Morris Isis
Encyclopedia
The Morris Isis name was first briefly used by the Morris Motor Company
on a six cylinder car made from 1929 to 1931. It was resurrected on a new six-cylinder midsize car from the British Motor Corporation
in the 1950s to replace the Morris Six MS
.
The name died out in 1958.
It was the first Morris to have hydraulic brakes and chromium plating replaced the previous nickel finish on brightwork.
The car could exceed 65 mph (104.6 km/h) and return 28 mpgimp.
After 3939 of the original Isis model had been made it received a facelift in 1932. The steel panel body was replaced by the traditional wood frame construction. Mechanically the car was similar but the transmission received a fourth speed. The chassis received additional cross bracing in 1934 and an automatic clutch and freewheel were fitted to some models. 3467 of the new Isis were made (including Twenty-Five models).
. It featured a six-cylinder engine, the 2.6 L (2639 cc/161 in³), 86 bhp C-Series
unit from the Austin Westminster
. Unlike the Westminster, the Isis had a single SU carburettor. The four speed gearbox had a column change and was available with an optional Borg-Warner overdrive unit.
The car was based on the 4-cylinder Oxford Series II
, sharing its almost-unibody shell and torsion beam front suspension. The bonnet was lengthened to accept the larger straight-6
engine, and a "woody" 2-door estate
version was a novelty. With the strong engine, the Isis could reach 90 mph (145 km/h).
Unlike its sister car the Austin Westminster, which enjoyed moderate success against the volume-selling Ford and Vauxhall sixes of the time, sales were poor, with just 8,500 sold.
Series III body but with longer bonnet to accommodate the 6 cylinder engine.
In line with changes to the corresponding Oxford line, BMC redesigned the Isis for 1956 with updated styling including a more elaborate mesh grille, chrome side strips and small fins. The engine power increased to 90 bhp. An automatic transmission
option was also added. The manual version had a four-speed box operated by a short gearstick located on the right-hand side of the front bench seat. The handbrake lever was located just behind the gearstick. Sales remained weak, and the line ended in 1958.
A de luxe saloon with overdrive tested by the British magazine The Motor
in 1956 had a top speed of 90 mph (144.8 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 17.6 seconds. A fuel consumption of 26.2 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £1025 including taxes. The overdrive unit had added £63 to the price.
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...
on a six cylinder car made from 1929 to 1931. It was resurrected on a new six-cylinder midsize car from the British Motor Corporation
British Motor Corporation
The British Motor Corporation, or commonly known as BMC was a vehicle manufacturer from United Kingdom, formed by the merger of the Austin Motor Company and the Nuffield Organisation in 1952...
in the 1950s to replace the Morris Six MS
Morris Six MS
The Morris Six MS was a six-cylinder midsize car from the Morris Motor Company made from 1948 to 1953. It was the company's first post war six cylinder car. At launch the car was priced at £671 on the UK market....
.
The name died out in 1958.
Morris Isis (1929-1935) and Twenty Five (1933-1935)
The Isis was a revised version of the 1927 Morris Six (JA series) and used the same 2468 cc engine and 3 speed gearbox. It had an all new chassis and the steel body had an American look, not surprising as the body pressing dies from Budd were shared with some Dodge models.It was the first Morris to have hydraulic brakes and chromium plating replaced the previous nickel finish on brightwork.
The car could exceed 65 mph (104.6 km/h) and return 28 mpgimp.
After 3939 of the original Isis model had been made it received a facelift in 1932. The steel panel body was replaced by the traditional wood frame construction. Mechanically the car was similar but the transmission received a fourth speed. The chassis received additional cross bracing in 1934 and an automatic clutch and freewheel were fitted to some models. 3467 of the new Isis were made (including Twenty-Five models).
Morris Twenty-Five
A de-luxe version, the Morris Twenty-Five was launched at the 1932 London Motor Show with larger 3485 cc engine.Isis Series I (1955-1956)
The Series I Isis was launched in 1955 as a replacement for the Morris Six MSMorris Six MS
The Morris Six MS was a six-cylinder midsize car from the Morris Motor Company made from 1948 to 1953. It was the company's first post war six cylinder car. At launch the car was priced at £671 on the UK market....
. It featured a six-cylinder engine, the 2.6 L (2639 cc/161 in³), 86 bhp C-Series
BMC C-Series engine
The BMC C-Series was a straight-6 automobile engine produced from 1956 to 1971. Unlike the Austin designed A and B-series engines, it came from the Morris engines drawing office in Coventry...
unit from the Austin Westminster
Austin Westminster
The Westminster series were large saloon and estate cars sold by the British Austin Motor Company from 1954, replacing the A70 Hereford. The Westminster line was produced as the A90, A95, A99, A105, and A110 until 1968 when the new Austin 3-Litre took its place...
. Unlike the Westminster, the Isis had a single SU carburettor. The four speed gearbox had a column change and was available with an optional Borg-Warner overdrive unit.
The car was based on the 4-cylinder Oxford Series II
Morris Oxford
After the Second World War the Oxford MO replaced the 10. It was introduced in 1948 and was produced until 1954. The design was shared with Nuffield Organisation stable-mate Wolseley 4/50....
, sharing its almost-unibody shell and torsion beam front suspension. The bonnet was lengthened to accept the larger straight-6
Straight-6
The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six-cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase...
engine, and a "woody" 2-door estate
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
version was a novelty. With the strong engine, the Isis could reach 90 mph (145 km/h).
Unlike its sister car the Austin Westminster, which enjoyed moderate success against the volume-selling Ford and Vauxhall sixes of the time, sales were poor, with just 8,500 sold.
Isis Series II (1956-1958)
The Morris Isis Series II was based on the Morris OxfordMorris Oxford
After the Second World War the Oxford MO replaced the 10. It was introduced in 1948 and was produced until 1954. The design was shared with Nuffield Organisation stable-mate Wolseley 4/50....
Series III body but with longer bonnet to accommodate the 6 cylinder engine.
In line with changes to the corresponding Oxford line, BMC redesigned the Isis for 1956 with updated styling including a more elaborate mesh grille, chrome side strips and small fins. The engine power increased to 90 bhp. An automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
option was also added. The manual version had a four-speed box operated by a short gearstick located on the right-hand side of the front bench seat. The handbrake lever was located just behind the gearstick. Sales remained weak, and the line ended in 1958.
A de luxe saloon with overdrive tested by the British magazine The Motor
The Motor (magazine)
The Motor was a British weekly car magazine founded on 28 January 1903....
in 1956 had a top speed of 90 mph (144.8 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 17.6 seconds. A fuel consumption of 26.2 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £1025 including taxes. The overdrive unit had added £63 to the price.