The BMC 1800 'Landcrab' is Flawed Genius 

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You are a breath of fresh air on this era of cars mate, too many lazy car journalists far too eager to dismiss cars from the past with a single sentence and zero research

I was actually half way through the video before I realised just how good your content is. This is like a Top Gear for Nerds. You've also reminded me about just how comfortable the Land Crab was. Especially in the back.

I'm not afraid to say this is THE BEST video of the Landcrab to date. Top notch knowledge, vocabulary and presentation sets you above the usual cartubers.

Issigonis was responsible for some good cars. My relatives lived next to him and drove an experimental mini he had in his garage unknown to anyone else. Major problem with flawed designs often came from the man himself. He was a prima-donna engineer and the air used to turn blue when it came to suggested design changes especially when related to what customers might want. Sad that his talent and ego got in the way of making outstanding cars.

The video brings back so many childhood memories for me - thank you. My dad was an upwardly mobile engineering manager in the late 1960's. We were all set to take over a 6 month old Corsair 2000E when my dad moved jobs and we moved house. Apparently, the guy leaving had abused it somewhat in it's short life and my dad rejected it. We ended up with an Austin 1800. When it turned up - like a large white bride - it didn't set the pulse racing with excitement - that's for sure. Especially as my dad had been assigned (short term) an MG1300 saloon AD016 type and we all absolutely loved that. The crab took a long time to get in our good books. It was however spacious and as kids we saw a lot of Britain out of the rear windows. It was also the first car I got to 'steer' whilst it was in motion (health & safety types look away). But, it loaded us all - including granny and grandad - for extended family visits. The build quality wasn't great (did you know bare body shells were transported from one factory building to another on lorries as the covered tunnels weren't big enough to accommodate it's width - LOL)? The white paint flaked off after one of my stray footballs hit it - and that wallowy waft suspension wasn't much cop on black ice - something my dad discovered when he banged up the front wing. But, we toured all of Ireland in it - and it never missed a beat - including in floods and a thunderstorm of epic proportions. But, you are right in your assessment - my mum felt like an old fart in it - and it wasn't replaced at the end of two years by another. Oddly mind, all these years on - I oddly fancy a Wolseley Six. One of my schoolmates dad had one - and towed a caravan with it. With the Rostyles - it is a nice looker - in a warped kind of a way...?

The future of car reviews. Fantastic research and execution of the video Ed. Love your work. Your enthusiasm is very catchy.

A really superb video again. In these 36 months, you have honed your craft to a very high standard, where you now stand alongside the very best motoring presenters. This video for example, is better than it could have been allowed to be on TV. Very well done!

This is an excellent video I really enjoyed. I live in Canada and my dad had an Austin 1800 when I was a kid. He was so proud of the fact it had more room inside than most of the American monsters of the day. I remember us having 5 or 6 kids in the back, etc. You wouldn't get away with that these days! And now I'm restoring one of my own, to go along with my Mini.

My first car was an Austin 1800 Mk2 here in Australia in the early 70's. One of its greatest features was the ability of the front seats to lay back completely flat which resulted in a wonderful bed. Ideal for drive-inn evenings or ... umm ... other activities. 😉

I love this channel. The little dog. The abandoned serial killer's burial site barn. Perfect for the eccentric British cars of the 50s and 60s.

I've worked at a number of car manufacturers in engineering. It's occasionally discussed that the only characteristic of car design that _hasn't_ improved over the years is ride quality. People seem more interested in Nurburgring times and stupidly large wheel sizes with skinny tyres.

I learnt to drive in an Austin 1800. I was 16 at the time. It was my mother's car. It was an amazing car, very secure on the road and very spacious. I took it to 100 moh and felt very save, more so than in many other cars since. This video brings back many good memories of this car. When you put the front seats as far forward as you could, and laid the seat back down, the seat back aligned with the back seat making a huge and very comfortable bed. Great for camping and - well, I'll leave that to your imagination!

