As most of us know the One-point-five was conceived as a direct replacement for the Morris Minor. When introduced in Australia, the One-point-five was actually known as the Morris Major or the Austin Lancer.
When ‘The Motor’ tested the car in 1957 top speed in third gear was only 7 mph slower than maximum speed in top gear!
Alan Hutcheson was the most prolific racer of One-Point-Fives in the early sixties. However 1962 was not his best year – in the Aintree GP support race he rolled the car end-over-end after colliding with a Sunbeam. Just five weeks later in the Gold Cup at Oulton Park he rolled the car again – this time ending up in the lake, having to jump and swim for safety! The car survived to race again – just.
It is rumoured that if you remove the chrome headlight rims then your top speed will improve by about 5 mph!
In the 1958 RAC Rally, Nancy Mitchell badly crashed her works car. As well as suffering a broken rib, she also received a bill for ₤13 from the local farmer for damaging his wall!
Your One-Point-Five not fast enough sir? Then in 1959, for an extra ₤121 3s, Speedwell could ‘hot it up’, creating the “Supersport Riley”.For that price you got a modified engine (with yellow! cylinder head), competition clutch, close ratio gearbox, anti- roll bar, telescopic rear dampers and a brake booster kit!
In 1958 to settle the ‘tied’ British Saloon Car Championship, the two protagonists (Jack Sears and Tommy Sopwith) raced in a two heat, ‘sudden death’ championship race. The cars they raced were two identical BMC works prepared One-Point-Fives – Sears won, with an aggregate time that was 1.8 seconds quicker than Sopwith.
The unlucky Irish! When BMC exported the One-Point-Five to Ireland it was marketed with an asthmatic 1200cc engine – and with only 40bhp available it couldn’t have been too exciting!
“recapture true motoring pleasure” ….. “silky response compliments your driving skill” ….. “vivid performance - superb roadholding” ….. “powered for thrilling performance” ….. “big car luxury, small car economy, sports car performance” ……. All courtesy of the BMC advertising department.
It is guaranteed that when out in your One-Point-Five someone will come up to you and say the following ……. “ooooh my granny/aunt/cousin/uncle/mother-in-law* used to have one of those” * delete where necessary
rib, she also received a bill for ₤13 from the local farmer for damaging his wall!