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The Rule of Six

The Rule of Six

The Rule of Six

The Rule of Six

  • The Rule of Six
  • The Rule of Six
  • The Rule of Six

Far removed from Morris’s reputation for sound but stodgy cars that mobilised the middle-classes was its big six-cylinder, overhead-camshaft Isis. American-inspired and catering for the well-heeled customer, the Isis came at a time when Morris was exhibiting a bit of a mania for six-cylinders with which it hoped to conquer the Empire markets.

The new model lines were all of a very fine quality but as commercial ventures they ultimately failed. As the Isis represented the very best Morris had to offer, it was correspondingly expensive and its share of the market was proportionately low, leaving few survivors today. This is a pity, as it was finished to the highest standard and played a role in shaping the future of the British motor industry by promoting certain American vogues.

One lucky 1935 tourer, the only survivor of its kind, fell into the hands of an engineer who would cherish it until his death in 1967. After a period of neglect, it was brought back to life by a marque enthusiast and appears now as a very nicely mellowed example of a high-quality older restoration. Zack Stiling takes a closer look in the December issue of The Automobile, available now.

Words and photographs by Zack Stiling.

 

Publié:
mercredi mai 5th, 2021

Commentaires

Patrick Cole
05 Mai 2021, 10:14
Very nice to see this. AWK 55 was rescued by my late father David Cole from a garage's lock up in the midlands in about 1974. It had had a collision - hit broadside by a big Wolseley 6/110 in the mid 60s and I don't think the original owner drove it again after that, sadly. So the coachwork had to come off and the chassis straightened, front wings panel beaten etc etc. He had it back on the road 5 years later , so what is described as a "high-quality older restoration" was down to him - he'd be dead chuffed to have read that but I don't think he saw that edition and he died in February. I recall the original engineer owner's family coming to see it during restoration. The car also featured in an episode of Poirot - How Does Your Garden Grow - in 1991 - on screen for around 10 seconds! Dad sold AWK 55 in the early 1990s (and downsized to a 1932 Austin 7, followed by a series of Austin 10s of different styles). It was a great car to drive - very smooth with huge torque (particularly after the side-valve Morris 10 which preceded it), and it turned heads everywhere. My family would be interested to know where the Morris is now.
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Laurens Klein
08 Décembre 2020, 09:19
There is currently a Morris Isis for sale:
https://www.prewarcar.com/305299-1931-morris-isis-for-sale
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