Morris Major

Morris Major / Austin Lancer
Production period:	1958-1964
Class :	Lower middle class
Body versions :	limousine
Previous model:	Morris Minor
Successor:	BMC ADO16

The Morris Major and Austin Lancer were car models made by the British Motor Corporation in Australia from 1958 to 1964.

Major and Lancer came in three series, I, II and Elite. The Series I corresponded to the Wolseley 1500 or Riley 1.5 from Great Britain, but was more simply equipped. The Austin Lancer was taken out of production in April 1962. Both vehicle models were completely built at the BMC plant in Zetland (New South Wales) near Sydney and were not exported to Europe, Asia or America. 98% of the parts were made in Australia. Many of these vehicles were also exported to New Zealand .

Series I (1958-1959)

Major / Lancer Series I.
Morris Major Series I (back) and Series II (front)
Production period:	1958-1959
Body versions :	limousine
Engines:	Otto engine : 1.5 liters (37 kW)
Length:	3860 mm
Width:	1537 mm
Height:
Wheelbase :	2184 mm
Empty weight :	901 kg

The Morris Major, Austin Lancer , Wolseley 1500 and Riley 1.5 were all based on the same design and were originally intended to replace the popular Morris Minor from BMC's Longbridge facility in England. But this plan was abandoned because of the unbroken popularity of the minor and in 1957 the Wolseley version appeared, followed by the Riley version. They were light sedans that took over the torsion bar suspension on the front axle and the leaf-sprung rear axle, the floor pan and the proven rack and pinion steering of the Minor. The automobile "quadruplets" were powered by the well-known BMC-B engine, an in-line four-cylinder with a displacement of 1,489 cm³. From 1962, the 1,622 cm³ version of this machine developed in Australia was built into the Major Elite. All had heavy drum brakes all around, from Lockheed to the Morris, Austin and Wolseley and from Girling to the Riley. These design principles resulted in popular, lively family sedans of the lower middle class , which were robustly built and whose driving characteristics were leading at the time. Major and Lancer, which differed from the sportier and more luxuriously appointed Wolseley and Riley sedans, had the same layout, equipment and engines as the contemporary British models from Morris and Austin. Although the Major and Lancer were rather modest vehicles, they still offered a high standard of comfort and quality: They were modern cars with good value for money. The sporting potential of the two vehicles was immediately recognized and specimens converted by specialists successfully took part in races in the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1960.

Series II (1959–1962)

Major / Lancer Series II
Austin Lancer Series II in the 1960 Armstrong 500 race
Production period:	1959-1962
Body versions :	limousine
Engines:	Otto engine : 1.5 liters (40 kW)
Length:	4089 mm
Width:	1549 mm
Height:
Wheelbase :	2337 mm
Empty weight :	940 kg

Morris Major and Austin Lancer of the first series sold sufficiently well and also brought in enough profit, since the development costs were not allocated to them and many identical parts were used. Nevertheless, BMC quickly invested in a major or lancer revision, Series II , which was to become even more popular with customers. The revision made the Australian twins different from their English sister models. They were 9 ″ longer on the outside, to which an extended wheelbase also contributed, and got tail fins and a new vehicle front. The styling of the Series II was inspired by American ideas, and many believed that it made cars look better. There were many changes to the original design and most of them were intended to help the cars better adapt to the harsh Australian road conditions and improve their competitiveness against their biggest competitors, Holden and Volkswagen . The suspension and chassis were reinforced, a bench seat was installed at the front instead of the previous individual seats, there were new air outlets for heating and ventilation and a new dashboard. The rear axle of the Series I (a construction from the Morris Minor that did not get along well with the extra engine power) was also decried as too weak. The axle and differential were strengthened, but unfortunately the difficulties with these components in Series I had already spoiled the reputation of the model and its manufacturer. The Series II engines were fitted with a single SU -HS2 carburetor and SU fuel pump, and got a different oil pan that gave more ground clearance. The Series II was highly praised by the motor press because of the many detail improvements, the better driving characteristics and the good price-performance ratio.

Morris Major Elite (1962–1964)

Major Elite ( YDO1 )
Morris Major Elite (1962)
Production period:	1962-1964
Body versions :	limousine
Engines:	Otto engine : 1.6 liters (45 kW)
Length:	4089 mm
Width:	1549 mm
Height:
Wheelbase :	2337 mm
Empty weight :	940 kg

The Morris Major Elite , introduced in April 1962, was the third and final version of this model and replaced the Austin Lancer, as this brand was no longer required due to changes in the Australian BMC dealer network. There were now only BMC dealerships and no separate dealerships for each of the BMC brands. So it was decided that two branded versions of the same car would no longer make sense, although an Austin Lancer Series III was still being planned until shortly before the launch of the Elite. The Elite had the enlarged 1,622 cc engine with more power; this version had a Zenith VN carburetor and a Goss mechanical fuel pump. Telescopic rear shock absorbers, attachment points for seat belts and improved rubber buffers for the front suspension were further technical improvements. A convincing facelift was achieved with just a few changes to the body; it consisted of chrome-plated moldings on the window frames, a new, wide grille (similar to that of the contemporary Morris Oxford ) and a rocket-shaped flash of color on the tail fins. The heating / ventilation, two-tone paintwork in a number of new simple and pastel tones, better interior fittings and windscreen washer were also new. The selling price was also below that of the predecessor, which made the already very affordable Major even cheaper. The sales figures were very good and the warranty expenses were lower than any other previous BMC model in Australia.

The introduction of the Morris 1100 led to the Major's discontinuation in 1964. A number of copies of all versions of Major and Lancer have survived to this day.

Morris Major Elite (1963)

Todays situation

Overall, the Morris Major and Austin Lancer were fairly stable and durable vehicles, including their almost indestructible engines. Twenty or thirty years after production ended, they could still be seen in large numbers on the street, which speaks for a solid construction. Today these models are relatively rare, even if the survival rate of Major and Lancer - put in the right context - is quite respectable. Because of the driving pleasure, the simple maintenance, its boldness and its character, it is fun to own a Major or Lancer. Compared to some other post-war cars, the Major and Lancer have great utility and, with good care, are safe in daily use in modern traffic. Its strengths include good brakes, safe road holding, excellent reliability, low fuel consumption and compact external dimensions with very good all-round visibility. By today's standards, the self-supporting body of these cars was rather too solid. Rust, however, was and still is the biggest problem. Components such as the steering, the wheel suspensions, the switches, the windshield wipers, the heating and the electrical components were of robust construction, which means that most of the street-legal models still have their original equipment, which continues to function well. The engines of the BMC-B series are known worldwide for their good tunability and have been used in well-known sports cars such as the MGA , the MGB and others. Therefore, some owners of these cars continue to use its potential. Several automobile clubs in Australia supply their cars with spare parts and offer them technical advice and social activities.

Web links

Commons : Morris Major - collection of images, videos and audio files

Commons : Austin Lancer - Collection of images, videos and audio files