Leyland Motor Corporation of South Africa

Leyland Motor Corporation of South Africa Limited (also Leykor ) was an automobile manufacturer in Blackheath, South Africa and a subsidiary of the British Leyland Motor Corporation .

history

Shortly after the Second World War, the assembly of Austin models began at the National Motor Assemblers . From 1949 or 1950, the Austin Motor Company had vehicles with the South African Motor Assemblers and Distributors and Stanley Motors Ltd. (there only for a short period from 1950).

Since 1949, CKD kits of the Morris Minor have been assembled at Motor Assemblies (MA). Minor production accounted for around two thirds of capacity there by the end of the 1950s. A total of 33,333 vehicles were manufactured.

After founding BMC in Great Britain, Austin decided to build its own production facility in Blackheath near Cape Town in 1954, so that SAMAD production ended in 1955. Production at Motor Assemblies continued in parallel.

In 1964 - when the MA plant was taken over by Toyota - the production of numerous third-party brands at Motor Assemblies ended . A total of 64,970 passenger cars of the BMC brands had been manufactured there (around half of which are minor models). There were also 5151 light and 4305 heavy commercial vehicles.

Motor Assemblies' other customers also included the Standard and Triumph brands, of which a total of 16,035 passenger cars and 161 commercial vehicles were manufactured between 1952 and 1969.

The companies in South Africa followed the multiple mergers of their British parent companies. Due to the economic and political circumstances, BMC (South Africa) Pty. Ltd. and their successor companies are forced to produce an increasing proportion of the components locally. As part of these measures, some special models have been developed in South Africa.

With the last merger to form Leyland Motor Corporation of South Africa Ltd. The name Leykor also came up, an artificial word formed from Leyland and korporasie (Afrikaans for 'society') . During the development of the Austin Apache , the possibility of branding future models with the Leykor name was considered . In some sources, Leykor is named in line with several other automobile brands. In addition, the name Leykor was used in the company's promotional materials in the early 1970s.

In 1973, Leyland acquired the Elsie's River engine plant from Chrysler. Production at the Mobeni truck plant was then terminated and relocated to Elsie's River.

Models

A large part of the models made in South Africa corresponded to the British models. However, there were some noticeable deviations.

The South African Mini was characterized (like its Australian counterparts) from 1967 onwards by triangular and crank windows. The Wolseley 1000 was also offered from 1967 to 1969 . Its successor, the Mini Mk. 3 (with Arabic numerals), was a unique combination of the conventional mini front with the notchback of the Riley Elf or Wolseley Hornet (which were discontinued soon after in Great Britain) . From 1971 the mini models received the locally produced engines of the 2nd generation with 1098 cm³ and 1275 cm³, whereby the larger engine was reserved for the Mini Clubman GT.

The combination models ( Traveler or Countryman ) of the Mini, produced in 6248 copies, were only available in certain color combinations for a long time. Even later, the mini models made in South Africa were characterized by special equipment features. In 1983 or 1984 mini production ended in South Africa.

Another model that was only produced in South Africa was the 11/55 , which was derived from the Austin 1100 . It was marketed as Austin, Morris and (with a different front) as Wolseley (and generically as BMC) from late 1967 to the early 1970s. Compared to the externally identical 1100 that was still on offer, it had a locally produced engine block and a little more power (57 SAE hp). Outwardly characteristic were the reflectors between headlights, indicator units and grille.

The successor to the 11/55 was another purely South African model variant: the Austin Apache , which was also based on the Austin 1100. However, the body of the Austin 1100 originally designed by Pininfarina was redesigned by Michelotti . The front section was lengthened and a notchback was added. The middle area of ​​the body, however, remained almost unchanged. A similar model was made in Spain with the Austin Victoria . The Apache was produced from 1971 to 1977.

The Triumph Chicane , which was produced from 1972 and was derived from the Triumph 2500 , combined a 2.5-liter engine with two carburettors and a manual transmission.

The Leyland Marina in South Africa, built from 1975 to 1978, with the optional 2.6-liter engine, was based on its Australian, rather than its British, counterpart. At least at times it was also offered with 1.8 l displacement or as a bakkie with 1.3 l displacement.

The Rover SD1 was manufactured in South Africa as the Rover 2600 with its own engine, which delivered 82 kW with a displacement of 2623 cm³.

