Aussie Oddballs: Morris Nomad (1100/1300 station wagon thing) 

Hi Ian from Sydney, Australia. They may have only made 30,000 of theses in maybe 2 years , but the ADO16's lasted forever here in Australia, they "failed " to wear out, and , when new these Nomads seemed to be bought by older people who looked after them , as that had finally traded in their Aussie BMC "Morris Major Elite's: that by then they had owned for 10 years or so, then years later they seemed to trade their Nomads for Mitsubishi Magna Elites another Aussie "special" in the middle of the 1980's . This period, say 1958 to 1974 Aussie BMC car owners were very loyal to brand, they would not buy anything else, and when Brit' Leyland/BMC Australia closed & decamped, the BMC car owners just kept their cars longer & longer. So the cars were used to their maximum life span and in our hot dry climate rust is minimal, but what eventually happened when the cars were 20 to 25 years old parts supply became an issue which saw them go to wreckers & be crushed, or worse, an ignoble death as a demo-derby car. Same could be said for the Kimberley & base level Tasman, or the really unique, 1800 series one and series two Austin utes there were plenty of them, and also now there are none. ALL WERE BEAUTIFULLY MADE, well painted and virtually did not rust or break. If petrol skyrocketed in price, or big engined cars were taxed highly, & I needed a 4 cylinder car it would be the Nomad or the Austin 1899 Ute, or for a small frugal MPG 6 cyl engine a Kimberley 2200, as they were decent quality items. At the moment I will stick with my 1967 Jaguar mk10 or 420G to give it its silly renamed BMC badge, and my 5 litre 1982 Holden Statesman Caprice, both almost the same size and level of luxury.

British Leyland vehicles are a remarkable combination of poor execution of good ideas and good execution of poor ideas.

This is fantastic! My family, here in Melbourne, had a Morris 1500 bought new in 1971, so the sedan version of this, with the 5 speed OHC engine. This has brought back so many memories, as everything up front was the same. As a kid, I thought the ribbon speedo was the height of technology. It became my first car, but I found it a bugger to drive with difficult to change gears that I would often grind, probably more down to me as a novice driver. I ditched it after six months in 1984, traded it in for next to nothing. I remember the Nomad, and it seemed to me quite a common sight on the roads, but that's probably because you see cars you own about more. We went everywhere in the 1500, interstate trips into NSW and SA, staying at motor inns, the done thing at the time if you didn't do camping. The 1500 sedan was quite common in its day. Thank you so much for doing this, I only did a search recently for a Morris 1500 and the best video was of one running in a garage. You've made my day!

Looks bizarre, slightly Maxi at the back? Any minute now Basil will give it a dam good thrashing!!

You know you're in Australasia when you spot a Ute 8 seconds into the video haha

Yay a Nomad, or as my Dad called it the Gomad. I learnt to drive one of these at 10 years old. Ours was a 1500 OHC with the 5 speed gearbox. We sold it to a friend and then bought it back. The back seat folds down flat, the small pedals. The rego was JUG-009 (Vic reg) I loved this car. Bouncy hydroelastic suspension, just wonderful. I remember the wonderful exhaust noise and falling asleep in the back. Thanks for the trip down memory lane Hub Nut. Champion (I don't suppose anyone knows the fate of JUG 009?)

The Renault 16 was the first hatchback in Australia followed by the Mitsubishi Colt 1100. I doubt that there are many Morris 1100s left on the road as well. Unlike the mini it was unloved in the decades after the 1960s.

Nice to see some Finnish shipbuilding excellence on the other side of the world, namely that Spirit of Tasmania ferry in the background. No cars made here (except some assembly in relatively small numbers), but if you need ships, we got you covered.

Lovely example of what is now a rare car. As you said, only 15 left. Top marks to owner. Immaculate under the bonnet. Glad you found this one Hubnut. Lovely to have a record of it on the net for perpetuity. I do hope perpetuity appreciates it!

This takes me back. My "1100" was actually a 1300, and here in Canada it was called the America. Unbeknownst to me, it had already had a hard life when I bought it. Good thing I worked at a BL dealership at the time so my parts were cheaper. I had to replace one outboard CV joint and one inboard Dunlop/Moulton joint. I couldn't get the oil pressure up, and then found out the body was held together with bondo. I have to admit, though, I loved the way it handled. That suspension was excellent! Working at that dealership, I remember we had a couple of Minis in requiring automatic transmission work. The final bills were kind of eye-watering. Engine wear would affect the transmission, and vice versa. Keep clean oil in there all the time.

