1956-1958 Morris Oxford Series III

„On the facts alone a Morris Oxford stands out as a world-beater, with more of everything you want most in motoring: more space, more power, greater fuel economy. Get to know this brilliant car — soon!“

Tiny by American standards, but a full-fledged family saloon in postwar Britain, this Morris Oxford Series III from Havana nicely illustrates the different standard of postwar motoring across the Atlantic. Yet, looks can be deceiving: the little Morris was in many aspects more modern than its American counterparts. Case in point: unibody construction rather than the American body-on-frame layout meant package advantages that made the tiny car surprisingly roomy inside.

Morris Motors, a company with excellent image as a manufacturer of reliable and economic cars, fell victim to the consolidation of the British car industry in postwar years. In 1952, Morris merged with its biggest rival, Austin Motors, to form the British Motor Group (BMC), and henceforth produce badge-engineered cars under the various BMC brand names.

Being part of BMC meant for Morris to share parts with its companion brands. The Oxford’s 1.5-litre engine and drivetrain, for instance, came from Austin, where it powered the „sister model“, Austin Cambridge. Because the styling of the Morris Oxford was done before the merger with Austin, both cars thankfully didn’t look alike, even if they shared their underpinnings.

The little Morris finally was launched as Oxford Series II in 1954. The facelift of 1956, called Series III, featured a new bonnet and sharper sculpted rear fenders, while a bigger 1,5L (90.9 cu-in) Austin engine with 52 hp under the bonnet gave the car much needed grunt. Yet, a top speed of 125km/h (78 mph) and 26 seconds from 0 to 60 miles were not exactly breathtaking on either side of the pond.

After two years and around 60,000 copies produced, the Oxford Series III was replaced by the new Pininfarina-styled successor in 1958. Now, the badge-engineering truly showed, as now all BMC models looked alike. However, the outgoing Oxford Series III still had a surprisingly long life ahead: the rights of the little Morris were sold to India, where the car stayed in production for the next 56 years as Hindustan Ambassador.

Watch the Morris Oxford along with a fleet of BMC cars testing on the German Autobahn in this nice period video, here.