Morris Marina vs Hillman Hunter vs Vauxhall Cavalier: sales pitch

By Andrew Roberts

| 2 Aug 2023

Classic & Sports Car – Morris Marina vs Hillman Hunter vs Vauxhall Cavalier: sales pitch

The year is 1975 and a trio of commercial travellers is hoping for a lucrative potato-crisp order from a brewery near Reading.

Each belongs to a firm whose fleet manager has opted for British Leyland, Chrysler UK or Vauxhall products rather than the ubiquitous Ford Cortina Mk3.

So a Morris Marina 1.8 Super, a Hillman Hunter GLS and that new Vauxhall Cavalier 1900 GL gather in the courtyard.

The Hillman Hunter GLS may have lived in the Ford Cortina’s shadow, but it’s still great to drive and remains a useful family car

Each of our test cars evokes the company world of the mid-1970s – an existence of Rothmans, tinned travel sweets and motels with orange decor.

Each morning the open road beckons with the promise of new opportunities, new hope and a glovebox filled with Luncheon Vouchers.

The oldest design of our group is the Hillman, the Rootes Group having unveiled the Arrow-series Hunter, and its Singer Vogue counterpart, at the ’66 London Motor Show.

The sporty GLS model features a Holbay-tuned engine and a close-ratio gearbox

‘Chrysler UK’ branding appeared four years later, and in the spring of 1972 the Hunter GLS appealed to those motorists who regarded a Cortina GXL as unspeakably naff.

The adverts claimed that the GLS would cut a dash from Stratford to Southampton – likely mesmerising customers of the A32’s Little Chef en route.

The significant sales feature was the Holbay-tuned 1725cc engine with twin Weber 40DCOEs and suspension from the Sunbeam Rapier H120.

The Hillman Hunter still pulls crowds for its nostalgia value

The spec included a close-ratio gearbox, full instrumentation and a cabin decorated with wood veneer.

Quad headlights from its Humber Sceptre stablemate and ‘sports’ wheels lent the Hillman a certain jauntiness, but, as CAR magazine noted, it was hardly likely to turn heads.

Yet a low-key appearance suited many owners; this was a vehicle for the area manager, not a Flash Harry, and had no need for go-faster stripes.

The tuned 1725cc unit offers 93bhp and ample pace

The GLS was something of a Q-car.

The 104mph top speed and 0-60mph in around 10 secs were more than impressive figures in its day, while a Hillman gained a class victory in the 1973 Tour of Britain.

In that same year, Bernard Unett’s Hunter won the Group B category in the Castrol Group 1 Production Car Championship.

Alas, the GLS represented the final key development of the Arrow range, and production ended in 1976 with the demise of the Hillman, Humber and Sunbeam marques.

The Hunter’s bright Limelight paint was a factory option

An Irish-built Chrysler Hunter continued until 1979, while sales of the Iranian Paykan lasted until as recently as 2005.

In the UK, GLS numbers have diminished to the point where Peter Okonski believes his car is one of only 12 on the road.

He acquired it in 2013, partially because the Hillman was one of his father’s favourite vehicles.

Restoration commenced in December 2019 and the Hunter finally returned to the road in 2021.

Wood veneer and lots of instruments decorate the Hillman’s cabin

Peter decided on a respray in the eye-catching shade of Limelight.

“It really is a factory colour, although some people don’t believe me,” he says.

But such paintwork reflects the thrill of owning, to quote the brochure: ‘A race-winning, lap-record-breaking car.’

It also makes it hard to believe that in November 2018, RAU 416M was still boxed up in his garage.

‘The Hunter GLS was something of a Q-car. The 104mph top speed was more than impressive in its day’

Peter views the Hillman marque as rather neglected, especially when compared with Fords of the 1970s.

“Of course, you have to adapt yourself to driving a car with a 1960s design,” he says, “but the Hunter really is great fun.

“It accelerates briskly and the gearchange is slick. Many GLS owners specified the optional overdrive, but mine is one of the few without – and I don’t miss it.

“The Hillman can also serve as family transport, but I have to allow for delays when visiting the supermarket or at filling stations. Everyone’s father, mother or grandparent apparently once owned one.”

Owner Peter Okonski bought this Hillman in 2013; the Hunter was one of his father’s favourite cars

The next car on the list is the Cavalier, and Richard Watts’ 1900 GL represents a very early example of the model.

‘Go ahead – live a little,’ urged the sales spiel.

In 1976, Motor declared that Vauxhall was ‘on to a winner’, while CAR said the Cavalier ‘looks right and is right’, despite having suggested just three years earlier that the company should stick to trucks.

The distinctive nose marks out the Vauxhall’s identity

The Cavalier was the product of intense corporate change at Luton.

A few years earlier Vauxhall had planned to replace the Viva HC with a larger HD, which would directly rival the Cortina and create a niche for the forthcoming Chevette.

But sales were in a marked decline at the time, both at home and in Europe, and the loss of its Canadian export market in 1972 had devastating financial consequences.