Love your videos that cover classic cars. Wish the UK could bring back its auto design, manufacturing and ownership back, imagine a modern British built Jag XKE. Thanks to Ed and Twin-Cam for another fine watch of automotive history.

This is great - not just any old landcrab, but the posh Wolseley version! 🥰 I'll always say it's more than "badge engineering" because of the grill & trim etc. These are a popular classic over here. Btw. I'm glad you have a sponsor now - that shows people respect and have confidence in your video work!

Great to see such a detailed assessment of the 1800 series. I must have been a very strange schoolboy as, when my best friend's dad was collecting a brand new Escort Mexico in Daytona yellow, I felt no envy whatsoever and was busy pleading with my own father to buy an 1800 in teal blue. It just seemed so stately and cavernous, and, dare I say, British? We eventually got a Maxi, so I could at least dream some of the dream. Had we ever won the pools what would my choice have been? Austin 3-Litre, without a doubt!

Ed, I grew up in Australia and my dad's first new car was a 1965 Morris 1100. He had owned a used Austin A40 before that. I got my license in 1975, and my first two cars were Morris Mini 850's. I remember how smooth the Hydrolastic suspension was in the Morris 1100. I have to say I would have loved to own a 3 litre six cylinder version of the Land Crab with the hatchback body which was available in Australia. It was an interesting vehicle.

Yet another great video. When I was a child we had a harvest gold Austin 2200 and it was great for transporting a family of six. The six cylinder motor was so smooth and torquey that my father couldn’t be parted from it when it was replaced by his first company car - a mark one Vauxhall Cavalier. Consequently it sat on the drive until it rusted away.

I love 1950-60 British cars and I've just discovered your great videos. The Austin 1100 was probably the last popular "really British" car in France apart from the Mini. Since the collapse of your motor industry, where have all these beautiful cosy car interiors and excentric bodies gone? I miss them.

In Australia the 1800 was built and sold as an Austin. I was a teenager in the late sixties, I remember the Mini, the 1100 as a Morris and the 1800 all being popular cars and plentiful on our roads. The late Paddy Hopkirk drove a works Austin 1800 to second place in the London to Sydney car marathon in 1968. That race passed through our farm on a competitive stage. I think the 1800 is a good looking vechile. British Leyland in Australia went on to make a car called the P76 , it got canned for various reasons but was probably ahead of its time too.

The Morris 1800 mk2 was my first car, I did nearly 100,000 miles in it ( before I replaced it) in terms of leg room and comfort I haven’t found anything to replace it ( I am 6 foot 7 tall)

When I was a kid I never liked the styling of the ADO17. I thought they were ugly. Cousins of us had a blue Wolseley which I loved riding in. It was better than our MK11 Cortina. You get older and times change. Now I respect what these people were all about. I would have one.

The Australian Austin Kimberley proved that a Landcrab-based car doesn't need to look ungainly. But as for the BMC 1800, I'm pretty sure it would be more aerodynamic going backwards than forwards!

A friends father owned a Wolseley six in , I think, blue. A lovely thing to be transported in.

Love the Austin 1800. I had a saloon and a ute,. Put in a smaller engine, are you nuts... not in Australia, it had to compete with six cylinder cars. As usual the accountants won over on the engineers. You are right about not necessarily being better off in the motoring world today. The NSU RO80 was also a car ahead of its time.

Talking of instruments, in 1979 my mate's dad had one of the new model Avengers (when they had become Chrysler rather than Hillman) and it had a green illumination on the instruments. This was so impressive that we referred to this as the X-Wing Fighter dash board, and to be honest we still use the expression to this day for any instrument layout that looks as if be belongs in a cockpit rather than a passenger compartment.

