BMC ADO9

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BMC
Pininfarina lines: Morris Oxford
Pininfarina lines: Morris Oxford
ADO9
Sales designation: Austin A55 Cambridge Mark II
Morris Oxford Series V
MG Magnette Mark III
Wolseley 15/60
Riley 4/68
Production period: 1958-1961
Class : Middle class
Body versions : Limousine , station wagon
Engines: Petrol engines :
1.5 liters
(41-49 kW)
Length: 4450 mm
Width: 1613 mm
Height: 1518 mm
Wheelbase : 2521 mm
Empty weight : 1067-1118 kg
Previous model Austin A55 Cambridge Mark I
MG magnets EG
Morris Oxford Series III
Riley RME
Wolseley 15/50
successor BMC ADO38

The project name BMC ADO9 refers to a model family of the British car manufacturer British Motor Corporation (BMC), which was offered from 1958 to 1961 by way of badge engineering under various group brands. In the English-speaking world, the models are also called the Farina Saloons because of their body designed by Pininfarina . From 1961, BMC replaced the ADO9 with the BMC ADO38 with almost the same body, more powerful engines and a modified chassis.

Development history

In 1955, BMC commissioned the Italian design company Pininfarina to redesign individual series of the company. BMC took up a development that the competitor Standard had started shortly before in the form of a collaboration with Giovanni Michelotti . It all started with the A35 small car , whose rounded shape was designed in 1951. It was replaced by the Austin A40 Farina , a two-door hatchback that was also available as a Countryman with a large tailgate. For the middle class, Pininfarina designed a four-door notchback sedan with a body in the then modern trapezoidal line, which was named ADO9 at BMC. With largely the same technology and body, the group offered versions of the ADO9 as Austin , Morris , MG , Riley and Wolseley , which came on the market every month. For reasons of rationalization, they only differed from one another externally in details. The badge engineering concept made the individual BMC brands lose their identities even in the middle class.

Pininfarina also used the shape of the ADO9 for the Peugeot 404 presented in 1960, with minor deviations .

Similar to the ADO9 were the models of the ADO10 family, which were equipped with a 2.9 liter six-cylinder C Series engine and were positioned in the upper middle class.

The ADO38 model family , which was produced from 1961 and replaced the ADO9 series, was largely the same technically and stylistically. The models were offered unchanged by the five brands Austin, MG, Morris, Riley and Wolseley, but had an engine bored out to 1.6 liters, 2 cm more wheelbase, a 4 cm wider track and slightly smaller tail fins. They stayed on sale in the UK until 1971. The Australian branch of BMC manufactured the ADO38 in its own factory from 1962 to 1965 and sold it as the Austin Freeway with a self-developed six-cylinder engine, which corresponded to a B-engine extended by two cylinders.

Technology and structure

1.5-liter four-cylinder BMC-B series engine (MG version with two carburetors)

The technology of the ADO9 was considered “conservative and boring.” At the front, the wheels were individually suspended on double wishbones ; BMC used coil springs and finger steering here . At the rear, the ADO9 used a rigid axle on semi-elliptical leaf springs . Hydraulically operated drum brakes were installed on all wheels . A 1.5-liter four-cylinder BMC- B series engine (bore × stroke = 73.02 × 88.9 mm), which was equipped with different carburetor variants depending on the model, served as the drive . The Austin, Morris and Wolseley had a single carburetor engine that made 55 bhp (41 KW). The MG and Riley versions had two carburetors; their output was 64 bhp (49 kW). BMC has been using the engines in various versions since 1953 in various other models, such as the MG Magnette ZA , the MG A and the Austin A50 Cambridge . With both engine variants, the ADO9 cars were considered underpowered in view of their size and weight. The manual transmission with four forward gears was operated either via a center or steering wheel gearshift, although the latter was rarely ordered across all model series. An automatic transmission was not offered; the automatic only came into the program with the successor ADO38.

The body was self-supporting and made of pressed steel. The front fenders ended in round individual headlights. At the rear, all models had slightly rising tail fins. Stylistically, the models differed only in details in the front section, on the radiator grille and differently designed taillights; in the interior there were partially independent equipment. BMC employees Riccardo "Dick" Burzi and Sid Goble were responsible for the individual design of the individual models.

