up in a brand new, “nasty little thing” adding “ I’m really sorry about this, they’ve just changed the car! It’s horrible, it’s got less than 50 miles on it…and you have to take your test in it.”
An Austin Allegro 1100😳
He was right, it was dreadful. Noisy, harsh ride, a piece of dashboard hanging off - I kid you not - and a door that didn’t shut properly.
As for the clutch, well it was ‘in or out’, very little in between. A huge step backwards for the manufacturer.
I did pass though, so it turned out ok.
I have a soft spot for an 1100 clutch pedal squeak too.😉
I really enjoyed this video and your assessment is spot on. Thanks for making it.
An excellent video. I learnt to drive with Taylor Bros Accrington (Morris and Wolseley) who used Morris Minor 1000 and Wolseley Hornet's as their driving school cars. £12 for 13 one hour lessons in 1968, then in for the test. Yes, I passed! The hydrolastic suspension was great on the little Wolseley, as the bonnet raised slightly as the clutch began to grip. My driving experience pre-test was topped up in my fathers 1965 Austion 1100. In 1968 he changed this for a new Morris Minor 1000, which was very reliable, but he always felt he had gone back in time, compared to the Austin 1100.
My best friend has a 1967 Morris 1100 one family owned car. He got it from his uncle who 20 years prior where it was parked for 20 years in a garage. It was in very good condition only traveling 54,000 miles but he hated the old man grey colour. He had it repainted red. The drivers seat has collapsed and he has pillows to help out. We pulled the valve cover off and it was caked in sludge. Don't think his uncle bothered about servicing. My friend drove it for a few years before it once again got parked in the garage as it's expensive to maintain as a daily. It's been there since the late 1990's. Fun little car but had trouble with the big hills and often the temp gauge sat in the red. Around town it was zippy except for the crappy turning circle.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. As an American, I'm envious of the cars that were available in Europe. I'd love to have a Mini, or any of its close compatriots
To be fair, Minis and 1100s were available in the US - albeit for a very short period! ;)
I got emotional with you at 21:00 The car of my early childhood as my parents had three ADO16s, lovely video Edd.
Thanks David :)
I had an 'F' reg Austin 1100, in glacier white, in the early 80's. Newly wed. I rebuilt the gearbox and changed the electrics to Negative earth (so I could use a modern radio). It was a great car and had four doors, useful for a new baby in the back. I always fancied the Vanden Plas, but never got round to it.
I absolutely love the ADO-16 range of vehicles. My mother had the MG 1100 version in the 70s and I now own an Austin Apache 1275, which was an ADO-16 version built in South Africa by Leykor.😎
What a car! They were literlly everywhere. I loved the 1300GT but for all the wrong reasons. Several have met thier demise at my hands but don't despair, the drive train saved as many Minis. When the 1300 rusted beyond economical repair which was often, they donated thier engines to many a Mini to make a cut price Cooper. I would love a 1300GT or a Riley now.
What a gem of a car,I recall getting a lift by my mates mum in an 1100.Great ride and quite comfy.
In 1969, when I was nineteen, a mate and I drove one of these from Melbourne to Cairns along the Pacific Highway and then, back through rural Queensland, NSW and Victoria. My friend owned it and he drove it with complete abandon, almost recklessness. The little 1100 just ploughed on regardless, racking up over 5000 miles in two weeks; it was - next to my mum's 1960 Morris Minor 1000 - one of the sturdiest and dependable cars I have been privileged to drive and ride in. We had terrific fun tearing up quiet back roads since, as you mentioned, the suspension was so refined. Thanks for your very informative content.
Learned to drive in one in 1980, it was a family car such an easy car to drive I swore it was the car that allowed me to pass it complimented my amateur skills, we had it in the family until mid 80s it even towed my Dads Sierra estate when the battery died. Amazing little car
The AD017 "Landcrab" didn't do too badly, it was in production from 1964 until 1975 and they were a fairly common sight on the road as I was growing up in the 60s and 70s.
The Landcrab was common to see, but BMC was so huge that any car they made would have been common. The problem is that the Landcrab didn't come close to meeting its maker's expectations, causing production to contract, and it lost position to the Ford Cortina.
@@TwinCam Thanks for the information, yes it certainly lost out to the Cortina which were a very common sight!
Beautiful car. I love these cars. Perfect balance of space, economy, and fun. ❤
Thank you soi much for making this. It reminded me why I enjoyed my 1100 so much. Prior to that I had a mini and whilst the mini was fun and forgiving to through round corners, the 1100 probably led to more sensible but still enjoyable driving!
Da used to run a MG 1300, the firm family favourite. We all loved the style, space, comfort and yes, reliability as Da took owner`s manual seriously.
Thanks for covering the older cars I’m 56 now and loved the mini the allegro and the ambassador if they were properly maintained and serviced I had owned a mini 3 allegro’s and a ambassador vandan plas I loved them ❤
Great presentation ! Brings back memories of my childhood, my mother's car was an 1100, then she got a vanden plas 1300......great little cars as I remember and praised by my parents.
My Mum had a Wolsey 1300 back in day. I was allowed to drive it. Wonderful fun to drive. Only problem was severe rust in the rear wheel arches !
My Dad once had a Wolsley 1100, my second car was a blue, 1971 K-reg Morris 1100. This video brought back so many memories! The gear change was great, once you had that a-ha! moment and learned to love that particular foible. The handling was brilliant, better than a friend's Escort on country roads, the interior was a master class in packaging. My car sadly succumbed to rust; welding on over-sills was only a short reprieve. The end came when I took the car for a MOT test and was told it failed due to terminal rot. I did ask the mechanic if it could be fixed, and his response was: "Sorry, you can't weld rust to fresh air." 'Nuff said. Great video!
An absolutely brilliant video- Thanks Ed. My first car was a Metro City back in the 1980's, but I always admired an 1100- great cars and hydrolastic suspension was fab!
Thanks Stuart :)
As usual Ed, brilliantly researched, filmed and edited content.
Imagine...just imagine if they'd had the good sense to make it a hatchback, surely a no-brainer of a development from a startlingly good base line.
Thanks mate, very kind of you to say :)
While hatchbacks did exist, they were deeply uncommon in 1962. It's arguable that the car wouldn't have done as well, had it been a hatchback. However, by 1970 or so, I think BL should have realised it was definitely the correct route, and should have fitted the Allegro with one. Remember - the Fiat 127 was a saloon at its launch, as was the Alfasud!
@@TwinCam And the Renault 16 in the early to mid 70s.
I was thinking it was an obvious development of the 1100/1300 because of its body style.
I drove a Wolsely 1100 as a substitute company car while waiting for my allocated one. It was a super little performer, good handler and economical on the gas. When my Bigger Morris came for delivery, I would have kept the 1100 but company dictates nixed that idea.
Indeed one of BMC/Leylands better vehicles and this one is a pearl.
My Grandad was given an 1100 as a company car back in the day. However, demand was so high that they took it back after only a couple of months in order for the boss’s wife to have it!
It was replaced with an Avenger that he loved.
Really clever design - so light and spacious inside and a beautiful ride too!