Morris Motor Company

Morris was the name of a former English car manufacturing company.

Morris was started in 1913 when bicycle manufacturer William Morris (1877-1963) turned his attention to car manufacturing. A factory was opened in Oxford and the company's first car the "Bullnose Oxford" was introduced.

During the 1920s Morris established a reputation for producing high quality cars. By the early 1930s Morris had become Britain's biggest car manufacturer, holding a 51% share of the home market.

Throughout the 1930s and 1940s the company produced mainly simple but reliable family cars. The most famous Morris car was the Morris Minor introduced in 1948.

In the early 1950s Morris merged with its old rival Austin to form the British Motor Corporation.

The Morris brand name was used until the late 1970s on cars such as the Morris Marina. The Morris Oxford of 1948 was the basis for the design of India's famous state-produced Ambassador automobile.

See Also

• List of British companies