Members of the model family

Variants of the ADO9 were sold in the UK and Europe under the Austin, MG, Morris, Riley and Wolseley brands. The individual models were a combination of various equipment and engine components. Almost the same Austin and Morris were the basic versions. The Wolseley was better equipped, the MG had a more powerful engine and, in the Riley, the luxurious features of the Wolseley were combined with the powerful engine of the MG.

Apart from that, Siam Di Tella installed the ADO9 under license in Argentina. This model largely corresponded to the British Riley.

Wolseley 15/60

Wolseley 15/60

As the first member of the ADO9 family, BMC launched the Wolseley. The model known as 15/60 (also: Fifteen-Sixty ), which had no direct predecessor, appeared in December 1958. The Wolseley occupied the upper market segment within the Group's brand hierarchy and conveyed "a touch of respectability" because of its conservative appearance. On the other hand, no value was placed on sportiness. A separate design feature of the 15/60 was a shield-shaped chrome-plated radiator grille with an illuminated brand emblem in the top center. Between the radiator grille and the headlights were two more air inlets with chrome-plated decorative grilles. The 15/60 was equipped as standard with leather-covered individual seats and wood veneer on the dashboard. The body could optionally be painted in one or two colors.

The Wolseley 15/60 reached a top speed of 123 km / h. It sold for £ 991 including tax in 1959. By 1961, 24,579 copies of the Wolseley 15/60 had been produced. Customers also included many law enforcement agencies who preferred the Wolseley to other ADO9 versions.

Austin A55 Cambridge Mark II

Austin A55 Cambridge Mark II Countryman

One month after the Wolseley, the Austin version of the ADO9 with the same motor appeared. It was called A55 Cambridge Mark II (often shortened to Austin Cambridge) and replaced the Mark I , which had been produced since 1957 . The Cambridge had a simply designed front end; Similar to the later Peugeot 404, the grille reached almost across the entire width of the vehicle. In the interior there was a continuous bench seat in front and behind. The dashboard was simple. The top speed was 121 km / h. The purchase price was quoted as £ 802 including taxes in 1951.

In addition to the four-door notchback sedan, Austin - unlike MG, Riley and Wolseley - also offered a five-door station wagon from the fall of 1960, which bore the additional designation Countryman .

MG Magnette Mark III

MG Magnette Mark III

For the MG variant of the ADO9, BMC took up the name Magnette, which had been used for the brand's mid-range vehicles since the pre-war period. The ADO9 magnet gave the car the additional designation Mark III . The model was launched in February 1959 and replaced the Magnette ZB . The Magnette III was perceived as a " jazzed-up " version of the Austin Cambridge. The only external differentiating feature was an independent radiator grille, in the traditional form of the MG brand. The interior of the Magnette corresponded almost completely to that of the Wolseley 15/60, but the MG had a more powerful version of the four-cylinder engine that allowed a top speed of 137 km / h. The MG was not offered as a station wagon. The retail price of the Magnette was £ 1,013.

Morris Oxford Series V

Base model: Morris Oxford

In March 1959, Morris presented the fourth version of the ADO9. It received the traditional model name Oxford , which has been used repeatedly since 1913, and the addition Series V as a distinguishing feature . The Oxford was largely similar to the Austin A55 Cambridge both externally and internally, but Morris offered a different color palette than Austin. The cars were manufactured in different plants: the Cambridge was built at BMC's Longbridge plant, the Oxford rolled off the assembly line in Cowley. The Morris was £ 14 more than the Austin Cambridge. By 1961, 87,432 copies of the Oxford were made.

From 1960 onwards, Morris offered a station wagon with the additional designation Traveler . It corresponded to the Austin A55 Cambridge Countryman.

Riley 4/68

Riley 4/68

As the last variant of the ADO9, Riley launched the 4/68 (also written out Four Sixty-Eight ) in April 1959 . With the exception of the radiator grille, the 4/68 was outwardly almost completely identical to the MG Magnette III and also had its performance-enhanced engine. The equipment was high quality. Overall, BMC combined the sportiness of the MG with the luxury of the Wolseley in the 4/68. The Riley was the only ADO9 with a standard tachometer. At £ 1,028, the Riley was the most expensive model in the range. 10,940 vehicles were built by 1961.

production

The Austin A55 Cambridge Mark II was the only version of the ADO9 built at BMC's Longbridge plant in Birmingham . All others were made at the Cowley factory in Oxford .