He missed a feature or this car that surprised me. When I was about 18 and driving around the countryside with friends in Australia, vans and station wagons were very popular, because you could throw a mattress in the back. This meant you could go on an overnight outing with friends and their cars. Some friends took tents, but for convenience and comfort, you couldn't beat a car with a mattress in it. You and if you had one, your girl, could sleep in your car, saving driving in to town and money on a hotel room. Important as most of us had little money back then. Most of it was spent on the trip and party. A friends father purchased an 1800, that I'm sure the Wolseley model has the same capability as they are almost identical. Although the manual model in this video has a floor shift. My friends was an automatic with the gear selector coming out of the dash. When you put the front seats forward and reclined them they lined up perfectly with the back seats, giving you a very comfortable double bed. Sadly the car broke down with gearbox issues I think and his father got rid of it. Which was the real reason why Australians abandoned English manufactured cars. Aussies do a lot of miles, reliability was very important to us. English cars just didn't cut the mustard on that score : (

In the 1980s I’d often attend car auctions and seeing a BMC/Leyland car limping into the ring with once side lower then the other was a familiar sight. Having said that, I owned a couple of hydrolastic cars and never had any problem with them at all.

I feel like the proportions of the landcrabs could have been helped massively if they'd just extended the boot a couple more inches, not that the extra space was needed, but it would have given the rear a far more traditional silhouette, while also making the whole car look larger, which would have appeased what I think was one of the biggest problems for buyers' first impressions.

Just done a 600 mile round trip in my recently bought Morris 1800S and absolutely loved every minute. MGB engine gives it 100mph performance. The torquey engine comfy suspension and rock solid handling loves sweeping bend A roads and it holds its own in the outside lane of a motorway. All this from a car that’s more than half a century old. Way ahead of its time, the template for the modern family car. Great review here, on the nail with all the comments made. Re minimalism versus bling (rev counter on leaf spring live axle car) give me design purity and minimalism every time.

My father owned a Austin 1800 Mkll and a Peugeot 505 and I drove both. They both hard very comfortable rides and good handling and I drove them on Australian Country Dirt roads.

Thank you for a very comprehensive report on the Landcrab and it's history in the scheme of things. I passed my driving test in 1964 and owned a rubber cone suspension Mini. I also owned Hydrolastic Mini and the Austin 1100, My memory is that the Hydrolastic lost its ride height due to pressure leaks and it had to be restored by a special pump which replaced the lost fluid. This rendered it unsuitable for DIY maintenance. I also drove the Austin 3 litre which I recall was uninspiring on performance. Rusty rear sub frames of the Mini and generally poor build quality, plus a lack of underbody protection from the climatic conditions, meant Austin Morris , BL , BMC were not renowned for longevity.

I learned to drive on an Austin 1800 'Landcrab' back in the mid 70's. It felt like a big box with a wheel at each corner, but I still have a huge affection for these cars!

I'm in New Zealand and when I was a youngster I had an 1100 & a 1300 & an 1800, not all at the same time. As a youngster I didn't appreciate the interior size of these cars compared to others. Obviously I knew the 1800 was really roomy, but until I got into Cadillacs, of which I've had a few, I didn't appreciate just how roomy they were for a small car. None of my Cadillacs have had the same leg room as the 1800! Wow! Pure genius!

Had a '69 18/85 auto (same colour as this one) that I replaced my 64 16/60 auto with. The dimensions of the landcrab are positively tardis like compared to modern stuff and still a doddle to slot in modern day parking spaces.

I have always thought that the 1800 was the best car BMC ever made. I love the proportions. All the space within the wheel-base, so that it has secure handling, and enough space inside to actually relax [unless you are driving of course], so that the conventional designs with cart leaf rear driving rear axle - to me at least - look like a triumph of form over function. This car is just as sumptuous for the rear passengers as the front. Perhaps this was not so necessary for the kids in the family setting, but nice to have. I wish that they had made an estate version. That would have been amazing. The Maxi was also a highly underrated car, but the sad truth is that by then BL were making very badly put together cars that broke for no good reason. I would love to get a good 1800 and I reckon it would make a wonderful conversion to an EV powertrain. Not for a long distance tourer so much as a comfortable daily local car. Best wishes from George

I remember my Dad owning a MK2 Austin 1800 and enjoying every minute of it . He towed a big speedboat at the time everywhere , and this car was absolutely the best for towing either his boat or the touring caravan . He regretted not owning the Wolsely and then in 1970 he got his first Jag XJ6 which eclipsed every other car made in the world . I was a 12 year old car mad kid and tried to pursuade my Dad to by the Austin 3 litre , but now Im glad he got the Jag and to this day I drive a V12 series 3 Jag which is still the best car in the world bar non

My dad had two Wolsley landcrabs, the first one a turd brown 18/85 and then a Damask red Wolsley 6. Both autos. They were great family cars, very comfy, nice ride and loads of space. I have very fond memories of them.

