MORRIS MARINA RUN NETS THOUSANDS FOR CHARITY
Club’s cross-Britain run in just 24 hours smashes initial £1177 estimate
The Morris Marina Owners’ Club and Ital Register marked the model’s half-century – and raised more than £3000 for charity – by driving ten of its cars the length of Britain in 24 hours.
Crews left John O’Groats at 9am on 16 October, arriving at Land’s End at 9am the next day after a marathon 927-mile drive through the night. The oldest car was a 1972 MkI 1.8 saloon, the newest, a 1978 MkII 1.8 saloon. Two rare Sun Tor campers came along as well.
Club secretary Matt Fowles, who completed the run in a 1975 1.8 Estate, said: ‘The idea came after several committee members took part in the Club Triumph Round Britain Reliability Run, and, inspired by this, we decided to do something similar to celebrate 50 years of the Marina. ‘The initial aim was to raise £1177 – the price of a brand-new Marina TC saloon in 1971 – for Cancer Research. Anything above this would be split three ways between Cancer Research, Canine Partners and Gables Dogs and Cats home – charities chosen by the entrants. We’re currently on £3100, and hoping – with donations still coming in – that we can break through the £4000 barrier.’
Many more club members supported the run by joining for sections of the event. Among them was Sarah Crabtree – formerly of Bangers and Cash, the TV show that follows a classic car auction business – in her recently acquired 1980 Morris Ital. She met up with the classic convoy at Tebay Services on the M6 in Cumbria, to drive a leg of the run.
She said: ‘It was a delight to see them all and just be part of it. It put myths to bed [about the cars being unreliable]. Seeing these vehicles on the road made a lot of people smile. People passed us on the motorway giving us the thumbs-up, no matter what they were driving. Hats off to them – it’s brilliant what they did.’ Nick Larkin
] morrismarina.org.uk