When the very first Morris 1500 rolled
off the line early this year, we knew we had a car that
was reliable and durable.
To prove it, we picked the Alice
Springs/Darwin track. And nine hard-bitten drivers to
handle it in relays. |
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 |
We let the men rest. But not the
car.
We gave them a standard Morris 1500
picked blind-fold off the production line.
In the next ten days they racked up
more than 15,606 miles, average over twenty-five miles
per gallon. and didn't use an ounce of oil. Not a drop.
Average speed? Over 60 miles an hour.
(Would your car top a mile a minute for over 15,000
miles?) That's reliability.
On one run, the Morris 1500 made best
time ever recorded between Alice and Darwin. |
In an over-enthusiastic moment, one of
the drivers rolled the car (hit an ant hill). The driver
wasn't even dazed thanks to the standard seat belts.
They simply tipped the car back on its wheels and took
off again.
That's safety.
But don't try it in any other car.
You think you're surprised? Read what
the drivers had to say. |
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| Leo Geogbegan:
(Champion Austraiian
Racing Car Driver) "I thought the car was superb.
Front wheel drive and Hydrolastic suspension was an
ideal combination for these conditions. Whenever we came
upon a bit of road we didn't know-when it was suddenly
bumpy or twisty the handling of the car enabled us
to negotiate these areas without a moment's
worry." |
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 |
Ian Geoghegan:
(Australian Touring Car Champion) "The handling
surprised me. 1 didn't think a production car could be
so good, especially one that sells for little more than
$2,000. The seating was good too. It wasn't a tiring
journey because the car was so
comfortable." |
| Jack Murray: (Leading Australian
Trials Driver) "The 1500 amazed me. It just seemed
to want to keep on going forever. It didn't use any oil
at all in 15,000 miles. thought for a while we
should keep driving the car until we wore it out, but
reckon if we had kept it going for that long all my
clothes would have been out of
fashion." |
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