Brilliant video, again, Ed. You summed up, beautifully, the advances in automotive development. Whilst I like modern cars they all rely on electronics to ‘enhance’ driver input. Whilst I drive a ‘modern’ for everyday use it’s my older cars I drive for pleasure. I have just added a 1953 Vauxhall Velox (GM-H assembled) to my fleet. The Velox cost £1178/6/6 Aussie pounds, on the road. Just a small point, we did the Aussie thing and shoehorned a 6 cylinder in the Farinas giving us the luxury Wolseley 24/80 (my first car) and the, lower spec, Austin Freeway. Great to see you driving and enjoying the cars you review.

I had one and did 250,000 miles in it. And it was far from new when I bought it. It wasn't trouble-free but on the motorway it just sat there like a museum. As it got older, people joked that I should alert the AA in advance before leaving but that was true of many vehicles in those days. It did 120 000 miles after the power steering failed even though the book said don't. I'd give it 4 stars out of five.

I bought a 1968 Morris 1800 in the early years of the new millennium-the 2000s when I needed a car as part of my job as an advertising space salesman. The car I chose gave me excellent service and was rock solid reliable defying the reputation of British cars at the time. The cars use selling magazine advertising space put a high mileage on the odometer and I traded the Morris on an Australian 1973 Holden Kingswood Sedan when I needed a more commodious boot and interior to carry around suitcases of Woman's lingerie samples to sell wholesale to retail stores. In all the ways that matter relating to a family Sedan consigned to commercial use, the 1800 gave stalwart service, ate up the miles week after week with no breakdowns or mechanical misbehaviour. I knew nobody else who used an 1800 in the same way my job nessesitated so I have nothing to compare my ownership with.

Thankyou for this wonderful and nostalgic piece. In the mid 1970's I was the proud owner of a chocolate coloured 18/85. If my memory serves me right, it was an 'H' reg. It was also an automatic and I think I'm right in recalling that the auto selector was located out of the dashboard with vertical selection. Please correct me if not. During the time I owned it, I carried Nigel Davenport and Simon Ward to and from their homes whilst working on the set of Dan Curtis's 'Dracula'. I always used to think of this car as a big luxurious motor and it is very interesting now to hear that it wasn't the big beast that I always imagined!

As a kid we had a Mk1 Cortina an Austin 1300 and an Austin 1800. as kids we thought we were in a limousine with the 1800 it was smooth, quiet, the speedomoter fascinated me (linear not a dial) we could roll around on the back seats (no seatbelts fitted or required) there was so much room! when on a hill and the handbrake applied the whole car would level out spooking people behind a right laugh for us watching out the back.

I've always liked the styling of the landcrab and find it infinitely more appealing than the Maxi (a sort of sister car) which I find had an awkward and ungainly look to it.

Back in the 70’s….. went to see a chap selling one of 1800’s that did the London to s Sydney rally….. initially as the recce car…. Then did it for real Minilites….. shock adj lever on back shelf….. and the engine had stamped on the block “ exp 101”…… guy wanted £600 …. My mate didn’t buy it an I already had a cortina lotus mk 2 But I always fancied the 18/85 wolseley….crackin motor😎👍🏼

Thank you so much for yet another fantastic, professionally produced video, my Dad had a Morris 1800 S with twin SU carbs, your so right it was a long serving absolutely fantastic family car, I was lucky enough to be able to drive it once I had passed my test, it was very quick, happy days 😁

My dad had one, it was a lovely car, we had three driving holidays in France with just one glitch. It was a comfortable ride and greatly admired by our French friends. It was capable of accommodating two adults and three teenagers and all our luggage.

