A brief history of...

May, 1954

The Oxford

The Morris Oxford series II (left) was launched in May 1954 to replace the Morris Oxford series MO (right) which had been in production since 1948 when it was released just before the Morris Minor.

MO Oxford

The series MO looked like a later 'high-lite' Minor (remember that the '48 Minor was a 'low-lite') but with a different grille and bigger in all respects, and the family was completed with the Six (21/6), which had the MO's body but a longer bonnet and upright grille, housing (wait for it...) a six cylinder motor. For a fuller description of the MO Oxford and the Six, may I point you towards:

The MO and 6/80 club

The Cowley

As a result of the merger of Austin and The Nuffield Group (Morris, Wolseley, Riley, MG) to form BMC, the series II Oxford was built using the new 1489cc BMC B-series engine, but as Austin were to offer the A40 Cambridge with a 1200cc B-series alongside the A50 Cambridge with the 1489cc engine; so too with Morris:

The Morris Cowley was launched in July 1954 and was essentially a lower spec. Oxford. It has less chrome, no opening front quarter windows, no heater, no clock, no horn ring (and no twin wind-tone horns) or temperature gauge; only one sun-visor, vinyl mats and the 1200cc engine with (initially) smaller 8 inch brake drums!

Isis series I

The Isis

In July 1955, the Oxford and Cowley were joined by a six-cylinder model with the same bodyshell except suitably lengthened and strengthened at the front for the bigger engine: the Morris Isis with the BMC C-series rear axle, gearbox and engine of 2639cc, and a little more chrome, of course.
Note that the pictured Australian car has the later style mesh grille; optional extra sunvisor and radio; and unusual chrome flashes on it's side - all Series I Isis' that I've seen have only a single strip running from the headlamp to the centre of the front door (and no two-tone paint!). It's bonnet isn't shut properly either; panel alignment at Morris Motors wasn't that bad!
Original photo from Peter Richardson. Thank you :-)

The Travellers

The new Oxford like the preceeding series MO, was also available as a Traveller estate with woody styling, similar to the Morris Minor, but with cleaner lines and little structural wood - most was decorative only. The Isis too was available as a woody traveller, but the Cowley was never thus offered.

1956 - A year of update

In 1956 all cars made by BMC underwent improvements. Generally mechanical improvements for the Oxford range were subtle, (eg. higher compression, full-flow oil filter, better air filter), but all cars were externally and internally re-styled a little bit...

In October 1956 the cars were updated with a facelifted design and were now designated the Oxford series III, Cowley 1500 and the Isis series II. In addition, two Commercial models were introduced.
The facelift consisted of little fins at the rear and a tail-light cluster, flutes in the bonnet, different badging and chrome, a new dashboard and arm rests front and rear.
The Oxford had gained hooded headlight covers which the Cowley and Isis didn't get, however the Isis now sported a new mesh grille and it's gearlever had moved from the steering column to the floor, sitting in between the driver's door and seat in front of the handbrake.

The Cowley now shared the Oxford's 1489cc motor and the 1200cc B-series engine was dropped from production entirely
All vehicles had high-compression engines, but low-compression was still an option. Cars shipped to New Zealand were low-compression for our less fancy petrol.

The Commercials

half-ton van The range was now supplemented with two half-ton commercials - a van and a well-side ute.
Note that although these commercials were based on the series III Oxford, they had the older, un-fluted bonnets from the series II model.
half-ton ute

In September 1957 all production of woody Travellers (except the Minor) ceased, but the Oxford Traveller continued as an all-steel, 4-door model; the series IV.

Time to move on...

The commercially unsuccessful Isis was taken out of production in 1958
The Oxford and Cowley were replaced by the series V Oxford 'Farina' model in 1959
The last series IV Oxford Traveller left the works in April 1960
The half-ton commercials stopped production in October of the same year.

The Morris Oxford series V and VI are described in the Farina section of the Cars Dept.

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