British Motor Corporation

The British Motor Corporation (BMC) Ltd was a British car manufacturer by the merger of Austin Motor Company and the Nuffield Organisation (owner of carmaker Morris car company , MG , Riley and Wolseley ). BMC started in 1952. It was the predecessor of British Leyland Motor Corporation.

Organization
BMC share

A BMC ambulance

An Austin Mini Super Deluxe 1963 The Mini was BMC's best-selling car

A Riley 4/72 1965

BMC was the largest British car maker of his time (in 1952) with 39 per cent of British car manufacturing, a variety of makes and models in the automotive sector such asAustin , Morris , MG , Austin-Healey , Riley , Wolseley, in the commercial vehicle market, and even agricultural tractors . The first chairman was Lord Nuffield ( William Morris ), but he has already been replaced in August 1952 by former Austin-director Leonard Lord that the function would continue to serve until his 65th birthday in 1961. He was assisted from 1956 by managing director George Harriman .

BMC's headquarters was located in the Austin plant at Longbridge near Birmingham because Austin was the dominant partner of the group. The use of the engines developed by Morris was stopped within the first three years after the amalgamation and new car designs were marked with ADO ("Amalgamated Drawing Office"). The Longbridge plant was very up to date, after that this factory had fundamentally modernized in 1951. The Austin plant worked significantly more efficient than the 16 Nuffield factories that were scattered over the English Midlands. Austin management was mainly in terms of cost control and marketing but not as good as that of Nuffield. When the market changed from a market with shortages to a competitive market, this problem was very well felt. The sales success of the Mini was Ford Motor Company analyzed and people came to the conclusion that BMC approximately £ 30 per car sold a loss. The result was that despite good volumes, market share shrank and it also reduced the profitability and thus was less invested in new models or modernization of the offer. Eventually BMC in British Leyland Motor Corporation .

At the time that the companies were pooled, there was already a very well-developed dealer network for each one separately. When the British public there was a strong brand loyalty, partly because each brand focused on other market segments. Only in certain areas so there was competition between brands. The Riley - and Wolseley models sold in small numbers. The styling (design) of the cars was corny and that was also the reason for Leonard Lord to enlist the services of an external stylist.

BMC Farina [ edit ]
In 1958, BMC hired Battista Farina in on modernizing its entire car line. The result was the famous "three Farina" saloons, each model was " badge-engineered "to fit into the BMC offer:
 * The compact Farina was launched in 1958 Austin A40 Farina . This is generally the first mass-produced hatchback mentioned. A small estate version was also built with a horizontally split tailgate, its size and configuration would classify him now as a small hatchback. The Mark II A40 Farina was launched in 1961 and was also produced until 1967. This small cars used the 4 cylinder BMC A-engine.


 * Medium Farinas were launched in 1958: Wolseley 15/60 and the Riley 4/68 , Austin A55 Cambridge Mk. II , MG Magnette Mk. III and V Morris Oxford . Later the design was produced under license in Argentina under the name Di Tella 1500 / Traveller / Argenta . The medium-sized trucks used the 4 cylinder BMC B engine. The models were produced until 1961, but the Argentine Di Tellas remained until 1965. In 1961, all of these models were given a facelift and a new name as the Austin A60 Cambridge , MG Magnette Mk. IV , Morris Oxford VI , Riley 4/72, and Wolseley 16/60 . These models remained in production until 1968, the Wolseley and Morris even until 1971.


 * Finally Farina also designed a large car. Launched in 1959 as the Austin A99 Westminster , Vanden Plas Princess 3-Litre and Wolseley 6/99, made ​​these models using the BMC C-6 cylinder engine. After a facelift in 1961, these models were the Austin A110 Westminster , Vanden Plas Princess 3-Litre and Wolseley 6/110 called, and remained in production until 1968.