Thank you so much. What an absolutely fantastic video. You summed up the good the bad the ugly & the brilliance of the land crab perfectly. In 1981 when I was 12 my Dad replaced his K reg Vauxhall Viva with a 1975 Wolseley 6 auto which got us 4 kids, I was the eldest & Mum & Dad in perfectly. I loved it from the second I saw it. The 6 cylinder 2.2 Litre engine the arm rests front & back seats, the auto gear change on the dash board the wood interior well to me it was so posh after the Viva & I was hooked. To me it did & they still do now look such amazing looking cars. Keep up your brilliant work.

We had these in Australia back in the mid 60’s and were just named the Austin 1800. In size they were almost comparable to the local offerings of Holden and Ford Falcon. Thwarted probably by there wheezy performance and lack of durability on our longer distance’s between towns and less then perfect roads. Farmers found them wanting in their abilities to tow a trailer of any size. Even with the addition of a Ute which I think was just an Australian oddity. There comfort and interior appointments admittedly were first class and superior to the local offerings. Later we had the Tasman and Kimberly which had 2.6 liter 6 cylinder engines but were still considered wheezy and inferior to the other local offerings. The final nail in the coffin in Australia was the introduction of the Leyland P76. A full size car comparable to the Holden and Ford Falcon of the time. The P76 had the British 2.6 liter six and and alloy V8. These vehicles could do nothing to compete against the local offerings. Due to there atrocious build qualities and lack luster performance and terrible build qualities, none of these vehicles could compete against what was offered here so they died a natural death along with the rest of the British car industry🇦🇺.

Great presentation, as always; your knowledge and style are wonderful. Thanks for sharing it on here.

An excellent presentation which held my interest throughout. Well done.

My dad had an Austin 1800 in the late 60's early 70's. As a kid I thought it was huge. Great car!!

An absolutely fabulous video. My father had a Morris Oxford, Morris 1800 s ( twin carb) that was the best car to tow a caravan and then an Austin Princess single carb that wasn't a patch on the landcrab. Many thanks for such a nostalgic half hour!

well done Ed a fabulous video and probably one of the most in depth i’ve ever listened to on the land crab like you i love an underdog and especially a BMC BL one! my auntie and uncle and cousin had a 1800 and 2200 respectively and i remember the wafty ride and thick comfortable seats i am hard pressed to think of another car as roomy especially on a run it’s a shame it didn’t catch on more than it did as it could have changed motoring as much as the DS and another missed opportunity is the pininfarina 1800! Ben keeps that 1885 immaculate and it’s a stunning car well done Ed looking forward to the next video

Hi from Sydney, Australia, I'm now 66 yrs old , when I was a kid, there were plenty of these on the road here. I have not owned one , however , my first girlfriend was given one by her step dad as her first car, it had been his daily car via his employer , however he was promoted and given an Austin 3 litre the 1800's big brother. I taught Jessie to drive and obtain her provisional drivers license in that ca , and I really liked driving it . When her step dad changed jobs , he bought the 3 litre off his prior employer , . If you feel the 1800 & 2200 land crabs are great then you should drive a really good Austin 3 litre as they are even better, with self levelling suspension, more powerful engine, but the longer wheelbase adds to the grip and drivability. I only wish that when Ken was selling the 3 litre that I had bought it, I anger myself that I didn't buy it , to me it was the Toyota Lexus of the 1960's , a luxury car made by a company that normally made mass produced basic cars , not a fancy luxury car that would out handle and out perform a Mercedes 300sel with the 3 litre 6 cylinder engine, let alone a BMW 2800 4 door. I at the time owned a 1965 4.2 ltr Jaguar mk10 and I liked driving the 3 litre Austin as much as the Jaguar . Dirt roads & there are plenty in Australia , back then , and even now, the "landcrab" went over hideously bad bumpy , corrugated gravelly dirt roads like a Hovercraft , no wonder it did well in rally's on terrible roads . We had the 2200 cc engines in the Aussie Kimberley & Tasman's which hit the roads in late 1969. Mo9st owners of the !800's & the 2200's kept them for DECADE or MORE, so well loved they stayed with their owners for 20 years or so. Structurally they had a better engineered, stronger, more safe passenger cell than a way more expensive Mercedes 250SE. No wonder Sir Alec called this his greatest achievement .

