MG 1100 - 64

The BMC ADO16 (Amalgamated Drawing Office project

number 16) is a family of economical small family cars

built by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and, later,

British Leyland. It was launched in 1962 and for most of

the next decade the ADO16 was consistently the UK's

best-selling car.

Although   most   of   the   cars   were   manufactured   in   England,   they   were   also   built   in   Spain   by Authi, in   Italy   by   Innocenti   and   at   the   company's   own   plant   in   Belgium.   It   was   the   basis   for   locally adapted   similar   cars   manufactured   in   Australia   and   South   Africa.   Various   versions   including Austin,   Morris,   MG,   Wolseley   and   Riley   were   assembled   in   New   Zealand   from   CKD   kits   from   1963 until the final Austin/Morris versions were replaced by the Allegro in 1975. The   vehicle   was   launched   as   the   Morris   1100   on   15   August   1962.   The   range   was   expanded   to include   several   rebadged   versions,   including   the   twin-carburettor   MG   1100,   the   Vanden   Plas Princess   (from   October   1962),   the   Austin   1100   (August   1963),   and   finally   the   Wolseley   1100 (1965)   and   Riley   Kestrel   (1965). The   Morris   badged   1100/1300   gave   up   its   showroom   space   to   the Morris   Marina   in   1971,   but   Austin   and   Vanden   Plas   versions   remained   in   production   in   the   UK until June 1974. The   estate   version   followed   in   1966,   called   Countryman   in   the Austin   version   and Traveller   in   the Morris   one,   continuing   the   established   naming   scheme.   The Austin   1100   Countryman   appeared   in the   legendary   "Gourmet   Night"   episode   of   Fawlty   Towers,   in   which   the   short-tempered   owner   of Fawlty   Towers   Basil   Fawlty   (John   Cleese)   gave   it   a   "damn   good   thrashing".   This   episode   was   first shown in October 1975.

Design and development

The   ADO16   (Amalgamated   Drawing   Office   project   number   16)   was   designed   by   Alec   Issigonis. Following   his   success   with   the   Mini,   Issigonis   set   out   to   design   a   larger   and   more   sophisticated car   which   incorporated   more   advanced   features   and   innovations.   In   common   with   the   Mini,   the ADO16   was   designed   around   the   BMC A-Series   engine,   mounted   transversely   and   driving   the   front wheels.   As   well   as   single   piston   swinging   caliper   disc   brakes   at   the   front,   which   were   not common    on    mass-produced    cars    in    the    early    1960s,    the    ADO16    featured    a    Hydrolastic interconnected     fluid     suspension     system     designed     by    Alex     Moulton.     The     mechanically interconnected   Citroen   2CV   suspension   was   assessed   in   the   mid-1950s   by   Alec   Issigonis   and   Alex Moulton   (according   to   an   interview   by   Moulton   with   CAR   magazine   in   the   late   1990s),   and   was   an inspiration   in   the   design   of   the   Hydrolastic   suspension   system   for   the   Mini   and Austin   1100,   to   try to    keep    the    benefits    of    the    2CV    system    (ride    comfort,    body    levelling,    keeping    the roadwheel[clarification   needed]   under   good   control   and   the   tyre   in   contact   with   the   road),   but with   added   roll   stiffness   that   the   2CV   lacked.   Pininfarina,   the   Italian   styling   studio   which   had worked   with   BMC   before   on   the Austin A40   Farina,   was   commissioned   to   style   the   car. ADO16   had comparable interior space to the larger Ford Cortina. BMC   engineer   Charles   Griffin   took   over   development   work   from   Issigonis   at   the   end   of   the   1950s while    Issignois    completed    work    on    the    Mini.    Griffin    ensured    the    1100    had    high    levels    of refinement,   comfort   and   presentation.   Griffin   would   later   have   overall   responsibility   for   the Princess, Metro, Maestro and Montego ranges. The ADO16 range sold 2.1 million units between 1962 and 1974.

Mark I (1962–67)

The   original   Mark   I   models   were   distinctive   for   their   use   of   a   Hydrolastic   suspension.   Marketing material   highlighted   the   spacious   cabin   when   compared   to   competitor   models   which   in   the   UK by   1964   included   the   more   conservatively   configured   Ford   Anglia,   Vauxhall   Viva   HA   and   BMC's own still popular Morris Minor. The   Mark   I Austin   /   Morris   1100   was   available,   initially,   only   as   a   four-door   saloon.   In   March   1966 a   three-door   station   wagon   became   available,   badged   as   the   Morris   1100   Traveller   or   the Austin 1100   Countryman.   Domestic   market   customers   looking   for   a   two-door   saloon   would   have   to await   the   arrival   in   1967   of   the   Mark   II   version,   although   the   two-door   1100   saloon   had   by   now been   introduced   to   certain   oversea   markets,   including   the   USA   where   a   2-door   MG   1100   was offered. An   Automotive   Products   (AP)   four-speed   automatic   transmission   was   added   as   an   option   in November   1965.   In   order   to   avoid   the   serious   levels   of   power   loss   then   typical   in   small-engined cars   with   automatic   transmission   the   manufacturers   incorporated   a   new   carburettor   and   a higher   compression   ratio   in   the   new   1965   automatic   transmission   cars:   indeed   a   press   report   of the   time   found   very   little   power   loss   in   the   automatic   1100,   though   the   same   report   expressed the   suspicion   that   this   might   in   part   reflect   the   unusually   high   level   of   power   loss   resulting   from the   way   in   which   the   installation   of   the   transversely   mounted   "normal"   manual   gear   box   had been engineered.

1964

Engine 1098 cc 4 cylinders Power 55 HP Top speed 130 km/h Lenght/width 3,73 m/1,53 m Weight 840 kg The collections MG 1100 was bought from Sweden.