MEET THE OWNER – STEPHEN COLVIN AND HIS MORRIS METRO VAN
By Andrew Roberts |
9th March, 2021
No, this is not a misprint, as the Morris badged version is one of the rarest and most desirable models to devotees of the Metro. Virtually any car-based light commercial of the 1980s has a very poor survival rate, but the early Metro van is probably now a more unusual sight than an MG 6R4. Not to mention offering considerably better fuel economy.
When BL unveiled ‘A British Car To Beat The World’ on 8th October 1980, it resulted in the demise of the Mini Clubman, but the Estate and the Van initially remained in production. The latter was virtually part of the landscape, and there seemed to be no great urge at Longbridge for its demise. However, several enterprising dealers created their own Metro commercials for buyers who needed transport that looked more up-to-the-minute.
And so in October 1982, British Leyland introduced their own Metro Van, with either 1.0 or 1.3-litre engines or a choice of “Base” or “L” trim levels. The latter came with a heated rear window, a passenger sun visor, reversing lamps and that “houndstooth” upholstery beloved by BL in the early 1980s. The larger engine models also featured servo-assisted brakes, which was less of a luxury and a necessity.
The newly formed Austin-Rover division continued to sell the Mini Van for a short period. Meanwhile, anyone trading up to the Metro would have been amazed at the comfort levels. The “Base” may not have represented the last word in cabin appointments, but at least it offered winding windows as standard. Equally importantly, the new model provided much the same load capacity as its predecessor and looked set to rival the Ford Fiesta Van.
However, the most intriguing aspect of the Van was its name. In July 1982, BL announced the Morris badge’s impending demise on their passenger cars as the Montego would replace the Ital in 1984. The company retained the marque for their light commercials, but the “Morris Metro” lasted until only 1985 when it was succeeded by the “Austin Metro 310”.
The Vans continued in production until 1990; alas, there was never an official Rover Metro version. Stephen came by his L-spec 1.3-litre Morris in 2020 - ‘as a quite active member of the old MOC forum, there was a thread about the van. It had a mechanical failure, followed by an attempted theft, and the owner decided to sell before it was stolen.’
Fortunately, Stephen was ‘the first/ possibly only to offer to hand over £’s and bought it unseen and had it delivered’. The Metro has just over 17,000 miles on the clock and it has recently surprised quite a few people. ‘They were available for such a short time as Morris - they have/had been completely overlooked by the Morris owners clubs etc.’ Indeed, his Van deserves far more respect, as both a fascinating 1980s artefact – and one of the last vehicles to carry a famous automotive name.
With Thanks To: Stephen Colvin and The Metro Owners’ Club.
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