Morris 1100 New Zealand TV commercial.

Morris 1100 television commercial from New Zealand. Made for the New Zealand British Motor Corporation (BMC) distributor Dominion Motors.

[@oldmutt1427]

The 1100's were popular cars on the road in Australia and New Zealand in the sixties and seventies. Relatives had the 1100s. Dad bought a new Morris 1500 in '71. I think the engine came from the Maxi. Great memories of driving along dirt roads in Queensland in these. Only problem the protective electrial cover fitted over the plugs and distributor in the UK versions was not fitted as standard in Australia. Had to buy it seperately. Why I have no idea as Leyland Australia knew the weather conditions. Which meant every time it rained with a bit of force the electrics got wet and the car spluttered to a halt as the radiator was on the side. My uncle got around this by placing a rubber glove over the distributor. Dad finally bought a cover from the dealership not long before he traded it for a Mazda that never stopped in the wet.

[@johnfiler6448]

After passing my driving test in 1968. My very first car was a 1963 secondhand 4 door Morris de luxe 1100 saloon. Colour Smoke Grey. For those times it was a very modern car. It was fun to drive and very comfortable. I moved onto a MG1100.

[@Vakito227]

I wish car adverts were still like this where they actually gave you information on the car instead of all this 'intelligence, inspiration and creativity' nonsense that means nothing.

[@matthewpaulargall9102]

Nice to see a commercial from just across the sea. I should try to find and watch more vintage New Zealand commercials.

[@fiery1962]

I learnt to drive in Australia on one of these in 1978. I believe it was assembled in Australia by the local subsidiary of BMC and was imported as a complete knock-down (CKD) kit. It was my Mothers. I still remember the long "bus" type gear stick, and how vague the gearbox was. Great little vehicle. I then moved on to my first car ... a 1963 MGB.

[@bryanpalmer9660]

I remember at school the early 70s a teacher had a GT model which she bought new very nice it was

[@nzoomed]

Its a fact, they interviewed someone who was involved in filming the advert on TV some years back. If you own an austin/morris 1800, you will know that their main weakness is the big engine mount on the left hand side of the engine. It takes alot of load and they reguarly fail. Of course driving over railway sleepers at high speeds is going to be hard on it! Dont get me wrong i love these cars, and we own about 5 of them! (the wolseley 18/85)

[@andrewsmactips]

Suspension with no moving parts. Now THAT'S revolutionary.

[@pauldarlington5589]

I wonder if those roads have improved since this ad was made?

[@cj92akl]

Most New Zealanders drive like that.

[@akie64]

Yes it may be junk as some expert has pointed out, remember this car is over 50 years old and was revolutionary in its day, most cars on our roads today use the same configuration as the 1100/1300

[@allanhughes7859]

This reminds me of my Mam learning to drive she would have been great in a vid like this she spent more time off road than on hasten to add she did not pass any of here 16 tests

[@howardsportugal]

Love the bit where the sump knocks a huge chunk out of the landscape...

[@nzoomed]

It would be very rare for an engine to fall out, the bottom of the engine unit usually rests on a steel plate under the body that supports the torsion bar, but of course under extreme jolting over bumps, it was probably enough to dislodge it off that plate and slip past. Pretty much every 1800 we've bought has needed to have the mount replaced when we get them, most of the time the mount is about to let go, or has already done so. The aussies made a great mod that used 2 engine mounts on the end

[@gurunutkins]

thanks for posting it

[@bigluke001]

i had a 1300 about 25 years ago in nz at about 18yrs old. A great car and i would love another one

[@norma696able]

This car could be improved today, stronger engine, bigger wheels , and better inside finition..I had one when I was in Germany in 65 and the water was dripping on the dash board when it rains, the electric fuel pump located at the back of the car near the gas tank , kept stalling when I stop on the red light, I had to get out of the car and give her a good kick and i was ok for a few days . But because of the suspension it holds the road very well , just needed more horse power . N-C 😀

[@ThomasEllis]

"Yes, it's a miracle". Whoot!

[@anonymousr1918]

My mothers first car!

