Morris Marina

Period pic of boy racer painted British Leyland Special Tuning Marina

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  Morris Marina TC

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  Morris Marina/ITAL

  Rating: 6 / 10

  Price: £100 - £1500

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Fancy owning a motorsport legend for road and track use? Paul Davies looks at true classics that made their name on stages and circuits, and still provide a fine drive today

The Mini Cooper S, Austin-Healey 3000, MG B, all famous competition cars from the BMC and (later) British Leyland motorsport team. What came next? Oh yes, the Morris Marina! You mustn’t blame BL too much. And make a note that the car did record some very worthwhile results on both UK and international rallies – and for a time had the distinction of being the car of the highest ever non Scandinavian finisher on the Rally of the 1000 Lakes in Finland. Now, people are taking another look at the Marina and say that - just perhaps - it’s not all bad. The Marina was Leyland’s answer to the Ford Cortina: good reliable transport for four people, at an affordable price. It was never supposed to be a rally or a race car. It was basic, with a two-door coupe or fourdoor saloon bodyshell and either 1.3 or 1.8-litre power; you could even have a 1.8TC version with the same engine as the MGB. Very conventional (after the Mini, Maxi, Allegro and 1800) with the engine at the front, in-line, driving the rear wheels. The front suspension relied on torsion bars for springing, the rigid rear axle was on cart springs. In short, it was a rebodied Morris Minor. After the success of the 1970 World Cup Rally (2nd, 4th and 10th places overall, three class wins) BL supremo Lord Stokes did the decent thing - and closed the competitions department, although driver Brian Culcheth was retained for ‘promotional purposes’. Soon Team Castrol was formed, rallying with first the Triumph 2.5 PI and then the humble Morris Marina. Culcheth and Willy Cave were entered for the 1971 RAC Rally in a Special Tuning prepared Marina, winning the 1300cc class. Ford competitions manager, Stuart Turner (formerly of BMC), was famously wrong-footed here, because he thought the Marina was to be 1.8-litre and so didn’t field one of his Escorts in the small class! With the 1275cc A-Series engine tuned like a Sprite to give around 95/100bhp the Marina was only averagely quick but reliable. Culcheth was the man to make it work, claiming 2nd on the Cyprus Rally in ‘72 (with Johnstone Syer) and 6th the following year. His 16th overall and class win on the 1000 Lakes in ’73 was the stuff of legends, the top Brit position only being beaten in ’82 when Russell Brookes came 6th in a Vauxhall Chevette. Pat Ryan was the other Marina man. The moustachioed Midlander was blindingly quick on British national rallies - it was usually a class win or an accident - until BL put him into its other lost cause of the time, the Allegro! Special Tuning built a Rover V8 Marina for the 1972 World Cup Rally but - predictably - the rear axle broke. Truth was ‘though, the Marina was too heavy in 1.3 form to ever beat an Escort, and just too heavy, full stop, in 1.8-litre guise. Anyone who tried to drive a 1.8 also quickly soon learnt about the dreaded Marina plough on understeer! The last official fling for the 1.3 Marina was the 1975 RAC, when Phil Cooper and Andy Marriott finished 4th in class. But by then the Dolomite Sprint and the TR7 were gaining favour in the newly formed BL team.