It's a crime they didn't do an estate version of this, they could have solved both the size issue and the awkward market placement. I never knew much about these, thanks for the video!

i had one for 12 years and i loved it. A great family car with lots of room for the kids and it never lot me down

You do such a good job on these videos. Always look forward to seeing these.

Another fantastic video Ed, even the way you incorporated the sponsorship (other content creators take note!). The Landcrab had some great success in rallying for many of the reasons you specify. Had BMC had the funds to do a late 60s reskin it may have been a different story (and indeed obviated the need for the Maxi...)

Being used to driving Valiants, the Austin 1800 while looking compact was surprisingly tardis like when getting behind the wheel. Always liked the ute version- would be a great upgrade to shoehorn a Magna V6 AWD driveline or from an EVO lancer , whichever fit better.

I'm 6'3" i have had an Austin 1800 mk 1 & 2. I can confirm that the back was sufficiently spacious for me. I loved my 1800s Ride was superb the cars were incredibly strong. I would love to have another one

My dad had a landcrab. I can still smell the interior as we took trips to the beach in the early 70s.

For those of us lucky enough to buy a classic quality Wolseley 18/85S for £600 in 1972, it was soon to become the team taxi. A ex MD car with the roof lining well brushed by his hat, it was a dream to drive ... it only lost out to my first and series of life long COMPANY CARS.

Its great that you are now able to drive the cars you're reviewing, it adds that third immersive dimension to your video. Lovely presentation about a lovely car, one which I have never driven myself despite expecting my first car in 1985 to be one of these; instead I walked out of the car auction with the keys to a Mk3 Cortina, much less revolutionary but a far superior package.

1:32 I loved my old Austin America. They actually made quite an effort to equipe that car to American tastes, not the least of which was a bespoke 4spd automatic! My car, like many, was fitted with an aftermarket air-conditioner at the local port facility that worked acceptably. It was a 'Coolaire' unit.

Congratulations on 3 years .........absolutely love the land crab.......love you word play ..well done keep up the great work

In about 1971 my Grandad who was a farmer had a BMC 1800. He gave me a lift in it now and again. it was always dusty and full of hay etc. But what I recall most was the the front door locks did not work any more so there was bailing twine tied through the door handles and the twine trailed out over the front seats. Front seat driver and passenger were required to sit on the twine to stop the doors from bursting open! When he was alone in the car he used to tie the passenger length of bailing twine to the hand brake..... 50 years ago that was acceptable, seems pretty bonkers today.

Far better presentation than anything i've seen on Top Gear lately. The BBC need to get rid of Flintoff (most wooden presenter i've ever seen and can't drive) and McGuiness (knows nothing about cars and can't drive) and bring this guy in! He loves cars and it shows in his presentation. Great videos!

I miss my Australian MK2 1800 so much. Comfortable, roomy, surprising road holding. Non powered steering was so heavy at parking speeds but just lovely when on the move. Enjoyable video, thanks!

My father had an 1800 in the 1960s and enjoyed it. For him, the size was useful because he was disabled. He had a TB hip which meant that, after his femur was shortened, he couldn't bend his right leg (he had no hip joint - his operation was in the1920s) so he modified the seat to be a bit higher and the extra space made it easier. He also learned to operate some of the almost out-of-reach dashboard controls with his foot :) He loved it and appreciated its handling. We also had a Morris Minor van for the business and on one occasion he noticed a bump as he exited a roundabout and realised he'd driven like his 1880 (ie too fast) and the bump was the inside wheels returning to the road :) At the time your Wolsley was being use my wife and I were running a 1967 Austin Healey Mk4 Sprite - which was really fun to drive over the 100k miles we had it - but then, I was a motorcyclist so appreciated the fresh air.

