1968 Morris Oxford

First registered in May 1968, this Series VI Oxford De Luxe was purchased by our vendor as part of his car collection when it was traded in against a - wait for it - Porsche 911, of all things!

Since then, this De Luxe has seen limited use, though it has been stored along with the rest of the vendor’s collection out of the elements.

Prior to purchase by the current owner, the car was given an extensive ‘going over’ by the former keeper, which included the following works:

- Full respray in 2018

- New sills on both sides in 2020

- All new brakes, cylinders and Flexi hoses in 2021

- New clutch pressure plate and thrust bearing in 2021

- New oil in differential

- Gearbox oil change

- Engine oil/filter change and service

- Electronic ignition conversion, with new coil, rotor arm, distributor cap and leads

- New brake servo unit

- New fan belt, battery, windscreen rubbers (front and rear) and other miscellaneous works

- Full stainless-steel exhaust

- Four new tyres

- New sealed beam front headlight units

In more recent times, a programme of work has been carried out by the vendor, with the following items addressed:

- New rear brake adjusters

- New trunion bushes

- New fuel cap seal

- Headlamp adjustment

- General overhaul and fettling to the suspension system

- Fixing the broken horn

The vendor notes that the car was put through an MoT exam on 25 July 2022, despite being exempt by virtue of age. The car failed, though the majority of the advisories were addressed (see above) and the vendor has stated the remaining two issues - relating to corrosion on the front suspension mounting points / anti-roll bar mounting points and the parking brake efficiency - will be addressed, and the car will be supplied with a fresh MoT certificate.

Finished in blue, the classic 60’s lines of this Oxford may have been somewhat commonplace at the time of launch, but these days even the most numerous of mid-century vehicles manages to turn plenty of heads, and arguably these once-common workhorses look - in our eyes - better than some designs that OEMs are putting out in the current markets.

Whilst the bare bones certainly seem to be in good shape - the flanks of the car are free of any conspicuous dents, impact damage or major panel gaps - the paintwork displays a typical patina/wear for a vehicle of this age, with the areas around the side chrome trims in particular displaying bubbling/corrosion, along with other larger marks, scuffs, flat spots and blemishes dotted around the vehicle.

The front and rear bumpers are both in good order with no damage, though the chrome trim does exhibit pitting and some commensurate wear.

Elsewhere, we noticed some bubbling patches on the offside rear arch, offside front arch and on the nearside rear arch, which would best be addressed by the next owner. There was also evidence of paintwork reaction bubbling on the nearside rear door, which we’ve documented in the gallery below, along with all of the above mentioned issues.

All four wheels are in good, presentable condition and wrapped in matching HIFLY rubber.

Inside, the age of this Oxford is somewhat more apparent than on the outside, with the interior in need of at least partial restoration to bring it back to its best, though it could, of course, be used exactly as it sits, should the next owner wish to do so.

The front seats are the most obvious area in need of attention, with the driver’s seat in particular exhibiting damage, holes, cracking to the covers and what appears to be a burn mark, along with the usual commensurate wear-and-tear. The front passenger seat is also heavily worn, though the rear bench seat appears to have escaped from the worst of the wear-and-tear.

Up above, the headliner is taut throughout, though it is heavily stained, as are the carpets which will need some TLC.

The door cards are in decent shape, displaying commensurate wear in the front and lighter usage in the rear, though the nearside rear door card has come away from its mounting points and requires re-attaching.

We also noted that the seals around the doors range from heavily stained to significantly worn / perished (particularly in the case of the offside rear door) though the doors close and open without fault.

In the rear, the luggage compartment is heavily worn, though a number of miscellaneous spare parts are present.

During our photo shoot, the gauge pod/instruments and choke cable all worked as they should do, though the rest of the switches and toggles within the vehicle appeared to be inoperable.

Firing up instantly and settling into a smooth idle, the venerable B-Series engine that powers this Oxford De Luxe would appear to be in rude health, happily sitting and running even in hot weather, dealing with repeated re-starts and showing no signs of any excessive smoking or untoward behaviour during our time with the vehicle.

In the engine bay, the block and its ancillaries present in decent shape, and everything looks to be in its right-and-proper place, with no engine or transmission-related issues reported by the vendor.

As always, we’ve supplied plenty of chassis / underside photographs for you to inspect towards the end of the gallery below, though the vendor has already highlighted that the aforementioned corrosion issues to the front end of the vehicle will be addressed, and the MoT did not note any other corrosion-related advisories or failures.

Included with the vehicle is the V5 registered keepers document showing four former keepers (it should be noted that the vehicle was never put into the vendor’s name, as it was a trade sale/purchase) a copy of the recent MoT certificate, the original servicing ‘passport’ which also shows the original buyer’s details and car VIN, and details from the previous keeper of work carried out whilst in their ownership.

We’ve photographed all of the documentation that we’ve seen, and included this at the end of the gallery below.

Benefitting from extensive mechanical works in recent years, dry-stored and with outstanding potential for the next keeper to bring it back to its former glory aesthetically or run it as a classic with wonderful patina, this Morris Oxford De Luxe is a good example of the Series VI model, which is in need of an enthusiastic and dedicated owner to keep it on the road.

Offered for sale with NO RESERVE and an estimate of £5,000 to £7,000 this is a great opportunity for one lucky bidder to obtain a great ‘starter classic’ or aesthetic project.

Viewing is always encouraged. This particular car is located with the vendor in Guildford, Surrey. To arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.