1984 Morris Ital

Morris Ital (Saloon/Estate), 1980-1984

The Morris Ital was in production from 1980 until 1984. Styled in house, it is a front-engine, rear wheel drive saloon and estate range seating five adults.

By the time of the Ital's launch, the Morris Marina was a decade old. The car intended as a stopgap - a placeholder until BL could develop a new Cortina beater - was in its third iteration and attracting criticism from many who felt that the Morris Minor and Triumph Dolomite underpinnings were past their best. BL had the Maestro and Montego under development, but behind schedule; and the Marina simply wasn't going to last the course. BL therefore redeveloped the Marina, fitting the new corporate nose and restyling the rear of the saloon with a more commodious boot. Styled by Harris Mann, it was productionised by Ital Design. BL had initially planned to call it the Marina Ital in homage, but the marketing men dropped the Marina name in the hope the public would accept it as something new.

The Coupe was dropped completely, but otherwise the range continued largely as before with 1.3 and 1.7 litre variants - and a new 2.0HLS automatic only range topper. But with 175276 built in just four years it proved to be the stopgap that BL needed, even if few Itals survive to this day. Most desirable is the 2.0HLS, though these are rare - for many, the simplicity of the 1.3 and the commercial variants makes them the ones to choose, but the extra performance of the 1.7 is welcome in a car of the Ital's size.

Ford's Cortina and Vauxhall's new Cavalier MK2 were leagues ahead of the Ital, and the launch of the Ford Sierra in 1982 was another nail in the Morris's coffin. Its fairer to consider the Ital as a rival to cars like the Talbot Solara, the Renault 18 and the Volvo 340 - 1970s hangovers against which the Ital didn't look too desperate. BL offered the Honda based Triumph Acclaim as an alternative, which attracted almost as many sales as the Ital despite the far more restricted range.