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H&H Classic Auction @Pavilion Gardens | Buxton, Derbyshire
24th of July, 2024 13:00
1971 Morris Marina 1. 8 DL
Entered from the David Lucas Collection - No Reserve
Registration No: FYB 131K
Chassis No: MH4S923863M
MOT: Exempt
The last vehicle acquired for the collection in 2023
54, 602 recorded miles (unwarranted)
Known to the Morris Marina Owners' Club and Ital Register
Beige upholstery, wood-rimmed steering wheel
In need of recommissioning
Of the 807, 000 Morris Marinas sold between 1971 and 1980 less than 1, 000 are known to still exist. Rushed to market and compromised by an overly convoluted design brief, the Marina (codenamed ADO28) was the first British Leyland product. Targeted at the fleet market, Morris’s newcomer could be had in saloon, coupe, estate, pick-up and van guises all underpinned by the same front-engined, rear-wheel drive platform. Engines ranged from 1. 3 – 1. 8 litres in size and trim levels were profuse. Never the best-selling, looking, handling or performing car in its segment, the Marina was nevertheless a sales success and an integral part of British 1970s culture.
Dating from the first year of production and first registered in Somerset (or so its ‘FYB 131K’ number plate would imply), chassis MH4S923863M was the last vehicle to join the late Mr Lucas’s collection in January 2023. Immortalised as an Oxford Diecast model and well-known to the Morris Marina Owners’ Club, the Teal Blue Saloon passed its most recent MOT test at and indicated 53, 844 miles on 7th July 2021 with ‘no advisories’. Having covered less than 800 miles since then, it is now in need of recommissioning. Long pilloried, the Marina may yet have its day in the sun.