My Dad bought a 1969 Austin 1800 Maroon in colour from the local dealer in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. It replaced the Cambridge we had. Love it. It was the best. The only thing that it lacked in Canada was Air Conditioning, it gets hot here then stupidly cold. -40c to +40c. Wish we or I, since I‘m 65 now, had one. I will have to make do with my 22 year old Land Rover Discovery. Now being replaced in Jan 2024 with a Land Rover LR 3.

As a kid I didn't like the look of these cars but now I see things in a different light. Well done England, and you for such a good video!

Very clever of you, Ed, doing another thirty-minute video of a car you covered in another video...... and it was still such a good job. Thank you.

My Dad had an 1800 Mk 1, then an 1800 Mk2 - he was in a very bad crash (hit by a drunk driver - total impact speed 90 to 100mph) and almost simultaneously hit by a Cortina about to overtake him - he was able to open his door and climb out with only a small cut to his head - a very safe car......it saved his life

Ed, you have now covered the “bookends” of the ADO cars so very well, so now it’s time to get a nice ADO16 on the channel - maybe a later 1300 version (Wolseley or 1300 GT even!)

My Dad had two of these - a 67 Morris in white and a 1971 auto in red. And of course I’ve had two of the fabulous cars with the same doors - the Maxi The 1800 was a superbly comfortable family car. Thanks for the review

Well produced, excellent content. I really enjoy the presentation and appreciate the research behind production.

My Uncle had one. BRILLIANT car. Comfy, huge interior, massive trunk, backseat like a London cab, and 25 mpg.

i had a new one when I was young and despite having loads of cars sice, the Landcrab was really the nicest car to drive of all of them, for all the attributes you mentioin. Mine was the automatic version with the gear selector on the dashboard to the right of the steering wheel. And everyone loved riding in it. Smooth, quiet and comfortable. I'm really glad I had one!

Thanks for doing one of my favourite cars and I have had all of the 3 makes nice to see you driving round again

Excellent video, you have raised the bar again….

The Wolseley's have one of the nicest interior I have ever seen. Regarding the engine, I think they also forgot a very simy thing that was fairly common at the time: overlaping. There should be some overlap in ranges, not much but some. The entry level engine on this should be the same as the top spec on the previous segment car. That way the buyer could choose either a top spec ADO 16 with a very lively engine or.... For almost the same price, a bigger car but with limited power, maybe enticing people to step up from the ADO16 because it wouldn't be that more expensive and wouldn't use that much more gas. Also, for the costumer already wanting one of these,. It would provide them with a much more economical alternative.

Our Morris landcrab used to refuse to start most of the winter, because the front-facing spark plugs got to damp. The answer was to drop a fan heater in the front of the engine for about 10 mins!

Issigonis was a magician. I had a 1972 Wolseley 18/85 in the late 90s, when it was about 25 years old. I loved it. And let me make clear, it handled well. It was just like a Mini, but on steroids. It went round corners as if on rails. Just as quick as the then modern cars. Previously I had a Wolseley 6 (the 6 cylinder Landcrab). I preferred the 4 cylinder car. A very tough engine, and more in keeping with Issigonis' minimalistic ideas.

Brilliant review. Just brilliant! Subscribed immediately. Keep up the god and informative videos. You managed a very difficult task: to be original and include a very distinct and personal flavor to a very used and abused format. Historically relevant and very informative. Best of the best.

You’ve grown this channel fantastically. I’ve watched from the start. You’ve become really confident and polished too

I liked the Princess our neighbour had one the 2200cc with the suspension which leaked from new and he could put up with it because it was nice looking car and it was a nice orange bronzy colour and he then parted with it when the camshaft snapped in half? He went on to buy a new Triumph instead which was very fast and was a Dolomite 16 valve and it was quick and a nice car but for it had to have a new cylinder head gasket and a water pump every 13 weeks under warranty? He sold it when the year was over and bought an Audi 100 Avant 1600cc 1977 and had no issues with it what so ever.