The AP trans worked well until people thought they were doing the engine a favour by throwing in a friction modified multigrade oil. That knocked out the forward driving clutch inside the trans and, in most cases, required engine/trans removal, trans separation and disassembly. A friend, now deceased, used to be a service manager at a Leyland dealership and he *inherited* all the special trans tools. He could do one of these *in situ*. Hell of a savings in time and a hell of a lot of pocket money for him when he became an apprentice trainer with me in a technical college.

The rear seating and folding options are AMAZING and far ahead of their time.

I am so delighted that you came to Australia (and especially Tasmania). You have shown me more unusual cars, from my own country, and informed me of unknown details on cars I was aware of, in such a short visit as well! Thank you so much, each post has been thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyable!!

Strange looking beast, but the AP transmission was really quite impressive. I had a Mini Clubman automatic, 1975 vintage, for many years and did many troublefree miles in it. I liked the gearbox and the way it operated. There's a South African 1100/1300 derivative called the Austin Apache with Michelotti restyled front and rear ends. This has a full size boot in its extended tail. A really pretty car!

Always love the whining of the gearbox and the parp of the zorst on old Austin /Morris motors.... And it has a racy bonnet bulge, oooh I say!

I had a 1967 1300 auto when I passed my test in 1975. One day I was trying to keep the engine running with a few too many revs as I put the gear lever into ‘D’. There was a loud thump and from then on all the gear positions moved one space down the selector. This meant R was still reverse, but so was ‘N’. Neutral was next to 1 on the selector, 1 was next to 2 and so on. This meant 4 was next to drive so I had to drive it like a manual forever after that. Problem was, it would only start when the lever was in ‘N’- which was actually Reverse. So the instant the engine started you had to grab the lever back onto position 1 (which was actually Neutral) or you shot off backwards.

Two points I want to make. First, I love your extensive and fascinating knowledge about cars and the auto industry, like an encyclopedia in sandals. As with automotive presenters like James May, it's simply enjoyable hearing you waffle along about things like door handles and wipers which I find more interesting than the usual cold performance numbers to judge cars. Secondly, I like the little bits of editor's commentary peppered in the videos. Many times it gives a good laugh, keep it up!

Enjoyed the auto box sound of that a-series with it's nice changing sequence. Most 1100s i knew as a child always had two cushions in the back window and a nodding dog 😊

Lovely video Ian. I had a 1971 1500 5 speed Nomad in about 1984 when i was at uni. When I first took it to my friendly BMC / BL specialist mechanic at Frankston he said "oh, no. What did you buy one of those F***'ing things for? It's going to spew oil out of every orifice, it's going to jump out of gear, the tappets are going to clatter and are a mongrel to adjust, you should have spoken to me first!" He was right, it did all of those things and more. It was a hoot to drive though. I'd love another one... The 1971 build cars had the infamous "tall heater" of Marina / Allegro fame stuffed under the dashboard as ADRs in 1971 required a blower fan for the heater.

The Nomad looks like a hybrid of Ausitn 1100/1300, Maxi, Landcrab & Wolsey 1800 all mixed together! Nice area that, with all the palm trees.

Looks a bit like a maxi and a 1100 smashed together!

Love this car, I honestly think it’s a good looking automobile, a very honest design, all you need and nothing more. The simplicity of this car is beautiful!

Fantastic video and looks like fun to drive, thanks for bringing this to us as we'd never have seen it otherwise. Leyland Australia really tried hard but were doomed really

Aw bless, it's an 1100 with a flat cap. Thank you for saving me from Bargain Hunt repeats while I have my sandwich 👍 Forgot to say it's beautiful, whoever saved Dinsdale did a remarkable job.

Makes an awesome sound! What a lovely wee thing. Makes you wonder, if Leyland Australia had lasted the course, what those guys would've made of the Allegro...Or rather, what those guys would've made the Allegro into...

The 1500 had an optional 5th gear! That would have settled it down on highways. Unfortunately, mine didn't have 5th but she was a real little goer. She served me well for six years - not bad for $Au500 in 1985.

