Class of 62, the Morris 1100
In addition to the Morris 1100, a virtually identical MG was put on the market in 1962. A clear case of Badge engineering.
Badge engineering means that with the help of a few simple modifications and adjustments, multiple brand names can be placed on a type of car that is actually the same. Some models were given a more luxurious interior or a different grill, while for other types more horsepower became available. The 1100 was therefore also for sale as MG, just to name it. The Morris 1100 had four doors and four seats as standard. The Morris 1100 was equipped with an 1098 cc engine with four cylinders in line and water-cooled. 48 horsepower was taken from the engine and the top speed was 125 kilometers per hour. (The MG had 55 horsepower and a top speed of 135 kilometers per hour.) The cruising speed was 115 kilometers per hour and an average fuel consumption of one liter should be possible at twelve and a half kilometers. The price in 1963 was 7.180,00 old-fashioned Dutch guilders. At that time you only lost 5.340,00 guilders for an Opel Kadett, while you could already purchase an Opel Rekord 7.555,00 for an amount of 1500 guilders. The Morris was a very good driving car. That was not strange because it was based on the Mini. The biggest competitor of the Morris was the Ford Cortina. The photo shows a rare version. The English company Crayford has in fact stripped a few cars of its roof and turned it into a convertible version.
Text and photo: Jacques van den Bergh