The Land Rover has been assembled in South Africa since 1963. The Land Rover IIIs only existed in South Africa from 1980 to 1985 . Another South African model was the Land Rover Defender 147 with an extended wheelbase and six doors.

From 1974 to 1984 a Daihatsu model was also assembled as a Bakkie and sold under the Leyland (or Leyland-Daihatsu) brand.

In the mid-1980s, BLMC stopped assembling passenger cars in South Africa.

Individual evidence

1. ^ British Leyland: British Leyland Motor Corporation 1969 Report and Accounts .
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} M. Compton / TJ Gallwey: Motor Assemblies Limited. A small South African Assembly Plant that became a major manufacturer , 2009.
3. ^ Claudia Nieke: Volkswagen am Kap. Internationalization and Networking in South Africa 1950 to 1966 ( Memento of the original from June 28, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Wolfsburg 2010. 
4. ^ When in June 1958 the 25,000. Minor was assembled, a total of around 36,000 copies had been produced. See M. Compton / TJ Gallwey: Motor Assemblies Limited. A small South African Assembly Plant that became a major manufacturer , 2009.
5. ^ The Morris Minor Owners Club South Africa gives these numbers for MA and the BMC plant in Blackheath combined. See The History of the Morris Minor .
6. ↑ ^{a b c} Ryno Verster / Craig Watson: Mix & Match ( Memento of the original from July 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , on: The Mini Experience . 
7. ↑ ^{a b c} Keith Adams: Around the world: South Africa , on AROnline from May 1, 2016.
8. ↑ ^{a b} Mini MkIII ( Memento of the original from July 14, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , on topcar.co.za on February 2, 2009. 
9. ↑ ^{a b} Austin Apache ( Memento of the original from July 11, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , in: The BMC Experience 15. 
10. ↑ The name on www.mginfo.co.uk.
11. ^ NJ Swart: The South African motor industry in an international context , Johannesburg 1974, p. 233.
12. ^ Du Plessis, Willem Jacobus, 'N Misdaadvoorkomingsmodel vir Motorvoertuigdiefstal , Johannesburg 1992.
13. ↑ ^{a b} Leykor Advertising , at www.mginfo.co.uk.
14. ^ ^{A b c} John Calmeyer: The restoration of Alice. The story of the complete restoration of 1983 Classic Leyland Mini 1275HLE , 2016.
15. ↑ ^{a b c} Interest group in the Ruhr area for the Mini built up to 2000: Cape of Good Hope .
16. ↑ Keith Adams: Mini overseas: South Africa , on AROnline from November 29, 2013.
17. ↑ Chuck Heleker: Minis Built for Export and Minis Built Outside of the UK at www.minimania.com of February 16, 2006
18. ↑ 1275GT ( Memento of the original from July 15, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , in: The BMC Experience 26. 
19. ↑ South Africa , on www.minitravellerandcountrymanregister.org.
20. ↑ Ryno Verster / Craig Watson: Night & Day ( Memento of the original from March 22, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , on: The Mini Experience . 
21. ↑ ^{a b} BMC 11/55 on AROnline from October 2, 2011.
22. ↑ New Model Articles on www.mginfo.co.uk.
23. ↑ 11/55 Advertising on www.mginfo.co.uk.
24. ↑ Austin 11/55 sedan , in: CAR 4/1968, pp. 32-35.
25. ↑ Keith Adams: International variations: Austin Apache on AROnline from October 2, 2011.
26. ↑ The History of www.mginfo.co.uk.
27. ↑ 1977 Leyland Triumph Chicane technical specifications on www.carfolio.com.
28. ↑ Leyland Marina , in autocade.net.
29. ↑ The Uitkap-bakkie . Advertisement from Leyland South Africa from 1976.
30. ↑ Confidence is throwing your new cars to the motoring wolves . Advertisement from Leyland South Africa from 1977.
31. ↑ Rover 2600 as a brochure in English and Afrikaans.
32. ↑ James Taylor: Land Rover Defender, 90 and 110 Range: 30 Years of the Coil-Sprung 4x4 Models , 2013.
33. ^ Series III History at www.landroverclub.za.org.
34. ↑ Land Rover Defender 147 at www.landyonline.co.za.
35. ↑ d'Auto