The Vauxhall’s flexible 1897cc engine makes 89bhp with 108lb ft of torque

As a result, General Motors decided that, instead of investing in tooling for an entirely new car, making a British version of Opel’s Ascona B would be far more cost-effective.

Wayne Cherry, Luton’s design chief, created a distinctive new nose treatment for the Opel, while Bob Price, Vauxhall’s managing director, later pointed out that the Cavalier had saved three years of development and £50million.

The initial launch date was 1977, but the firm’s dire economic condition meant that its Cortina alternative had to take a bow on 29 September 1975.

The Cavalier’s drive and roadholding belie its age

Looking at LOU 848P today, it’s easy to understand why the Cavalier made such an impact on British motorists.

It was the first Vauxhall saloon in generations to eschew Anglo-American lines in favour of European looks.

And, together with the Chevette, it represented fresh hope for the marque.

Controversially, the Cavalier was also the first wholly imported Vauxhall, because it was originally built at Opel’s Antwerp plant.

Austere German design is evident in the functional Opel/Vauxhall cabin

The tabloids ranted, but UK buyers were increasingly concerned with quality rather than national origins.

By the time Luton production commenced in 1977, the Cavalier was the marque’s best-seller, and few senior sales executives could resist the lure of a Signal Yellow 1900 GL.

After all, this was the version with, apparently, ‘a very expensive look’, plus an anti-dazzle rear-view mirror and even a quartz-activated clock as standard.

Smart wheels on this Signal Yellow Cavalier 1900 GL

That new front end helped distinguish the Cavalier from its Opel counterparts, although the cabin feels more Rüsselsheim than Luton, down to the instrumentation and ‘penny flap’ air vents.

The front-wheel-drive Cavalier Mk2 replaced the rear-drive Mk1 in 1981, and Richard found his 1976 1900 GL in 2006.

When he embarked on its restoration, his goals were authenticity and usability, and, after some intensive work, it is once more looking good enough to grace the cover of a Vauxhall sales brochure.

The Vauxhall Cavalier’s 1897cc ‘four’ has enough grunt to cope with modern traffic

“The Cavalier was way ahead of its rivals,” says Richard.

“The 1.9-litre engine is flexible, and while you miss power assistance when parking, the steering is light at speed.

“The roadholding is excellent for a ’70s car and the brakes are up to modern standards.

“If you ignore the absence of air conditioning, electric windows and central locking, LOU doesn’t feel 47 years old and it can definitely cope with 21st-century motorways.

“Some other drivers look quite shocked when we overtake them!”

Richard Watts bought his 1900 GL in 2006 and undertook a full restoration

The final member of our trio is perhaps the most controversial.

Readers of a certain age will recall how the Morris Marina was the subject of British Leyland jokes that even Mike and Bernie Winters would have rejected.

This is the car often cited as embodying some of the worst aspects of 1970s life, along with strikes, power cuts and Mutiny on the Buses.

But, as is often the case, the truth is somewhat different.

The Morris Marina is no sporting saloon, but 48 years on it’s brisk enough on the open road

John Kingsford came by his Marina courtesy of a friend who had rescued it a few years earlier and spent many thousands of pounds restoring the bodywork to perfection.

BL initiated project ADO28 in 1968 as a stopgap to replace both the Minor and the Oxford Series VI ‘Farina’.

The plan was for the Austin name to be reserved for front-wheel-drive cars, while employing the Morris badge for traditional rear-drive models.

The mid-level Super was accompanied by De Luxe and TC trim levels for the Marina

The Marina – the names Musketeer and Machete were rejected – made its debut on 27 April ’71.

‘Beauty with brains behind it,’ declared its maker.

Trim levels were De Luxe, Super and TC, while the spec was reassuringly familiar, with a choice of 1.3-litre A-series or 1.8-litre B-series engines.

The Marina’s basic cabin means you ride in comfort

Unfortunately, BL decided to save money by fitting the Minor’s lever-arm dampers rather than the planned MacPherson struts.

“This wasn’t an ideal solution,” notes owner John Kingsford, “but, with a tight deadline and budget, compromises had to be made.”

Early 1.8s suffered from chronic understeer. In October 1971 The Daily Telegraph reported: ‘Owners of about 1600 Morris Marina 1.8 TC models are being asked to take their cars to dealers for modifications.’

On the road, the B-series engine in the Morris is usefully torquey and it sounds good, too

Work was undertaken at BL’s expense and applied only to flagship TCs built before July 1971, but the damage to the Marina’s reputation was done.

Yet, by the end of 1973, the Morris was second only to the Cortina Mk3 among British best-sellers.

The press did not universally love it – CAR in June 1975 referred to the Marina as ‘awful’ – but it had considerable potential as straightforward fleet transport.

Alas, Leyland’s abysmal quality control and equally dire industrial relations damaged its chances in the lucrative company-car market.

The Marina’s 1.8-litre engine gives 78bhp

BL facelifted the Morris in late 1975 while it cancelled the intended ADO77 replacement on cost grounds, and production of the one-time stopgap ended in 1980 with the arrival of the facelifted Ital.

