British Leyland Cars Timeline

Notable BL and BMC and related models

• 1948 Land Rover (Rover)
• 1948 Morris Minor (Nuffield)
• 1952 Rover 90 (Rover)
• 1952 Morris Oxford (BMC)
• 1954 Austin Cambridge (BMC)
• 1959 Triumph Herald (Standard-Triumph)
• 1959 Austin Gipsy (BMC)
• 1959 Mini (BMC; Initially badged as the Morris Mini-Minor and later Austin Se7en then Austin Mini)
• 1961 Jaguar E-type (Jaguar)
• 1961 Riley Elf (BMC)
• 1961 Wolseley Hornet (BMC)
• 1961 Austin Healey Sprite (BMC)
• 1961 MG Midget (BMC)
• 1962 Triumph Spitfire (Leyland-Triumph)
• 1962 Morris 1100 (BMC)
• 1962 MG MGB (BMC)
• 1963 Triumph 2000 (Leyland-Triumph)
• 1964 Mini Moke (BMC)
• 1964 Austin 1800/2200 (BMC)
• 1964 Rover 2000 (Rover)
• 1968 Jaguar XJ6 (BLMC)
• 1969 Austin Maxi (BLMC)
• 1970 Triumph Dolomite (BLMC)
• 1970 Triumph Toledo (BLMC)
• 1970 Range Rover (BLMC)
• 1971 Morris Marina (BLMC)
• 1971 Triumph Stag (BLMC)
• 1973 Austin Allegro (BLMC)
• 1975 Princess (BL)
• 1975 Triumph TR7 (BL)
• 1975 Jaguar XJS (BL)
• 1976–1987: Rover SD1 (BL)
• 1980–1990: Austin Metro (BL)
• 1980–1984: Morris Ital (BL)
• 1981 Triumph Acclaim (BL)
• 1982 Austin Ambassador (ARG)
• 1983 Austin Maestro (ARG)
• 1984 Austin Montego (ARG)
• 1984 Rover 200-series (ARG)
• 1986 Rover 800-series/Sterling (ARG)

Competing models

In some cases, British Leyland continued to produce competing models from the merged companies at different sites for many years. However, any benefits from the broader number of models were far outweighed by higher development costs and greatly reduced economies of scale.

Sadly, potential benefits associated with rationalising parts usage were lost, as for example, the company made two completely different 1.3-litre engines (BMC A series and the Triumph 1.3-litre), two different 1.5-litre engines (BMC E series and Triumph), four different 2-litre engines (4-cylinder O series, 4-cylinder Triumph Dolomite, 4-cylinder Rover and 6-cylinder Triumph) and two completely different V8 engines (Triumph OHC 3-litre V8 and Rover 3.5-litre V8).

Examples of competing cars were:

• Morris Minor and Austin A40/Austin 1100
• Austin 1300 and Triumph Herald/Triumph Toledo
• Morris Marina, Austin Allegro, and Triumph Dolomite
• Triumph 2000, Rover 2000, and Austin Princess
• Triumph Spitfire, MG Midget and Austin-Healey Sprite
• Triumph TR6/Triumph TR7 and MG MGB
• Rover 3500 and Jaguar XJ6

Badge-engineered models

In contrast to the continued development of competing models, British Leyland continued the practice of badge engineering of models which had started under BMC; selling essentially the same vehicle under two (or more) different marques.

• Riley One-Point-Five/Wolseley 1500
• MG Magnette ZA/ZB/Wolseley 4/44
• MG Magnette ZB/Wolseley 15/50
• Morris Oxford MO/Wolseley 4/50
• Morris Six/Wolseley 6/80
• Austin A99 Westminster/Wolseley 6/99
• Austin A110 Westminster/Wolseley 6/110
• Austin 1800/Morris 1800/Wolseley 18/85/Austin 2200/Morris 2200/Wolseley Six
• Austin A55 Cambridge/MG Magnette Mk. III/Morris Oxford V/Riley 4/68/Wolseley 15/60
• Austin A60 Cambridge/MG Magnette Mk. IV/Morris Oxford VI/Riley 4/72/Wolseley 16/60
• Riley Pathfinder/Riley Two-Point-Six/Wolseley 6/90
• Austin Se7en/Morris Mini-Minor
• Morris Mini Traveller/Austin Mini Countryman
• Riley Elf/Wolseley Hornet
• Austin 1100/Austin 1300/Morris 1100/Morris 1300/MG 1100/Riley Kestrel/Riley 1300/Vanden Plas Princess/Wolseley 1100
• Austin-Healey Sprite/MG Midget