Details of Cars

Morris Fourteen: the six-cylinder Morris of the late 1930s

MORRIS

Morris Fourteen
Morris Fourteen. Photo by Clive Barker from Selsey, West Sussex, U.K., CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The Morris Fourteen was one of the six-cylinder models with which Morris filled out its range in the second half of the 1930s. It was made from 1936 to 1939 in two series, and its 1818 cc engine gave it a 14 hp RAC rating in place of the number-based names used lower down the range.

Morris Fourteen at a glance

Morris Fourteen key facts
Production 1936–1939
Series Series II, Series III
Body four-door saloon
Engine Morris QSDM six-cylinder, side-valve, 1818 cc
Rating 14.07 hp (RAC)
Gearbox three-speed or four-speed
Series III engine overhead-valve, same displacement and power
Series III changes painted radiator cowl, covered glove compartments
Launched with the Ten, Twelve and Twenty-Five at the 1937 Motor Show
Place in range between the Ten and Twelve and the Twenty-Five

Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Fourteen, which is short and gives few technical details.

History of the Morris Fourteen

The Morris Fourteen arrived in 1936, a year later than the other models of the family that was called the Series II range, and differed from them in engine and body size. It was a four-door saloon using the Morris QSDM 6-cylinder side-valve engine of 1818 cc, rated at 14.07 hp under the RAC formula, and it could be ordered with either a three-speed or a four-speed gearbox.

The Series III version was launched together with the Ten, Twelve and Twenty-Five at the 1937 Motor Show. The easiest way to tell it from the earlier car is the painted, rather than chromed, radiator cowl, a change shared with its larger sister, the Morris Twenty-Five. As with the Twenty-Five, the move to Series III also brought an overhead-valve engine, but the displacement and the rated power stayed the same. The Series III additionally gained covers for its glove compartments. Production ended in 1939.

Design and features

  • Six-cylinder engine: 1818 cc side-valve unit rated at 14.07 hp.
  • Two gearboxes: buyers could choose three or four speeds.
  • Painted radiator cowl: the simplest way to recognise a Series III car.
  • Overhead-valve Series III: same size and power, different valve gear.

Morris Fourteen versions

  • Fourteen Series II (1936–1937): chrome radiator cowl, side-valve engine.
  • Fourteen Series III (1937–1939): painted cowl, overhead-valve engine, covered glove compartments.

The Fourteen sat between the Morris Ten and the Morris Twelve, and its larger relative was the Morris Isis. More cars are in the Morris collection.

Sources

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