That's such a delightful exhaust note! -And those shifts, proper rapid too.

Nice, love how practical it is with the combination of an automatic gearbox. A real workhorse

Owned a 1500 5 speed for 10 years was the most reliable car I ever owned drove the east coast of Australia north to south 6 times and slept in the back heaps of great times😊

Another one I've been waiting for, classic quality HubNut experience, thanks. The car actually looks Australian

My grandmother had a Morris 1100 auto. I didn't want to be seen driving it back in the day, but I would be quite happy to drive it now. P.S. 4th gear *was* 4th gear, not Drive.

I remember automatic Mini's and Metro's with the AP4 gearbox and they went through the gears very quickly. Around the early 70's AP fitted new pre oiler pumps that stopped it slipping when going into top gear

Thank you for showing the entire luggage compartment. That's the single most important aspect of any car. :-)

What an amazing car! Thanks for bringing us these gems!!!

I've read about the AP autobox but never witnessed one working. Apart from the 4-speeds (quite rare for autos of the day) it was also unusual in that it had an oil pump on the output shaft, meaning that a car with this gearbox could be push-started.

I've just watched CarWow's review of Skoda Scala (I know, modern) and he couldn't decide if it was a hatchback or an estate. And now this...

Owned a 1500 manual from new. It was a good highway cruiser. The muffler's sound as I remember was ex factory, and I loved it. The Auto box was I believe basically a semi-auto in the numbered positions with full auto in 'D' The Cars manual described how to arrange the seats to form a double bed and I made full use of that feature. The rear parcel shelf could be folded down to form an open space a la station wagon. Those seats were very accommodating.

Charming little car and I bet you surprised a lot of traffic with the sports exhaust.

Lovely little thing and very practical. Love that look, so different.

Love it! Always been a fan of Alec Issigonis work with the ADO16, and the Nomad makes it all a bit more practical! Wish I'd saved one of these back when I used to scour the 'Under $1000' section in the trading post! (When it was still in print!)

Thank you for showing us this car,I had almost forgotten about them,The Nomad with the 1500 motor was a delightful car to drive as was the 1100 and the 1800 of which I had three of them over a period.

Sounds really nice... love it! 😎👍

I owned a Morris Nomad around 1985 for a short while. I don't remember it being an automatic but the best part about it was the way the seats folded down. I always thought they will call it Nomad because you could sleep/live in it. Great video, thx.

How amazing that the Morris Nomad was well ahead of its time with features that only became the norm years later - 4 speed auto, folding rear seats, hatchback, front wheel drive etc. My mother had a 1300 or 1500 for a short time. She says it drove beautifully but she traded it for a new 1971 Escort because it stalled every time there was a shower of rain. The mechanic had put a hessian bag inside the front grille to keep the rain out but that didn't really work.

Everything I'd hoped for. Great idea for the collapsing back seat. The bulged bonnet made me feel an actual sympathy for the 1100's flat contribution. Anyway, loved it👍

Deliciously odd. Very glad you did this video, Mr. Hubnut, thank you very much for sharing with us!

Fascinating, that rear seat arrangement is ingenious

Just for accuracy you are actually in Port Melbourne where you can see the passenger & vehicular ferry the Spirit of Tasmania in the background, then you drove south a couple of suburbs away where you finished up in St.kilda, you can see the old Palais theatre & Luna Park in the background where you might notice the old timber treating that supports one of the oldest operating roller coasters left in the world that has been operating for l believe over a 100 years.

That's a lovely sound!

I was young when the 1100 where on the roads and remember them them well but at the time I thought they were ugly and grandma looking, now I have a respect for them and want the GT version.

I love it ! Never heard of such a thing here in UK though, like the Kimberley - that was a nice looking car too. Good video, as usual Ian - thank you. :-)

Thank you for showing up something beautiful again.

Nice sharp steering, comfortable ride and Dinsdale is a speedy wee supermini hatchback thing. The first Skoda Fabia estate had similar reared styling but it was extremely ungainly compared to the Nomad. A lovely thing echoing loads of different vehicles from all angles and really clever rear seat. Yet again this would have sold over here no problem.

What a fascinating hatch/estate. Dinsdale is a beaut. Think it's always sad to see BMC/BLMC cars of that era, knowing that it would all end soon! Many thanks HubNut.

