Morris Commercial Cars
Encyclopedia
Morris Commercial Cars Limited was a British
manufacturer of commercial vehicle
s founded by William Morris
, who was also the founder of the Morris Motor Company
.
after it went into receivership late in 1923. Up until that point a small number of commercial vehicle variants of Morris cars were built at the Morris plant at Cowley
, but with the newly acquired plant in Foundry lane, Soho, Birmingham
serious production began.
In 1932 the company moved a few miles across Birmingham to Adderley Park
.
In 1936 Morris sold the company to Morris Motors Limited. The use of the Morris Commercial brand name continued until 1968 when British Motor Holdings
, by then the parent of Austin and Morris, merged with the Leyland Motor Corporation to form the British Leyland Motor Corporation
.
During the 1960s the light trucks and forward-control J4 light vans produced by Austin and Morris commercial were identical.
While production of the light vans remained concentrated on the Birmingham
Adderley Park site, production of the F-series and W-series light trucks moved to Scotland with the opening in 1960 of the company's Bathgate
plant.
The light trucks in the 1960s included the FF, a forward-control design introduced in 1958, along with the WF which was a sibling vehicle with the driver placed behind the engine rather than on top of it. The updated version of the FF, the FJ, appeared in 1964: the FJ featured a split-circuit braking system which was a novelty in this class of vehicle. The FF remained in production and the two vehicles were offered side by side: in this class the BMC trucks were nevertheless out-competed in terms of domestic market sales volumes by US transplant manufacturers Bedford
and Ford (Thames)
. Austin/Morris commercial vehicles in the 1960s also included the Austin/Morris FG-series an unusual looking urban delivery truck with driver doors set at an angle at the rear corners of the cab in order to permit access in confined spaces.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
manufacturer of commercial vehicle
Commercial vehicle
A commercial vehicle is a type of motor vehicle that may be used for transporting goods or passengers. The European Union defines "commercial motor vehicle" as any motorised road vehicle, which by its type of construction and equipment is designed for, and capable of transporting, whether for...
s founded by William Morris
William Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield
William Richard Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield GBE, CH , known as Sir William Morris, Bt, between 1929 and 1934 and as The Lord Nuffield between 1934 and 1938, was a British motor manufacturer and philanthropist...
, who was also the founder of the Morris Motor Company
Morris Motor Company
The Morris Motor Company was a British car manufacturing company. After the incorporation of the company into larger corporations, the Morris name remained in use as a marque until 1984 when British Leyland's Austin Rover Group decided to concentrate on the more popular Austin marque...
.
History
The company was founded in 1924 when Morris bought the assets of E.G. Wrigley and CompanyEG Wrigley and Company
EG Wrigley and Company Ltd. was a British car, car component, and mechanical parts manufacturer, located at Foundry Lane, Soho, Birmingham.Edward Greenwood Wrigley established a tool making business at 232 Aston Road, Birmingham in 1898. EG Wrigley and Company moved to Foundry lane, Soho,...
after it went into receivership late in 1923. Up until that point a small number of commercial vehicle variants of Morris cars were built at the Morris plant at Cowley
Cowley, Oxford
Cowley in Oxford, England, is a residential and industrial area that forms a small conurbation within greater Oxford. Cowley's neighbours are central Oxford to the northwest, Rose Hill and Blackbird Leys to the south, New Headington to the north and the villages of Horspath and Garsington across...
, but with the newly acquired plant in Foundry lane, Soho, Birmingham
Soho, Birmingham
Soho is an area in north west Birmingham, approximately 2 miles from the City Centre on the A41, which until 1911 formed part of Handsworth District. Soho is also a ward within the council constituency of Ladywood...
serious production began.
In 1932 the company moved a few miles across Birmingham to Adderley Park
Adderley Park
Adderley Park is an area in the east of Birmingham, England. Charles Adderley MP donated of land to create the park, which he managed privately from 1855 to 1864.It is served by Adderley Park railway station....
.
In 1936 Morris sold the company to Morris Motors Limited. The use of the Morris Commercial brand name continued until 1968 when British Motor Holdings
British Motor Holdings
British Motor Holdings Limited was a British motor company known until 14 December 1966 as British Motor Corporation Limited .-History:...
, by then the parent of Austin and Morris, merged with the Leyland Motor Corporation to form the British Leyland Motor Corporation
British Leyland Motor Corporation
British Leyland was a vehicle manufacturing company formed in the United Kingdom in 1968 as British Leyland Motor Corporation Ltd . It was partly nationalised in 1975 with the government creating a new holding company called British Leyland Ltd which became BL Ltd in 1978...
.
During the 1960s the light trucks and forward-control J4 light vans produced by Austin and Morris commercial were identical.
While production of the light vans remained concentrated on the Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
Adderley Park site, production of the F-series and W-series light trucks moved to Scotland with the opening in 1960 of the company's Bathgate
Bathgate
Bathgate is a town in West Lothian, Scotland, on the M8 motorway west of Livingston. Nearby towns are Blackburn, Armadale, Whitburn, Livingston, and Linlithgow. Edinburgh Airport is away...
plant.
The light trucks in the 1960s included the FF, a forward-control design introduced in 1958, along with the WF which was a sibling vehicle with the driver placed behind the engine rather than on top of it. The updated version of the FF, the FJ, appeared in 1964: the FJ featured a split-circuit braking system which was a novelty in this class of vehicle. The FF remained in production and the two vehicles were offered side by side: in this class the BMC trucks were nevertheless out-competed in terms of domestic market sales volumes by US transplant manufacturers Bedford
Bedford Vehicles
Bedford Vehicles, usually shortened to just Bedford, was a subsidiary of Vauxhall Motors, itself the British subsidiary of General Motors , established in 1930; and constructing commercial vehicles. Bedford Vehicles was a leading international truck manufacturer, with substantial export sales of...
and Ford (Thames)
Ford of Britain
Ford of Britain is a British wholly owned subsidiary of Ford of Europe, a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company. Its business started in 1909 and has its registered office in Brentwood, Essex...
. Austin/Morris commercial vehicles in the 1960s also included the Austin/Morris FG-series an unusual looking urban delivery truck with driver doors set at an angle at the rear corners of the cab in order to permit access in confined spaces.
Vehicles
- J-type (1949 – 1961)
- J2Morris Commercial J2The Morris Commercial J2 was a small, forward-control van launched by the Morris Commercial subsidiary of the British Motor Corporation in 1956 and produced until 1967...
(1956 - 1967) - J4 (1960 – 1974)
- 250 JUMorris 250 JUThe Morris 250 JU was a forward control light van launched by the Commercial vehicle division of the British Motor Corporation in October 1967. It was offered with the familiar B series petrol engine in 1622cc form...
(1967 – - C8Morris C8The Morris Commercial C8 FAT commonly known as a Quad was an artillery tractor of the British and Commonwealth forces during World War II....