The Morris Marina was launched in 1971 with a choice of 1.3 A-series and 1.8 B-series engines, essentially replacing the Morris Minor and Morris Oxford respectively. Body options were a four-door saloon or two-door coupé initially, although in 1972 vans and estates were added to the mix. There were pick-ups too, though they were never big sellers. The running gear was resolutely conventional, with an inline four-cylinder engine up front driving the rear wheels through a four-speed gearbox. (There was also a three-speed automatic option.) The front suspension featured a development of the Morris Minor's layout with longitudinal torsion bars, lower arms pivoting on trunnions with upper ball joints and lever arm dampers, while at the back there was a live rear axle suspended on leaf springs and with telescopic dampers. Some early 1.3s had unservo'd drum brakes all round, but servo assistance and front discs were standard elsewhere and options on even the entry level cars.
Early 1.8 cars soon garnered a reputation for understeer, but by the end of 1971 BL had made changes to the suspension geometry to address this. There were further suspension improvements with the Mk2 facelift of 1976, while the Mk3 from September 1978 saw the Coupé restricted to the 1.3 engine and the B-series being dropped in favour of the 1.7 O-series. The Mk3 was revised in 1980 and the model rebadged as the Ital, now without the coupé body option and from 1982 with telescopic dampers instead of lever arms. The Ital bowed out in 1984, to be replaced by the Austin Montego.
The Marina was designed to be produced cheaply and sold in volume to buyers for whom practicality and value for money were more important than racebred handling. In this regard it was very successful, with 1.2 million sold over a some years back. Of course there were shortcomings in the design, just as there were in just about every car ever produced and especially by a company struggling with a lack of cash, but it has to be said that many people remember the model fondly, and today there is a thriving community based around the Morris Marina Owners Club and Ital Register who cherish the survivors, of which there are pitifully few given the model's impressive sales success.