Glad to revisit this car review! I really liked learning more about car production where I live!

Oh wow! Came for the car as they were rare here in Aus, but then I saw the Spirit of Tasmania ferry which I went on a few years ago with my now wife. She lived just up the road from the dock in Port Melbourne at the time. You should have stolen the Nomad away onto the ferry as Tassie is a beautiful place to visit.

Looks great another brilliant video Ian

Such a natural beauty, lovin’ it already!

Look at that, an 1100 hatchstate. Nice review as always. 👍

Love it. Makes me miss my old 1966 Austin 1100 rotbox.

another great video Ian enjoyed it 👍

We had an Austin Mini automatic. It had the larger 1275 engine with HS4 carburettor rather than the basic HS2. I remember being told in no uncertain terms to use Esso Uniflow oil, and no other. It was very expensive. The car had a phenomenal amount of sound insulation. When my father-in-law bought the car after we had it a few years he decided that the £1.00 a gallon Duckhams oil was suitable. Three months later the motor/gearbox packed in. I liked the gearbox.

I like the way the bonnet and grill make the car look bigger than it is. That brake booster is very similar to the one in my landcrab(of fond memory).

It is a beautiful oddball!

Great video! I love those crisp shifts. I hope my America shifts like that soon... Thanks for mentioning the Kimberley. I didn't even know what that was. Now I've something else to want...

Morris 1100 at the front - Austin Maxi at the back 😎 I love it and greetings from the U.K. 🇬🇧

looking forward to watching this...thanks, Ian.

Delightful. My wife's first car was a twelve year old VP Princess 1300 with the AP gearbox. A bit clunky but it never let us down.

Lovely, my old grandad had an Austin A40 in powder blue in the early 70's which looked quite similar.

That is a lovely oddball. Than you for the vid

I owned a 1500 Nomad in the early 80's and it was great. Blue in colour.

What a great and unique little car ❤️

The ADO16 was offered with a 1275 and AP automatic in North America as the Austin America. It met with modest success in Canada, but didn't do so well in the United States. When our small family outgrew Dad's Sprite, he had three finalists for its replacement: Volkswagen Type 3 Variant, Austin America, and Opel Kadett Wagon. The Volkswagen was dismissed rather quickly, but the Austin hung in as we were to an extent already a BMC family with a Minor and a Sprite. The Opel won out due to its conventional rear-drive platform and the national (Buick) dealer network for service availability (which was a serious consideration with family in rural Georgia in 1970.) Cheers from Costa Rica!

Back in 1982 in Canberra , my lovely mother in law at the time , had me , on occasions , drive her around in her Austin 1800 . With she comfortably ensconced into the front passenger seat , this British Iron , automatically received an engineering upgrade , hitherto unknown to the motoring public , a driver's side airbag . Probably the first British Automobile to carry one .

Back in '65 I worked in a shop that had BMC, Mercedes, And Ferarri. Wedid get the 1100 MG, but they never sold well. The engines leaked oil, that went to destroy the rubber CV joints and constantly needed replacement, due to the oil leaks that everyone tried to correct, with little sucess. Thanks, Richard Schickling Plymouth Meeting Pa.

A damn good car that is. Good sound too. Would not have minded one of these as well as the chevettes that i once had back in the early to mid 90's.

What a thrill to see and hear Dinsdale on the RU-vid. Hello, Kathy! Hello, Tim!

Very much like this, very cool! If only these had more sales perhaps the allegro could have been a hatch, and history could have been different. Leyland were so many times ahead of the curve. but one step forward two steps back was indeed the leyland mantra. Top work mr hubnut!

My first car was a Morris 1500....picked it up 15 years old but in near new condition (50,000 miles) for $500. It was a 4-speed, but I soon swapped in a good 5 speed box. Once I'd sorted out a few BMC niggles and swapped in some decent front seats it was a good car, and I had it for about 8 years. A fast cruiser that handled well, strong, and great on fast outback dirt roads, and never really let me down apart from a blown head gasket one time that gave me the excuse to port it, swap in a set of 4:1extractors I found hanging unloved on the wall of an exhaust shop (neccessitating cutting the inlet manifold away from the cast exhaust- ah, the things that seem reasonable when young), and porting, flowing/rejetting the SU carby to match plus a few other tweaks. After that it was officially pretty quick- 100+hp is quick in a 800kg car...it easily embarrassed a mates new 'twin cam corolla' which was properly hilarious...

