Morris Marina - was it really that bad?
Discussion
matchmaker said:
john2443 said:
neutral 3 said:
And what is that Purple called ??
.
Black Tulip?????.
That was a dark purple-ish colour. Many years ago, I used to know someone that had a MGB GT V8 in that colour.
My TC wasn't either of those colour though. It was a dark metallic blue with a purply tint to it. Had gone a bit flat when I had it, but to my eyes it looked like a bluey-purple. No idea what it was called and can't find anything that would tell me.
I do have a photo though, which I'll post up when I get home tonight.
aeropilot said:
matchmaker said:
john2443 said:
neutral 3 said:
And what is that Purple called ??
.
Black Tulip?????.
That was a dark purple-ish colour. Many years ago, I used to know someone that had a MGB GT V8 in that colour.
My TC wasn't either of those colour though. It was a dark metallic blue with a purply tint to it. Had gone a bit flat when I had it, but to my eyes it looked like a bluey-purple. No idea what it was called and can't find anything that would tell me.
I do have a photo though, which I'll post up when I get home tonight.
aeropilot said:
2xChevrons said:
In 1980:
MGB GT: £5893
Golf GTI: £5768
These are 'as tested' prices in road tests published during 1980. So the 'B was more expensive, but not by much.
For context, a TR7 at the same time was £5750 and Alfasud 1.5Ti was £5100.
A Morris Ital 1.3HLS (on topic!) was £4397.
And.....MGB GT: £5893
Golf GTI: £5768
These are 'as tested' prices in road tests published during 1980. So the 'B was more expensive, but not by much.
For context, a TR7 at the same time was £5750 and Alfasud 1.5Ti was £5100.
A Morris Ital 1.3HLS (on topic!) was £4397.
Escort RS2000 Custom was £5387
Capri 3.0S was £5825
Sunbeam Ti was £4666
Sunbeam-Lotus was £7205
Fiat 131 Mirafiori Sport was £5448
BMW 323i was £7550.
The MGB GT was more expensive than a Capri 3.0S........and a whopping 500 quid more than a RS2000.
The first ever car I was driven around in by my family was a Morris Marina. I decided to have a read through this thread after uncovering an old Top Gear episode on VHS from 1992. It features the Marina owners club. I digitised the clip and uploaded it to YouTube.
The video features legendary chairman Clifford Talkington. What's he doing now I wonder? The quality is slightly iffy at the start but it settles down:
https://youtu.be/pRBrIkjlbOQ
The video features legendary chairman Clifford Talkington. What's he doing now I wonder? The quality is slightly iffy at the start but it settles down:
https://youtu.be/pRBrIkjlbOQ
bristolracer said:
aeropilot said:
It's surprising they didn't sell many many more of those. Compared to the Escort and the Viva, it's a far better looking car, and there are many cars that have sold on looks alone bristolracer said:
aeropilot said:
It's surprising they didn't sell many many more of those. Compared to the Escort and the Viva, it's a far better looking car, and there are many cars that have sold on looks alone Firstly, cutting costs by using the front doors of the four door which are shorter, obviously. Calling it a TC for twin carb rather than twin cam was disingenuous.
Secondly, I recall Mike McCarthy of Motor had one and they printed "Running Reports". He was less than complimentary about how it drove and how it looked like it had been "kicked up the ar*e".
The Escort and Cortina had infallible competition histories so had proper street credibility the Marina lacked. If you wanted a car for looks, you had a big choice of coupes and Ford had the Capri with bigger engines and Vauxhall had bigger-engined Firenzas.
aeropilot said:
matchmaker said:
john2443 said:
neutral 3 said:
And what is that Purple called ??
.
Black Tulip?????.
That was a dark purple-ish colour. Many years ago, I used to know someone that had a MGB GT V8 in that colour.
My TC wasn't either of those colour though. It was a dark metallic blue with a purply tint to it. Had gone a bit flat when I had it, but to my eyes it looked like a bluey-purple. No idea what it was called and can't find anything that would tell me.
