Morris Oxford ‘Bullnose’

William Morris was England’s answer to Henry Ford. Both men saw the future in mass production. It is said that Ford put America on wheels - Morris did the same in Britain. But whereas Ford manufactured all the Model T’s major components, for many years Morris would be an assembler of bought-in parts.

Like many of the early car makers, Morris (son of an Oxfordshire farm worker) began, in 1892, making bicycles. He progressed to motor cycles in 1902 but the venture lasted only three years and from 1905 he repaired and sold automobiles alongside his cycle business. In 1910 he registered the name Morris Garages.

His first car, the Oxford, went on sale in 1913 with a 1018cc, four-cylinder, engine produced by White and Poppe, and an integral gearbox and clutch from the same source. Drive was transmitted from the front to the worm gear rear axle in an enclosed propeller shaft.

Whilst the original Oxford proved highly successful it could only be made as a two-seater, the chassis not long enough to allow four seats. The first four-seater, the Cowley, appeared in 1915 with an American Continental engine of 1496cc. Mass production and a policy to continually reduce prices meant that by 1925 Morris was by far the biggest car maker in the British Isles.

Over the years Morris would buy up most of his suppliers and then sell them to his own Morris Motors: Wolseley was purchased in 1927, MG in 1935, and in 1938 Riley was added. William Morris, Lord Nuffield, died in 1963.

About this vehicle

This two-seat tourer still retains its original White and Poppe engine and was first delivered to Morris agents, the Hazelmere Motor Company, on 31 March 1914. Since then the body has been modified with a large double dickey-seat – a feature never fitted as standard to this model – and the mudguards are replacements.

It underwent a full restoration by Shuttleworth Vehicle Collection volunteers in 2019.