Tuesday 1st July 1980

British Leyland (BL) launched the Morris Ital. It took its name from the Ital Design studio of Italian Giorgetto Giugiaro, who had re-engineered the Morris Marina, which had been produced since 1971. Although the Ital had revised exterior styling, it retained the Marina’s 1.3- and 1.7-litre petrol engines and rear-wheel-drive chassis, as well as the dashboard and interior of the Marina. The Ital was the last production car to wear the Morris badge, although there was a Morris-badged van version of the Metro produced until 1984.