When I was a sprog, mum n dad had the Austin 1800, F reg. It was an amazing car I've always remembered. Even the flashing green bulb on the end of the indicator stork... They knew how to design cars back then, me and my sister would sit on the back seat, with a full size suitcase between us driving from Yorkshire to Tenby for the summer hols. We would even take it in turns to get on the rear window shelf to lay down n have a sleep on the way down there!!! How laws have changed!!! 🤣😂🤣 I also loved the mainbeam switch on floor by the side of the clutch pedal.... They where great cars. Shelves right the way across the front under the dash... I remember we traded it for a Chevette of all things, so my sister could do her test in a more modern car.... what a mistake that turned out to be. Snapped off gear shift lever, burnt out points every few weeks, rough ride..... all from new.... Great video's!!! Cheers...

I had the Austin 2200 many years on my friends and family talk about the good time we had in that car. It was the only car my grandmother didn't get travel sick in. On Friday/Saturday night there would often be as many as 9 in it. The seat folded down to a comfortable double bed which was very useful for a young man .... camping yes camping 😁. The biggest issue with the handling was the seats lovely and comfortable but did nothing to hold you in so you lost grip of the seat long before the car would lose grip of the road. I won't say it was all fun and games as it broke down A LOT 😳 so was kept fit doing long walks in the rain looking for a phone box while the girlfriend reclined the seats and had a nap 🙄. Sadly it come to an end when a stolen car was crashed into it parked outside my house 😭💔

Another incredibly professional review, you really have a talent for this. You made the land crab interesting! Great work. Thank-you.

Our Dad had a brown 1800. Drove that car to Poland and back in 1973 with 3 kids, all luggage and a 5 man tent. We had no room to put our feet in the back seat. It made it there and back, as a lot of roads in Eastern Europe were mud tracks. Also survived being searched by the East German border guards.

Excellent review. In Australia it came smack up against the conventional 6 cylinder (and later optional V8) Holden, Falcon, Valiant trio of family cars with predictable results. The Mk 1 looked so dumpy but the Mk 2 looked better and sold better too. In the 80s I drove a friends Camino Gold Mk2 automatic quite a bit and it was brilliant, apart from the awkward steering wheel. With regard to the engine. The 1.8 litre B series was a huge improvement on the B series in the Farina cars. It was re-engineered in many areas with a 5 main bearing crank as opposed to the 3 bearing crank of the earlier engines. The 5 bearing engines are much smoother and basically bullet-proof compared to the more vibration prone 3 bearing versions. I can't imagine it with a smaller engine, the 1.8 was adequate but not overpowered by any means. Issigonis was incredibly clever but flawed and I think he had a lot to answer for at the end of the day.

Fantastic video! Really thorough and informative. I'd be quite interested in acquiring one of these, after watching this.

I’m glad to see you mention the engine size being an issue. Most reviews don’t and this is one of the biggest issues with the car. The bigger engine led to a bigger and heavier car that completely missed the intended market segment. That’s why they had to try to make a smaller version in the Maxi.

Thank you for another great video. My dad had a Landcrab when I was a young boy. Can't remember if it was an Austin or a Morris. But I liked it. Supremely comfortable..

Great review, I didn’t know that much about these, but I now realise that they were advanced for their day. My uncle had one in the eighties but by then the motoring world had evolved and their significance had been lost. For me the story of using ADO17 doors in the Maxi, which gave that car unrivalled passenger space and access is one you couldn’t make up.

Excellent video, as always Ed. My sister had a Wolsley like this one, back in the 80's. She was a visiting health care nurse. She liked the car, but too hard to park on a regular basis.

Thanks for the video Ed, really enjoyed it particularly the on road parts, keep those coming. You are getting some lucky fantastic experiences.

Thanks Ed another Brilliant car review, love the Wolseley version of the BMC 1800 think it looks quite stately and like the interior with the wooden dash and round dails over the strip speedo of the Austin & Morris versions. The example you had to test looks incredible what a credit to it's owner ♥️👍🏻.

One of your best videos, brilliant, always interesting to watch.