Morris Bodies, Quinton Road

Just saw this appeal for information on MGB body work that took place at the Morris Bodies No.1 factory in Quinton Road between 1962-69. Anybody able to help?

I am trying to find out as much as I can about the former Morris Bodies plant at Quinton Road, as well as some of the people who worked there in the mid fifties onwards. The reason for my interest is because I am researching the stories of the MGA and MGB sports cars, both of which had their bodies built there. I am also keen to contact the family of Eric Carter, the man who helped design and build those bodies. I hope someone out there can help please!

I found a few names of personnel (from Graces Guide, 1959 edition): Morris Bodies: Bodies Branch Builders of specialized bodywork. Add: Quinton Road, Coventry. T: Coventry 25301. Tel. Add: Holprat Coventry. General Manager: W. Johnson. Works Manager: A. Price. Personnel and Welfare Manager and Apprentice Supervisor: H. R. Glass. Chief Buyer: L. Hayden. Material Controller: W. H. Davis. Works Engineer: A. Collins I suspect that W. H. Davis is the same Bill Davis who later went on to work at Standard Triumph and finally British Leyland.

....and this for 1953... Morris Motors Ltd. (Bodies Branch). Car and Van Body Manufacturers. Quinton Road, Coventry. Telephone: 5305. TIA.:"Holprat," Coventry. Directors: See Nuffield Organization. General Manager: F. A. Green. Production Executive: W. Johnson. Secretary and Director: W. Hobbs. The Nuffield Organization. Proprietors: Morris Motors Limited. Directors: Viscount Nuffield, G.B.E., F.R.S., M.A., D.C.L., LL.D. (Chairman). R. F. Hanks, M.I.Mech.E. (Vice-Chairman). G. E. Dono (Sheet Metal Division). D. Harrison (Sales and Service, Home and Overseas). W. Hobbs (Secretary). A. E. Keen (Ancillary Service). H. C. R. Mullens (Exports). A. V. Oak (Chief Engineer). S. V. Smith (Assembly Division).

"Holprat", I suspect, would have been Hollick and Pratt who were local coach builders, working on, amongst others, Rileys. I'm not sure whether they were taken over by Riley who in their turn were taken over by Nuffield, this would explain this link.

Matchle55- Hollick and Pratt were purchased by Morris in 1923. The works was renamed Morris No.2 Body Plant (Coventry) in 1926. The works built the bodywork for many Morris and BMC cars, the final model to be produced there being the Morris Minor Traveller, production of which ended in 1971. After Morris Bodies closed, their factory was taken over by Coventry Climax (both companies were by then part of British Leyland, and Climax already had a factory adjacent to Morris Bodies). From http://www.bullnose.org.uk/HotchkissBull.htm : Morris bodies made in Coventry: Cowley 4 seater 1920-30; Cowley Coupe 1927-30; Cowley Com Trav 1923-29; 8/10cwt standard van 1927-30; 13.9 Oxford 2 seater 1920-26; 13.9 Oxford 4 seater 1925-27, 1930-; 13.9 Oxford coupe 1927-30; 13.9 Oxford sal landau 1928; 13.9 Oxford saloon dl 1928-9; 13.9 Oxford fab sal 1929-30; 16/40 Oxford 4 seater 1928-29; Minor Tourer 1929-30; Minor van 1929-30; Six Coupe 1928-9; Wide Trk Tourer 1929-30 From http://www.mgcars.org.uk/mgccz/Articles/palmer.pdf "...the RM series Rileys...were now in production at Abingdon...Their bodies, of traditional ash and pressed steel construction, were built by Morris Bodies Branch in Coventry, and until 1949 final assembly had been at the Riley works in Coventry too..." From http://www.mg-tabc.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=34&p=142 "All TC interiors were manufactured at Morris Bodies Branch in Coventry, the same place the tubs were manufactured. There was a big trim department there that made all interiors for all Nuffield vehicles at that time (including most of the Riley ones, though Victor Riley in his independent way insisted on continuing to make some of his own).Tubs were manufactured there, painted, and then the interior trim was installed. The windscreen went on (with wipers), the hood (convertible top) installed, side curtains stuck into the storage slot, inspected, then it was ready for the trip to Abingdon." From http://www.austina30a35parts.com/colours_as5.htm "During 1960 and 1961, large numbers of A35 van bodies were painted at the Morris bodies plant at Coventry." From "Don Hayter's MGB Story: The Birth of the MGB in MG's Abingdon Design ..." by Don Hayter: "in those days (1958), the chassis pressings were made by Thompsons in the Midlands, and body assemblies (of the MGA) at Bodies Branch in Coventry, with regular lorry transporter runs to Abingdon. It's worth remembering MG has always been an assembly factory, depending on outside supply from component manufacturers in the Midlands" "During the time that the details of the inner structure of the body (of the MGB) were being drawn and developed, I worked in Coventry at Bodies Branch at Quinton Road, next to the Armstrong-Siddeley car factory. The ex-Nuffield factory was in two parts, separated by a road, across all the parts and assemblies had to be carried in trucks. At the time Bodies branch was making MGA Tourer and Coupe bodies, and the Morris Minor Traveller steel and timber body. The on-site woodmill machined and shaped all of the ash formers and structure necessary for both cars. Bodies Branch Experimental in Coventry was to make the first full-scale wooden model for the outside panels (of the MGB)..." From "Original MGB: With MGC and MGB GT, Volume 8" by Anders Ditlev Clausager: "When the MGB roadster was introduced in 1962, individual panels were pressed by the still-independent Pressed steel Company in its factories at Cowley and Swindon, but were then supplied to the old Morris Motors bodies Branch in Coventry where the MGB bodies were put together, painted and trimmed, before being supplied to Abingdon for final assembly. The GT body, from 1965, was by contrast supplied complete by Pressed Steel, the shell being made at Swindon , but finished with paint and trim at Cowley. In 1966 Pressed Steel merged with BMC and in 1969 production of the roadster body was moved south from Coventry" From "Morris Minor: 60 Years on the Road" by Ray Newel: "In the case of the Morris Traveller, the ash-framed rear section was assembled complete with painted aluminium panels at the Coventry Bodies Branch. These were then transported to Cowley to a sub-assembly area called the 'body loft'. Here the painted cab was married to the rear section before being introduced to the main assembly line."

JVB, thank you for the clarification, very interesting and answering a few questions for me. But here is another one for you. I have a November 1970 MGB Roadster, would its body have been built in Coventry?

If MGB's were given a similar numbering system to the MGC, the answer can be found here. "Commission numbers also had a letter at the end indicating where the body had been commissioned. Commission numbers were issued and the plates attached in the body finishing plant rather than at Abingdon. F meant the body was commissioned at Coventry bodies branch P meant Pressed Steel at Swindon Z meant Pressed Steel at Cowley"

Was this part of the same factory here when it was Rolls-Royce? I'd completely forgotten it looked like that.

NeilsYard This is an extract from the 1956 OS. Your photo shows the Armstrong Siddeley/Rolls Royce works on Quinton Road, looking towards the city centre. The entrance to Morris Bodies was just off shot to the right.