I do have a photo though, which I'll post up when I get home tonight.
swisstoni said:
bristolracer said:
They were a size (and ££) class up from those cars though, and so would have been more of a Cortina class competitor.Marina was a Cortina Mk.3 class car, and it was way worse than those as well
I'd owned a Cortina Mk.3 2.0GT 2-door a couple of years before the Marina TC, and the Cortina was awful, but still better than the Marina.
My Dad had a Marina new in 1971, K plate 1.3 Super 4 door, his first new car, don`t remember him making any comments about it , he had a 1200 Beetle before. He only kept it 2 years, traded it for £800 against a new MK3 Cortina 1.6L, he kept that 5 years though & sold it for £1150, 40 quid less than he bought it for.
Funny the things you remember, I was only 6 when he got the Marina.
Funny the things you remember, I was only 6 when he got the Marina.
They were a car of their time and there were a lot worse out there.
Wartburg
Lada
FSO Polonez
Mosquvitch (spelling?)
Dacia something or other that was a Renault 12 made in Israel
TBH even the "everybodies favourite" the mini was in reality, a box of frogs, unreliable, rusted like mad, was ready for the scrap heap at 60K miles.
Wartburg
Lada
FSO Polonez
Mosquvitch (spelling?)
Dacia something or other that was a Renault 12 made in Israel
TBH even the "everybodies favourite" the mini was in reality, a box of frogs, unreliable, rusted like mad, was ready for the scrap heap at 60K miles.
Skyedriver said:
They were a car of their time and there were a lot worse out there.
Wartburg
Lada
FSO Polonez
Mosquvitch (spelling?)
Dacia something or other that was a Renault 12 made in Israel
TBH even the "everybodies favourite" the mini was in reality, a box of frogs, unreliable, rusted like mad, was ready for the scrap heap at 60K miles.
The Soviet Bloc cars were cheaper. The Moskvich, particularly the estate and the Lada sold very well as they offered a brand new car for the price of a used car.Wartburg
Lada
FSO Polonez
Mosquvitch (spelling?)
Dacia something or other that was a Renault 12 made in Israel
TBH even the "everybodies favourite" the mini was in reality, a box of frogs, unreliable, rusted like mad, was ready for the scrap heap at 60K miles.
Wartburgs were marginal interest two-strokes, FSO never really caught on and Dacia weren't sold here, being Romanian Renault's for Romanians. Dynamics were not their strong point.
LuS1fer said:
The Soviet Bloc cars were cheaper. The Moskvich, particularly the estate and the Lada sold very well as they offered a brand new car for the price of a used car.
Wartburgs were marginal interest two-strokes, FSO never really caught on and Dacia weren't sold here, being Romanian Renault's for Romanians. Dynamics were not their strong point.
It’s irrelevant anyway as the marina and ital was up against the cortina, cavalier etc and it was a useless antiquated rusting oil burning gearbox wining pile of junk at the time - total crap.Wartburgs were marginal interest two-strokes, FSO never really caught on and Dacia weren't sold here, being Romanian Renault's for Romanians. Dynamics were not their strong point.
rallycross said:
LuS1fer said:
The Soviet Bloc cars were cheaper. The Moskvich, particularly the estate and the Lada sold very well as they offered a brand new car for the price of a used car.
Wartburgs were marginal interest two-strokes, FSO never really caught on and Dacia weren't sold here, being Romanian Renault's for Romanians. Dynamics were not their strong point.
It’s irrelevant anyway as the marina and ital was up against the cortina, cavalier etc and it was a useless antiquated rusting oil burning gearbox wining pile of junk at the time - total crap.Wartburgs were marginal interest two-strokes, FSO never really caught on and Dacia weren't sold here, being Romanian Renault's for Romanians. Dynamics were not their strong point.
Ok, the early Japanese cars had rust issues when used on a soggy damp island that salts the roads, but in much of the world that wasn't a problem.
bristolracer said:
aeropilot said:
It's surprising they didn't sell many many more of those. Compared to the Escort and the Viva, it's a far better looking car, and there are many cars that have sold on looks alone Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff