1968 Morris 1800 S Mk II ‘Landcrab’

Highlights

• Guide price: £22,000 - £24,000
• Competed in the 1970 London to Mexico Rally
• Remains in very original condition condition
• Bored out cylinders and high-compression head
• Long-range fuel tanks

Overview

The late 1960s were perhaps the heyday of long-distance endurance rallying. They certainly were for the British Motor Corporation, whose latest model – affectionately known as the Landcrab managed the astonishing feat of not only completing the 1968 London to Sydney rally, but was placed second overall. This was a huge PR coup for the company, and their ruggedly engineered new model, with its strong body shell and hydrolastic suspension.

It was no surprise, then, that after the success of the London to Sydney rally there were plenty of privateers keen to get their hands on a land crab for the next World Rally. This was a gruelling event starting in London and taking in Europe and South America before finishing in Mexico. The team entered in this particular car was a trio of police officers. They managed to get as far as São Paulo before retiring due to mechanical issues, still an admirable achievement in such a difficult event. In fact, only 23 of the over 100 entries actually made it to the finish line.

After this exciting episode in the cars’ history little is known of its whereabouts until it was displayed in the Mouldsworth Motor Museum. It was then prepared for various events, including the Pirelli Classic Marathon. And being such a significant historic rally car, it will likely continue to be welcomed with open arms to many international events.

It remains in fantastically original condition, so you can enjoy and experience what it was like to drive an original car from an important World Rally event. The stripped out interior, spot lamps, roll cage, and removable bonnet, all add to the appeal. So if you have any interest in historic rallying, or motorsport in general, then this Morris 1800 is an opportunity not to be missed.

History and documentation

• Registered 1 Oct 1968
• Entered the 1968 London to Mexico Rally with a team of police officers as crew
• Managed to get as far as São Paulo before retiring
• MOT and road tax exempt, as a historic vehicle
• V5 present in owner’s name
• HPI clear
• London ULEZ compliant, as a historic vehicle
• Some copies of original documentation and historic photographs are on file

Interior

• The original luxurious interior of this Morris was largely stripped out in preparation for serious endurance rallying
• Amusingly, the polished veneer door cappings were retained
• The front seats have been replaced with bucket seats, while the rear seats rem in place
• These bucket seats appear to be a relatively recent addition, with stitched half-corduroy upholstery
• Four point TRS harnesses keep the driver and navigator securely fastened, but rule out carrying passengers in the rear
• Roll cage fitted
• The dashboard has been extensively modified for rallying, with dozens of auxiliary switches, warning lamps and gauges
• The speedometer reads in kilometres per hour
• The carpets have been removed, but the headlining remains in place
• Door cards still in place, but the passenger window winder is missing
• On the rear parcel shelf is a hand pump for recharging the hydrolastic suspension system, should the need arise in a remote location
• To the rear, the boot features two high-capacity fuel tanks, giving the car an extremely long range

Exterior

• This unmistakable ‘Landcrab’ 1800 has all the features and fittings you would expect to find on a World Rally car
• Finished in red with a white roof and black bonnet
• There are plenty of marks and scratches from the car’s competition history
• Fully removable bonnet for easy access to the engine bay
• Four spot/fog lamps mounted on the front bumper and one on the offside front wing
• Centre-exit exhaust
• Pirelli Classic Marathon rally plates
• 13-inch Minilite wheels
• Michelin tyres
• Twin spare wheels mounted on the roof
• There is some scratching to the drivers Perspex window glass
• Scuttle-mounted battery kill switch
• The underside is superbly clean and tidy
• Almost no corrosion that we could see

Mechanical

• The original 1,798cc four-cylinder engine produced about 94 hp
• This was tuned ready for the London Mexico rally, being bored out and fitted with a high compression cylinder head, bringing the compression ratio to 11.5:1
• Along with a pair of 2 inch SU carburettors and an improved exhaust, this brought the power up to 128 hp
• These upgrades were carried out by Basil Wales, who was based in Abingdon — the location of the BMC competition department
• The removable bonnet allows excellent access for servicing in the engine bay
• Everything looks clean and tidy, without too many modern intrusions
• Underneath, the suspension and drivetrain components all look remarkably fresh
• Most of the pipework has been rooted within the body shell, to protect it from damage
• Although now MOT exempt, the last test was passed in 2018 without any advisories
• The large sump guard fitted for the Mexico rally has since been removed but is provided with the car

Summary

Opportunities to purchase World Rally cars don't come along that often, especially when there are such a well regarded model as the BMC 1800. And this one is particularly appealing, not having been over-restored or modified from its original London to Mexico Rally specification. Blink and you'll miss it.

To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. You can click through to the seller's profile and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. This seller is locatednear Farnham, Surrey.