B.M.C. introduces penny a mile car (April 15 1961)

A car claimed to be tough enough for the countryman and ideal as a town runabout has been announced by the British Motor Corporation of Australia.

It is the revolutionary new Morris 850, a five seater with front wheel drive.

The car which took ten years to develop, is 10 ft long and 4 ft 7 in. wide and only 4 ft 5 in high. It has a top speed of 78 m.p.h. with a petrol economy of more than 50 miles per gallon.

One of the unconventional features of the "850" is an engine mounted sideways. Engine, gears, and differential share a common sump and the "hump" in the centre interior of the car, usually taken up by the transmission, is eliminated.

The Morris 850 is the first car produced by B.M.C. (Australia)

For distribution through both Morris and Austin Dealers.

The new car is powered by an 850 c.c. 4 cylinder engine which developed 34 brake horse power at 8,500 revolutions per minute.

The engine, radiator, gears, differential,, drive, and suspension can be removed as one assembly.

The whole rear suspension system can be also be lifted out in a matter of minutes.

When planning the body the design team sat four big adults between four wheels and literally built the body around them !

The result of this special "tailoring" is ample head and leg room for both front and rear passengers. As all ride well within the wheelbase, there is better weight distribution, which in turn improves road holding and riding comfort.