1970 MORRIS 1800 MkII AUTO

ENGINE 1798cc/4-cyl/OHV POWER 85bhp@5700rpm TORQUE 95lb ft@2750rpm MAXIMUM SPEED 90mph 0-6MPH 17.5 sec FUEL CONSUMPTION 20-25mpg TRANSMISSION FWD, three-speed auto MoT 12 months from sale Exempt ODOMETER 29,873 miles This ADO17 starts on the button and after allowing a minute for the four-cylinder engine to settle, drive is selected easily via a dash-mounted shifter on the right of the dashboard. The ride is comfortable, the automatic transmission shifts smoothly between its gears, and braking is impressive. The Cumulus Grey paint is diffi cult to fault, though minor issues become noticeable when the bodywork is this clean. A tiny touch-in is required on the offside sill panel and one has already been carried out on the offside rear quarter. There is a very small dent on the nearside front wing (though it hasn’t broken the paint), but the pair of stone chips on the leading edge of the bonnet have already been sealed from the elements. There’s evidence of the car’s show career in the boot confi rming that it won ‘Most Original Car’ at the NEC in 1996. The single hand-painted coach line is in good order and the chrome is excellent, apart from one scratch on the rear bumper. The mix of light and dark blue trim with veneer works well. The interior feels large, and the door trims and seat covers are original and unmarked. The door cards are capped with a veneer-effect strip that continues across the dash, incorporating a horizontal strip speedometer. The radio/ cassette player works (but may be of a later vintage) and all the dials and gauges work correctly. Lifting the as-new carpets reveals unmarked fl oor panels with no signs of corrosion. A light, unmarked roofl ining adds to the feeling of spaciousness. Lift the bonnet and you’re confronted with a chunk of BMC green – complete with an oil leak from the rocker cover gasket; the usual cork suspect is clearly porous. It’s a wellknown (and therefore relatively easily solved) problem that the vendor will attend to before sale. The engine bay is very clean overall but there is room for improvement; a previous leaky battery has removed a small amount of paint that should be covered as soon as possible, while the top of the radiator would benefi t from a lick of matt black paint. The comprehensive history file dates back to the original bill of sale (£1244 6s 6d) and includes every MoT certificate all the way back to 1973, plus invoices, certificates and manuals. The documents tell the story of a Morris 1800 that has enjoyed a sheltered life; by 1985 it had covered fewer than 5000 miles and the last owner travelled just 2000 miles in fi ve years. The condition is well above average and it drives as it was designed to. Not cheap, but try fi nding another in the same sort of cGornadnittiFoonr.

EXTERIOR Largely blemishfree, straight panels INTERIOR Aftermarket steering wheel cover MECHANICALS Problem-free transmission Tidy engine