The 1970s were dark days for British Leyland. It never was the most efficient company, being a piecemeal agglomeration of various car makers rather than an integrated entity like Toyota or Renault. Nonetheless, it produced best-selling cars. The Morris Minor was a family favourite for a phenomenal 24 years. The Marina – which essentially replaced it in 1971 – posted very solid sales figures indeed. Despite this, by the mid 1970s Britain’s favourite car maker was on the brink of oblivion.
This was largely the fault of Rover’s SD1, the development cost of which was eye-watering. British Leyland had very limited resources remaining to fund new models, and trouble was brewing for the Marina. Despite its strong sales, it was underdeveloped from the word go. Its competition – in the form of Ford’s Escort and Hillman’s Avenger – had sharper looks and better handling. The Marina employed the same combination of rear leaf springs and front torsion bars as the Minor, and it showed on the move. Aesthetically it was ageing fast too, and British Leyland recognised that its production life would have to be limited.
Radical change was in the air for cars during the 1970s. The VW Golf and Honda Civic were
