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British Motor Corporation (Australia)

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British Motor Corporation (Australia)was a motor manufacturing company formed in Australia in 1954 by the merger of the Austin Motor Company (Australia) and Nuffield (Australia).[1]This followed the merger in 1952 of theAustin Motor Companyand theNuffield Groupin the United Kingdom to form theBritish Motor Corporation.[1]Following further corporate changes in the UK in the late 1960s, BMC Australia was absorbed into the newly established British Leyland Motor Corporation of Australia,[1]the name of which became Leyland Motor Corporation of Australia in 1972,[2]and then JRA Limited in March 1983.[2]

Austin Motor Company of Australia

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In 1949,Austinpurchased theMelbournebased Ruskin Body Works and used the factory to makeuteand tourer bodies for fitting to importedAustin A40chassis.[3]

Nuffield Australia

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In 1947Lord Nuffieldpurchased the formerVictoria Park Racecourse, Sydneyas the site for a car assembly plant.[4][5]Nuffield Australia opened their new, 57-acre (23 ha)[6]assembly and factory building in March 1950. The facility was initially set up to assembleMorris MinorandMorris Oxfordmodels fromCKDkits. Previously these cars were imported into Australia as assembled vehicles.[7]

British Motor Corporation (Australia)

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Morris MajorSeries II (foreground) and Series I

In 1954 the Austin Motor Company of Australia and Nuffield Australia merged to form British Motor Corporation (Australia) with the Nuffield facility at Victoria Park becoming the group headquarters of the new company. Austin and Morris vehicles were assembled at the facility and subsequently it was to be the design and manufacturing centre for BMC Australia.[7]

During a period of significant postwar reconstruction, migrant assimilation and technical innovation, the factory employed a peak of 7,000 people from 35 nations. The only plant in Australia to manufacture the complete vehicle, it introduced to Australia the in-line transfer machining of engine blocks, the "rotodip" paint process, automatic conveyor assembly processes and major advances in just-in-time and flexible manufacturing concepts.[8][9]

This factory produced theAustin LancerandMorris Majormodels which were based on theWolseley 1500but modified for Australian conditions. In another example of the badge engineering prevalent at the time, theMorris Marshalwas produced, based on theAustin A95 Westminster.

In 1961 theMinientered production in Australia as the Morris 850. The Mini proving very popular in Australia as it was in the UK. Its success prompted a revised Australian only model line up to be introduced in 1965, beginning with the Morris Mini Deluxe, the first to useHydrolasticsuspension, to have wind-up windows, ignition key operated starter and an improved level of trim and options. Australian Minis were fitted with wind-up windows years ahead of their UK counterparts. Morris Mini Coopers and Cooper S were also made and supplied to the Australian and New Zealand Police forces as high speed pursuit vehicles.[10]The Mini K (for Kangaroo) was the renamed Deluxe MKII and launched in March 1969 complete with Kangaroo decals.[11]

Wolseley 24/80

Released in 1962, theAustin FreewayandWolseley 24/80models were Australian built variants of theAustin A60 CambridgeandWolseley 15/60respectively, both powered by a six-cylinder version of theBMC B-Series engine.To add some Australasian brand confusion, in New Zealand the Austin Freeway was badged as a Morris Freeway and the Morris Mini Deluxe was badged as an Austin Se7en. All were made in the Sydney factory.

A local version of theBMC 1100joined the line up, badged as the Morris 1100 and henceforth the smaller front-wheel-drive BMC models were all to be badged as Morris and the larger ones as Austins borrowing from the established markets where Vice Regal cars were Austin Princess limousines and Morris cars were mass motoring cars. Production of theMorris Mini Mokestarted in 1966 but fitted with larger, 13-inch wheels and longer rear wheel arms, than the UK original 10-inch.

A local version of theAustin 1800was also produced from 1965 and this was developed into the Austin X6 range in 1970 with a longer wheelbase than the original. These were called theAustin Tasmanfor the basic model andKimberleyfor the de luxe hi-end model. In New Zealand these were also sold with Morris badging and some were assembled there.

In December 1966, a plant inRocklea,Queenslandwas opened.[12]

Leyland Motor Corporation of Australia

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1973–1978 Leyland Mini van
Leyland P76

By 1969 BMC Australia's parent company had merged with the Leyland Corporation to formBritish Leyland[1]and a merger in Australia saw the creation of the British Leyland Motor Corporation of Australia.[2]BMC Australia continued to trade as a division of the new company[13]but had been renamed the Austin Morris Division by 1970.[14]The company name was changed yet again in 1972 when it became the Leyland Motor Corporation of Australia,[2]with the Austin Morris Division carried across to the new company.[15]

In 1973 the Morris Mini became the Leyland Mini[16]and the MorrisMini Mokebecame the Leyland Moke. The Australian version of theMorris Marina,which had joined the range in 1972, became a Leyland Marina and was offered with a local market only six-cylinder 2,623 cc engine. Australian Marinas were also shipped as CKD assembly packs to New Zealand and South Africa, where the six cylinder engine was also offered.