[@deezynar]

@brynylontv Thanks for the info on the suspension. I crashed my first car too. I bet I crashed mine quicker than you did yours. 15 minutes for me! That's something to be proud of, NOT. I went too fast (of course) down a dirt road on baldish tires. When I stopped spinning, I was in a guy's front yard. My speed had been lovingly reduced by a 6" diameter wood post that had 'jumped' right into my car's front end. Youth! It's amazing any of us survive it.

[@Londonfogey]

A pity it didn't perform that well when John Cleese drove it across a field in the film 'Clockwise'.

[@michaelhalsall5684]

The Australian built Morris 1100 was a "beefed up" version of the British 1100 modified to make it more suitable to Australia's rural roads. I am not sure if the ones sold in New Zealand were the British or Australian units

[@MrKitkennedy]

i rember the add well

[@neilmustow368]

Still was a rot box though my Dad had one part exchanged his lovely Morris Cooper for an 1100 Mk1 back in 1969 had a rotten floor

[@antonynevens9732]

I did have one in black

[@nzoomed]

This looks like what i thought was the ad for the morris/austin 1800, apparently the engine fell out after filming the advert, which would be expected if it was an 1800, with the poor design with a single engine mount on the rear of the engine. From what i was told, the ad for the 1800 was driving over railway sleepers, but this ad looks so close to what i remember, that perhaps this was the ad im thinking of. Can anyone else recall if there was an ad similar to this for the austin 1800?

[@ianr02]

BMC and Jaguar etc brought their cars to Aus for testing on the rough roads in the desert. During testing of the 1800 (we had one) a driver ran over a dry creek bed causing the engine mounts to collapse, the hydrolastic lines to shear, and heavens knows what else. BMC's Australian engineers modified the mounts. the wheels, the gearbox etc and all the mods were integrated into all 1800's sold from then on... Brilliant rally car too: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpW7n4B-edmfkNE

[@deezynar]

How did this suspension work, and how does it differ from Citroen's hydropneumatic suspension?

[@michaeld7409]

Citroen‘s system was based on fluid, hydrolastic suspension used gas.

[@deezynar]

@@michaeld7409 In short terms, the Citroen system used hydraulic fluid to transfer the energy of the wheel undulations to the sphere where the "spinging" action was handled by compressed nitrogen gas retained by a rubber diaphragm across the sphere. Small holes that the hydraulic had to pass through acted as the dampener. In longer terms, the suspension arm would move up, that pushed a piston inside a cylinder. The piston pushed on hydraulic fluid which was forced into a sphere. the sphere had a diaphragm across its center, and on the side opposite the hydraulic fluid, it was filled with compressed nitrogen gas. So, the hydraulic fluid shoved on the rubber diaphragm, and the diaphragm shoved against the gas on the other side, which compressed it.

[@DevonPianist]

@@michaeld7409 Only the later 'Hydragas' system on the Allegro, Metro and MGF used gas - nitrogen charged cylinders, which was a development of hydrolastic. The hydrolastic system used a water based fluid between front and rear displacers with a pipe connecting front to rear but with each side independent on the Mini and 1100/1300.

[@flumpaustin1994]

@@michaeld7409 Hydrolastic uses fluid.

[@michaelhalsall5684]

I always feel sorrow people in Britain who complain about their cars "rotting" (rusting out) which is caused by salt being put on roads to melt winter snow. In the drier Australian climate there is no salt put on roads. The "car killer" here was until recently rough, dusty rural roads which are mainly sealed nowadays and summer heat which tends to fade paint and "cook" interiors.

[@Londonfogey]

I think it's also caused by Britain being an island where a lot of people live near the sea, where there's a damp, salty climate. Eg, I used to live on the Essex coast where there was a saying 'never buy a car from someone on Mersea Island' because they had to drive it through a salt ford to get to the mainland.

[@cky0100]

First view, I am the best.

[@RubendeJong]

wtf, no way the car did not break down after the big ramp!

[@cadrolls]

What year in the 1940s was this made?

[@michaelhalsall5684]

1960s. The 1100 was essentially a large 4 door version of the 2 door Morris Mini

[@geoffjones9899]

hydrolastic suspension biggest load of crap ever invented they were like 2 rubber flowerpots stuck on the subframe and always leaked fluid

[@flumpaustin1994]

Always? The suspension is the most reliable part of the car.