Simon Cars - B.M.C. Australian

Australian B.M.C.

The British Motor Corporation Australia had its beginnings in two places. (1) The Austin Motor Company of Australia founded in 1949 by Austin buying out the Ruskin Body Works and starting to build special bodied Austin A40 Tourers and Utilities. (2) Nuffield Australia purchased land at Zetland and opened a new assembly plan in 1950 to build CKD kits of Morris Minors and Morris Oxfords. In 1954 these two companies merged to form BMC Australia, and this company went onto to manufacture Austin and Morris badged cars which often differed from British made models; there were Austin and Morris variants of Riley and Wolseley cars, as well as six cylinder versions of British 4-cylinder models. BMC Australia became the Leyland Motor Corporation of Australia in 1969. JRA took over LMC in 1983.

aa Austin 1800 Ute 1970 badge

Austin 1800 Ute 1970 - badge on tailgate. BMC Australia produced most of its vehicles with 'Austin' or 'Morris' badges, but a couple of 'Wolseley' models were also sold.

ac Austin 1800 1969 Ute head

Austin 1800 1969 Ute. The Austin 1800 Ute was mechanically the same as the ADO 17 saloons, but was slightly lower geared

ac Austin Lancer Series II head

Austin Lancer Series II. The Series I and Series II Lancer shared the 1,489cc B-series engine with the Wolseley 1500 and Morris Major also produced in Adelaide. They were all replaced by the Morris Major Elite that was given a 1,622cc engine.

Austin 1800 1969 Ute front

Austin 1800 1969 Ute. Productionised by Australian engineers the Austin 1800 Ute was mechanically the same as the saloon with some slight suspension adjustments.

Austin 1800 Ute 1970 rear

Austin 1800 Ute 1970. The Ute was only sold as this 'coupe pickup' with a drop-down tailgate. However, tops were made to give it the capability of van and mobile homes could be slotted into the load bed.

Austin Lancer Series II front

Austin Lancer Series II. Built on a Morris Minor floorpan, with modified Riley One-Point-Five/Wolseley 1500 panelwork, extended by 9-inches and given a 1,489cc engine. Only built in Australia

Austin Lancer Series II racer39

Austin Lancer Series II. The first Lancer only had modest panel differences from the Wolseley 1500, but the Series II had extended front and rear with bespoke panels. At the time these cars were very competitive in racing

l Austin Lancer Series II lamps

Austin Lancer Series II. Series II Lancers and Morris Majors were given extended boots and wings incorporating tail lamps were added

s Austin 1800 1975 MkIII side

Austin 1800 1975 MkIII. British Leyland introduced the MkIII version of the ADO 17 as the MkIII Austin/Morris 1800 in 1972

s Austin 1800 Ute 1970 side

Austin 1800 Ute 1970. The YDO 10 Austin 1800 Utility was built with an extended load bed. There had been a project to build a British 1800 Van which was based on the same floorpan as the saloon, but its carrying capacity was insufficient when compared with existing products.

s Austin Lancer Series II side

Austin Lancer Series II. The model DO1115 (series II Lancer and Morris Major) were lengthened by 9-inches, having an increased wheelbase, longer tail and bonnet.

Wolseley 1500 Series II front

Wolseley 1500 Series II.. The Wolseley 1500 was produced in Australia from 1958 to 1959 in Adelaide along with the Austin Lancer and Morris Major

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