Half a century later, the impression that ENJ 91K gives is of its distinctive Limeflower Green paint and good looks.

Opinions of styling remain subjective, but the Morris’ appearance belies Roy Haynes’ limited development timetable.

The saloon’s understated lines also date better than those of the Cortina.

“The understeer isn’t really a problem, so long as you accept that the Marina isn’t designed to fly down twisty roads”

“The Marina is hardly the last word in refinement or handling prowess,” observes John, “but the 1.8-litre B-series has lots of torque and sounds good; it feels gutsy and never underpowered in such a light car.

“The understeer isn’t really a problem, so long as you accept it’s not a car designed to fly down twisty roads.

“It’s surprisingly comfortable on long drives for a 50-year-old car, with soft seats, an effective heater and a good turn of speed.

“It feels very basic and mechanically robust.”

Chrome hubcaps add to the Marina’s period appeal

As to which of our trio would be best suited to relieve the loneliness of the long-distance commercial traveller, it largely depends on their respective employer.

The Morris was a car for a long-established businesses – ‘Purveyors of Fine Foods since 1897’.

The fundamental problem with the Marina was that BL rushed it into production, as with the Austin Maxi.

Today, the über-1970s green 1.8 Super is a car of vast period fascination, down to the ‘knit-backed expanded vinyl’ upholstery.

Owner John Kingsford admits that his Morris has been the butt of jokes, but says it only increases intrigue in the model

John wryly remarks: “Over the years, the Marina has courted much controversy and has regularly been the butt of many jokes, particularly those involving pianos.

“But I feel such antics have only heightened interest in the model.”

The Hillman, meanwhile, has a slightly more raffish image, and the Hunter GLS ably illustrates the fundamental qualities of the Arrow family – as well as being one of the most intriguing British sports saloons of its generation.

The Hillman Hunter (closest), Morris Marina (middle) and Vauxhall Cavalier are stalwarts of the mid-’70s rep scene

Yet the potato-crisp order should be awarded to the Cavalier driver, not least because this was the model that helped save Vauxhall from extinction.

Equally, I have never forgotten being mesmerised by the cinema launch advertisements, hinting that ownership of a new Signal Red Vauxhall saloon – complete with ‘rich, cut-pile carpeting as standard’ – was your passport to a world of international glamour.

This claim may have been a faint exaggeration on Luton’s part, but the Cavalier more than lived up to its role as corporate transportation with a certain flair.

Images: John Bradshaw

Thanks to: Loddon Brewery; the Morris Marina Owners’ Club and Ital Register

Factfiles

Morris Marina 1.8 Super

Sold/number built 1971-’80/1,135,343
Construction steel unitary
Engine all-iron, ohv 1798cc ‘four’, SU HS6 carburettor
Max power 78bhp @ 5100rpm
Max torque 98lb ft @ 2900rpm
Transmission four-speed manual, RWD
Suspension: front independent, by lower wishbones, torsion bars, lever-arm dampers rear live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs, telescopic dampers
Steering rack and pinion
Brakes discs front, drums rear
Length 13ft 10in (4219mm)
Width 5ft 5in (1646mm)
Height 4ft 8in (1422mm)
Wheelbase 8ft (2438mm)
Weight 2061lb (935kg)
0-60mph 12.8 secs
Top speed 95mph
Mpg 30
Price new £1932 (SDL, 1976)
Price now £3-7000*

Hillman Hunter GLS

Sold/number built 1966-’77/c470,000 (all Rootes Arrow variants)
Construction steel unitary
Engine iron-block, alloy-head, ohv 1725cc ‘four’, twin Weber 40DCOE carbs
Max power 93bhp @ 5200rpm
Max torque 106lb ft @ 4000rpm
Transmission four-speed manual, RWD
Suspension: front independent, by MacPherson struts, anti-roll bar rear live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs, telescopic dampers
Steering recirculating ball
Brakes discs front, drums rear
Length 14ft 1in (4270mm)
Width 5ft 3½in (1613mm)
Height 4ft 8in (1422mm)
Wheelbase 8ft 2½in (2502mm)
Weight 2094lb (950kg)
0-60mph 10.9 secs
Top speed 104mph
Mpg 20
Price new £2300 (1976)
Price now £5-10,000+*

Vauxhall Cavalier 1900 GL

Sold/number built 1975-’81/c240,000
Construction steel unitary
Engine all-iron, cam-in-head 1897cc ‘four’, twin-choke Solex carburettor
Max power 89bhp @ 4800rpm
Max torque 108lb ft @ 3200rpm
Transmission four-speed manual, RWD
Suspension: front independent, by wishbones rear live axle, trailing arms, torque tube, Panhard rod; coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar f/r
Steering rack and pinion
Brakes discs front, drums rear
Length 14ft 7in (4445mm)
Width 5ft 5in (1651mm)
Height 4ft 4in (1321mm)
Wheelbase 7ft 7in (2311mm)
Weight 2161lb (980kg)
0-60mph 11 secs
Top speed 105mph
Mpg 25
Price new £2307 (1976)
Price now £5-10,000+*