Production in Argentina

Di Tella 1500

From 1959 to 1965, the Argentine automobile plant Siam Di Tella near Buenos Aires produced a licensed replica of the Riley 4/68. The model called Di Tella 1500 was technically and stylistically very similar to the British Riley, but had a slightly throttled version of the B-Series engine with a carburetor. By 1966, 45,700 copies of the 1500 were made, plus 2,664 copies of the higher positioned, but generally similar Di Tella Magnette . The models were particularly popular in Argentina as taxis. In Buenos Aires in particular, they ousted taxis of US origin because of their economy. In addition to the sedan, Di Tella also produced around 2000 copies of an ADO9 station wagon; in addition, pick-up versions were created that the company had designed itself.

After the production stop at Siam Di Tella, the Compañía Industrial de Automotores continued production until April 1967. The brand names were now MG , Morris and Riley .

Technical specifications

BMC ADO9
Parameter Austin A55 Cambridge Morris Oxford Series V Wolseley 15/60 MG Magnette Mark III Riley 4/68 Austin A55 Cambridge Countryman
Morris Oxford Traveler
Engine:  Inline four-cylinder petrol engine, crankshaft with three bearings,
engine block and cylinder head made of gray cast iron
Displacement:  1489 cc
Bore × stroke:  73.02 x 88.9 mm
Mixture preparation:  SU equal pressure carburettor two SU equal pressure carburettors SU constant pressure carburetor
Valve control:  chain driven side camshaft with
two overhead valves per cylinder
Cooling:  Water cooling
Max. Power:  55 bhp (41 KW) 64 bhp (49 kW) 55 bhp (41 KW)
Transmission:  Four-speed gearbox (manual transmission)
Suspension:  Double wishbones at the front,
rigid axle on leaf springs at the rear
Brakes:  front and rear drum brakes , hydraulically operated
Body:  self-supporting, steel
Construction:  Limousine, four-door Station wagon, five-door
Wheelbase:  2521 mm
Dimensions
(length × width × height): 		 4455 × 1613 × 1518 mm
Empty weight: 1067 kg 1093 kg 1118 kg 1093 kg 1105 kg 1128 kg
Top speed: 121 km / h 123 km / h 137 km / h 134 km / h 120 km / h

literature

  • Graham Robson: The Cars of BMC . Motor Racing Publications Ltd., 2nd edition 1999, ISBN 1-899870-41-5
  • Michael Schäfer: Fish'n'Chips meets pasta. Wolseley 15/60. British Classic Cars, issue 3/2006, p. 84 ff.

Web links

Commons : Austin A55 Cambridge Mark II  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
Commons : Morris Oxford Series V  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files
Commons : Riley 4/68  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
Commons : Wolseley 15/60  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
Commons : MG Magnette III  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b N.N .: Morris Oxford V / VI . In: Spezial Classic Cars Englische Oldtimer, IPC Magazin Verlag, 1994, p. 25.
  2. ↑ Steve Paris Sien: The Life of the Automobile: A New History of the Motor Car , Atlantic Books Ltd, 2013, ISBN 978-1-78239-021-3 , p. 35
  3. ↑ a b c N.N .: Morris Oxford V / VI . In: Spezial Classic Cars Englische Oldtimer, IPC Magazin Verlag, 1994, p. 83.
  4. ↑ http://www.acwcc.org/Pages/40/December-1958---October-1961.html
  5. ↑ a b c d e N.N .: Morris Oxford V / VI . In: Spezial Classic Cars Englische Oldtimer, IPC Magazin Verlag, 1994, p. 114.
  6. ↑ a b Description of the Austin A55 Cambridge Mark II on the website www.co-oc.org (accessed on July 20, 2016).
  7. ^ NN: The Wolseley Fifteen-Sixty . In: The Motor, January 21, 1959.
  8. ↑ Michael Schäfer: Fish'n'Chips meets Pasta. Wolseley 15/60. British Classic Cars, issue 3/2006, p. 86.
  9. ↑ NN: The Austin A55 Cambridge Mk II . In: The Motor, February 4, 1959.
  10. ↑ a b Description of the MG Magnette III on the website www.co-oc.org (accessed on July 20, 2016).
  11. ^ Description of the Morris Oxford Farina on the website www.co-oc.org (accessed on July 20, 2016).
  12. ↑ Description of the Riley 4/68 on the website www.classicandsportscar.com (accessed on July 20, 2016).