Sweet little car, bringing back memories once again. Cheers

Well entertaining Ian, thank you, the first observation I made was the Maxi rear profile, But this beauty is quite a lot better than the Maxi, Just in the steering. Cheers

Lots of glass, yes we did get the Nomad in New Zealand 🇳🇿 😀 so this where we got the idea 💡 for the Maxi, I bet your glad its not a LHD with all that heat from the engines radiator. Thanks for sharing. Yes, we got the Maxi & Allegro & Van Den Plaa, sorry no spell check. 🍹👍👌🌎🗽

All the car you need. Great video, neat little car!

Fantastic car and video - thanks so much. I had no idea that AP actually made an auto with engine oil in it. A tribology nightmare!

When I first Arrived in Oz from Uk. (1980) My Sister in Law lent me her Nomad. Until I had chosen what Aussie Car to buy. I plumped for an XA Ford Falcon. Bench seats of course..! The Nomad performed well until it Started to Get Warm in Sept/October. I had to Drive with the Heater on, to stop her Boiling off..! But it performed well for the time I needed it..!! I wish I still had it today. Nomad and or XA Falcon. They would be worth a few Bob today..! Cheers All. Kim in Oz. 😎

Oh that was a treat indeed, much thanks Mr H. Who couldn't love a Maxi shrunk in the wash? Another mysterious (to us in the UK) motor, have to say it does look a little odd but I love it and wish they were sold over here. As an in house rival to the Maxi that was never going to happen. So sad there are so few left, be well Dinsdale and thanks to the owner.

Back in 1970, I used to have a Morris 1100 Automatic Estate. It was excellent, good performance and drove like a dream.

I've been looking forward to this test . I had a 1500 Nomad in Melbourne the same colour as this. I got it free off a friend because it had stuck in gear (again) and the registration was due. I fiddled about with the gear selector and eventually got it so it would engage and disengage third. I drove it home several miles like that. More knowledgeable friends got involved and I ended up with a car which would select all except fourth, which was fine. I really liked the car; it was powerful enough and very economical. I even slept in it a few times after having a few too many at a party. IIRC you've got to open the doors to make the bed otherwise the arm rests get in the way. This was in the mid 1980's when no one wanted BMC stuff and they were just a disposable car. I'm surprised the survival rate is so low though. I wonder how many 1100s and 1100Ss have lasted? Nice to see "My" part of Melbourne too. You started filming in Albert Park, then drove through Middle Park and into St Kilda. For several years I lived very close to where you finished up. It was a fantastic place to live then; far more affordable than it is now. Thanks as always.

Wow - front end of an 1100 and the back of a Maxi?! Great drive Ian

I’m guessing that regular engine oil and filter changes are more critical with these cars with AP automatic gearboxes to ensure continued trouble-free operation of the transmission. I’ve got to say this vid is fascinating - I’ve spent most of my life in New Zealand and there were a few of these over here. Of course you don’t see any at all now. In fact I’d forgotten these even existed until I watched your video on the Kimberley. Once again a real joy to watch, Trekka one coming up next.

That low seawall reminds me of various visits to my grandmother, who lived a bit further down in Brighton. Driving from Adelaide, seeing that seawall meant we were close after 8 hours of driving.

Dumping hydrolastic suspension was the silliest thing they did. It was brilliant.

Brother traded up from an 1100 to a brand new one. I loved it.

That transmission sounds silky smooth!

Love that car :o What a weird little thingy :))

good to see we are testing the wipers while the car is running now..

St Kilda looks like a nice place. I like the Art Deco Palace Theatre.

what a cracking motor. A baby Maxi. I like that a lot.

I live not far from Beaconsfield Parade, you were in my neighborhood @HubNut, you should've dropped in for a cup of tea. Enjoyed the video!

THANK YOU (!!) for not talking during one of your standing starts. Much as I do enjoy your commentary, I also want the chance to hear the car uninterrupted. Sounds like the old girl doesn't like being driven hard during 3rd to 4th gear changes. I imagine the oil filter must get clogged sooner with clutch pack material. This is not a car to skip oil changes in!