The Australian big car model, which was intended to see out the 1970s, was the 1973Leyland P76.This was designed to take a straight six or alloyRover V8 enginewith the latter being the more popular, but V-8 engine supplies were restricted reducing production.

Following the worldwide collapse of British Leyland and its associates, linked with the reduction of import tariffs protecting car manufacturers in Australia (Chrysler,FordandHolden), theVictoria Park Racecourse, Sydneyfactory, opened byLord Nuffieldin 1957 was closed by 1975. Production of the Mini from imported CKD shells was continued byPressed Metal Corporation(PMC) in the Sydney suburb ofEnfielduntil 1978 and the Moke until 1982. PMC also assembledLand Rovers,Hinosand pressed metal coffins.[17]

Leyland of Australia then proceeded to assemble thePeugeot 505(sedan and wagon) and import theHonda Quint,which was sold as the Rover Quintet locally.[18][19]

JRA Limited

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In March 1983 Leyland Motor Corporation Australia ceased to exist and its place was taken by JRA Limited. The new company was organised into several divisions including Jaguar-Rover-Australia, Leyland Trucks and Leyland Bus Australia.[20][21]In 1987 JRA was sold byRover Groupin amanagement buyout.[22][23]In October 1992 JRA was placed inadministrationby theBank of New ZealandwithDeloitte Ross Tohmatsuappointed as administrator.[24]TheAustral,DenningandPressed Metal Corporation South Australiabusinesses were sold toClifford Corporationin July 1996.[25]

References

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  1. ^abcdDavis, Pedr (1986),The Macquarie Dictionary of Motoring,The Macquarie Library, pp. 62–63,ISBN9780949757357
  2. ^abcdThe Macquarie Dictionary of Motoring,pp. 272-273
  3. ^Austin Body Works HereThe Age12 February 1948 page 3
  4. ^Large Factories to be Built at SydneyTruck & Bus TransportationAugust 1961 page 9
  5. ^Anderson, Barry, ed. (2012).Building Cars in Australia.Halstead Press. p. 21.ISBN9781920831912.
  6. ^Size of factory referred to in caption for image Number:A12111:1/1958/30/8 taken in 1958 and held by the National Archives of Australia as part of Collection A12111:Immigration Photographic Archive 1946-Today
  7. ^abThe Macquarie Dictionary of Motoring,p. 337
  8. ^The Institution of Engineers Australia – Sydney Division Engineering Heritage CommitteeArchived21 July 2008 at theWayback Machine
  9. ^Zetland factory photo gallery available from the Institution of Engineers Australia websiteArchived22 July 2008 at theWayback Machine
  10. ^Image of Police Minis in Sydney circa 1967Archived23 July 2008 at theWayback Machine
  11. ^Scanned copy of the Mini K brochureArchived9 October 2010 at theWayback Machine
  12. ^New plant for Leyland Q'landTruck & Bus TransportationJanuary 1967 page 112
  13. ^Morris Cooper S advertisement, Racing Car News magazine, rear cover, 1969
  14. ^Morris 1500 & 1300 range brochure, British Leyland Motor Corporation of Australia Limited, Austin Morris Division, June 1970
  15. ^Morris Marina brochure, Leyland Motor Corporation of Australia Limited, Austin Morris Division, 1972
  16. ^1974 Leyland MiniArchived2 November 2010 at theWayback MachineRetrieved from miniexperience.com.au on 2 February 2010
  17. ^Leyland down underCommercial Motor22 August 1981
  18. ^Leyland in deal with PeugeotTruck & Bus TransportationMay 1981 page 130
  19. ^Mastrostefano, Raffaele, ed. (1985).Quattroruote: Tutte le Auto del Mondo 1985(in Italian). Milano: Editoriale Domus. p. 521.ISBN88-7212-012-8.
  20. ^The Macquarie Dictionary of Motoring,pp. 254-255
  21. ^Change of name but otherwise business as usual for LeylandTruck & Bus TransportationMay 1983 page 92
  22. ^JRA buys back the farm from its British bossesTruck & Bus TransportationDecember 1986 page 4
  23. ^JRA Gambles on New DesignAustralian Financial Review3 July 1989
  24. ^JRA in ReceivershipAustralian Bus Panoramaissue 8/4 December 1992 page 18
  25. ^Acquisition of JRA LimitedFleetlineissue 243 July 1996 page 131

Further reading

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